Blogs

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is always looking for ways to enhance food safety. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) can provide a unique perspective on what’s in food and is extremely useful in investigations into food safety, quality and potential fraud.

Variants of concern have dominated international headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. A small team of Government of Canada employees, called Genomics Liaison Technical Officers (GLTOs), have been instrumental to Canada’s identification and tracking of the variants.

Many of Canada’s rivers no longer flow freely due to dams and other barriers restricting the movement of our native species. Watersheds have become degraded by human development to the point where many rivers are cut off from their floodplains, affecting many of the critical services provided by healthy ecosystems.

Dried blood spot (DBS) testing, a technology used by scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), is innovating how we screen for transmissible diseases in Canada.

Astronauts heading to space undergo a series of physical and mental preparations to ensure they can withstand the pressures that come with the job. But did you know that they also get a radiation checkup?

Janice Wong’s interest in science started with a simple chemical reaction to create a household staple: aspirin.

In the last two weeks of February, the 55th session of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-55) brought together government representatives and scientists to review and approve the summary of a report of 3675 pages.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola, Marburg and Lassa viruses, are an ongoing concern in many West African countries. Scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) are working with some of these nations to build their capacity to detect emerging pathogens through international collaboration.

We are exposed to numerous chemical substances as we go about daily routines. How do we know they are safe?

Do you tune out the world by listening to your favourite music, podcasts or movies with your headphones? Listen up and make sure you’re taking care of your hearing.

Time spent making crafts and playing with toys is a large part of childhood. But how safe are the craft supplies and toys that our kids play with every day?

When there is increased demand for COVID-19 testing capacity, driven, for example, by the increase in Omicron cases, a cross-country network of surge capacity testing sites springs into action. Most recently, these sites were used as part of the response to the Omicron wave, which led to a sudden surge in testing needs in Canada.

The unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a decline in human activity during various provincial restrictions. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) researcher, Nancy Mahony collaborated with many partners on a comprehensive study led by the University of Manitoba to ask the question whether or not reduced human activity impacted birds. She talks to us about this collaboration.

The air quality in our homes is important to our general health. As part of the Government of Canada’s investment in understanding and improving air quality, Health Canada worked with First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout Zone and other partners to measure indoor air quality, and to examine links with high rates of respiratory infections seen in the region’s First Nations children.

When a new COVID-19 variant appears, such as the most recent Omicron variant of concern, scientists want to learn as much about it, in as short a time as possible.

For many Canadians, trips to the local rink are part their weekly routine. In Canada, more than 2,000 indoor ice arenas are used regularly by hundreds of thousands of people for activities such as hockey, figure skating, ringette and public skating.