April in Canadian science

This month’s SIN Newsletter, covering science and technology news in Canada, is out! Click here to download the PDF version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list and receive it automatically in your inbox, leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

This is John Preece assisting Nicole Arbour on the SIN newsletter and blog. Some highlights from April’s news are:

Research policy in party election platforms | With a federal election in 2011, it’s worth reviewing what the major parties’ attitudes towards science funding are.

Toronto XVIVO Lung Perfusion System allows high-risk lungs to be safely transplanted | Scientists at Toronto General Hospital have shown that their XVIVO system can repair damaged donor lungs and thus increase the number considered suitable for transplant.

Canadarm2 turns 10: Canadian Space Agency celebrates a decade of success | The Canadian-made robotic arm Candarm2 was installed on the International Space Station in 2001 (replacing the Candarm), and has just passed a decade of service as a multi-purpose construction/assist crane.

Plant lives inside animal: Algae invade amphibian cells | In the first documented instance of plant-vertebrate symbiosis, Canadian researchers have discovered algae living in salamander eggs and embryos.

Study finds Canada’s Arctic coastline eroding faster than anywhere else | An international study has found that, on average, Canada is losing 1 m of Arctic coast every year. This is far more than any other country in the Arctic region.

Primordial beryllium could reveal insights into the Big Bang | Canadian researchers have used the abundance of beryllium to probe the conditions of the early universe, 3-20 minutes after the Big Bang.

Remember that you can also keep up with Canadian science news on the UKinCanada Delicious feed, and with us and the rest of the UKinCanada team on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. See you next month!