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U of T researchers aim to lower cost to make lab-grown meat
On grocery store shelves among packages of farmed beef, poultry and pork, Peter Stogios expects to one day see meat created in labs.
The senior researcher in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and his team received a $330,000 (US$250,000) grant over two years to help find a less expensive way of growing cell-based meat, bringing it one step closer to commercial reality – and people’s plates.
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With students at the forefront, U of T implements ambitious sustainability plan
Students are at the forefront of the University of Toronto’s efforts – now entering the implementation phase – to make itself a global leader in sustainability education, research and operations.
In its third annual report, the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) outlines the concrete steps it’s taking to advance sustainability-related projects and initiatives across the university.
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‘An obligation to fill the vacuum’: U of T President Meric Gertler leads climate change discussion at Paris summit
The University of Toronto – represented by President Meric Gertler – was one of 47 universities that recently met in Paris to reach agreement on how post-secondary institutions can play a leadership role in addressing urgent global issues, from climate change to income inequality.
The group of universities, from 18 countries around the world, belong to the U7+ Alliance that was established by France as a way to dig deeper into the issues to be discussed by world leaders at the upcoming G7 summit in Biarritz.
Is there plastic in our drinking water? Probably – and U of T researchers are studying how concerned we should be
Is there plastic in your drinking water? The University of Toronto’s Bob Andrews and Chelsea Rochman say there is – but, unfortunately, they don’t have much more information to share.
“If someone asks me how microplastics in drinking water influence human health, I have to say that we have no idea,” says Rochman, an assistant professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science.
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Using language to make the world of fossil fuels strange and ugly
They weren’t getting it.
I had a room full of bright first-year university students in front of me, but confusion reigned as I tried to describe how embedded fossil fuels are in every aspect of society.
“OK, let’s try this. What do you call a car that uses both gasoline and battery power?” Relieved to be asked a question they could confidently answer, a few students piped up: “Hybrid car!”
“Right. Now, what do you call a car that you plug in?” The number of students joining the chorus grew: “Electric car!”
“Right again. So, what do you call a car that runs only on gasoline?” The response was a bit delayed this time, but some wry smiles of understanding accompanied the answer: “A car.”
U of T President Meric Gertler attends global summit of university leaders in Paris
University of Toronto President Meric Gertler is in Paris this week to attend the inaugural summit of the U7 Alliance, a unique international partnership that brings together leading universities to tackle the most pressing global challenges of the day.
The two-day summit, which kicked off today, will see the leaders of over 45 universities – drawn from 21 countries and representing over 2 million students – discuss five major global challenges: climate change and clean energy, inequality and polarization, technological transformation, community engagement and the role of universities in a global world.