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There is an urgent need to address climate change, making the development of sustainable energy alternatives more important than ever. While proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have shown great promise for energy production, particularly in the transportation industry, there is a long-standing problem with their durability and cost.

New study: Fear of human "super predator" pervades South African savanna Elephants, rhinos, giraffes and other wildlife dread people far more than lions Lions have long been considered the world's most fearsome predator, the "king of beasts," but according to a new study, fear of humans far exceeds that of lions in elephants, rhinos, giraffes and every other mammal across the African savanna.

As satellite count surges, Western team uses meteor tracking camera tech to track where they are in Earth's orbit As predicted by Captain Kirk, space is indeed the final frontier. But imagine if Starfleet couldn't launch the U.S.S. Enterprise because there was a traffic jam in Earth's orbit causing congestion or, worse, gridlock.

The Western Institute for Earth and Space Exploration is leading a new project to measure methane released by London's dump, with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers helping to track the potent greenhouse gas. The team will use drones, satellites, as well as stationary and hand-held devices to determine exactly how much methane is produced at the city landfill on Manning Drive - officially named W12A - and whether any of it is escaping the collection system currently in place.

Two graduate students from Western University have developed a ground-breaking method for predicting which intensive care unit (ICU) patients will survive a severe brain injury. Matthew Kolisnyk and Karnig Kazazian combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with state-of-the art machine learning techniques to tackle one of the most complex issues in critical care.

Researchers have made groundbreaking progress towards identifying the root cause and potential therapy for preeclampsia. The pregnancy complication affects up to eight per cent of pregnancies globally and is the leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality due to premature delivery, complications with the placenta and lack of oxygen.

Climate change has become a climate catastrophe, say researchers. Earth, water, fire and wind are fighting back and everyone and everything is affected. And that includes the world's bird population. New research from Western University's Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR) is the first to show that birds adjust their physiology during the migratory season to maintain oxygen uptake and movement to flight muscles, with some species exhibiting greater adjustments than others.

If you have concerns your child is having trouble reading, new research shows it's likely something that needs attention. As children across the country head back to class this week, a new study from Western researchers shows parental concern is often an accurate indicator of children's reading difficulty.

At Western, researchers have been working on innovations in health care intended for communities in resource-constrained environments. The Frugal Biomedical Innovations Program has launched 15 catalyst grants to support these innovations, which will help in diagnosis of diseases and in therapy, while costing less to operate or maintain.

Western researchers also find impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on cognition and memory differs by sex While previous research has shown that prenatal cannabis exposure can obstruct the normal growth of a fetus, the long-term impacts on brain development are still unknown. Western researchers are now providing fresh insight into this area, while also identifying a possible direction to treat the adverse effects.

Western researchers discover molecule with promise to enhance vaccine efficacy Findings have significant implications for strengthening the global response to current and future viral threats Taking a significant leap in the field of vaccine development, Western researchers have discovered a potential 'super molecule' that can bolster the effectiveness of several vaccines against viral diseases, including influenza, COVID-19 and smallpox.

A tornado that sliced through a rural area south of Didsbury, AB on July 1 is among the most powerful ever recorded in Canada. It has been rated at EF4 by Western's Northern Tornadoes Project , in collaboration with the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre.

Western researchers find unique blood plasma protein patterns in patients with prolonged fatigue, brain fog Using advanced research techniques, including a form of artificial intelligence, a team of researchers has discovered unique patterns of blood plasma proteins in patients with suspected long COVID that could improve patient outcomes.

Vision allows brain to make predictions well before it knows what's coming, new study shows Blending math and AI, Western researchers developed neural network model able to predict individual moments in the future The moment a pitcher unleashes a fastball in the direction of Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette in a professional baseball game, the crowd at Rogers Centre hopes something special is about to happen.

An international team of scientists have used data collected by the NASA / / James Webb Space Telescope to detect for the first time ever a molecule known as methyl cation (CH3+), located in the protoplanetary disc surrounding a young star. They accomplished this feat with interdisciplinary expert analysis, including key input from laboratory spectroscopists.

New study: can probiotics can improve outcomes in knee replacement surgeries? Researchers are exploring how they can better support knee replacement patients' overall health Researchers at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute are examining whether the use of a daily probiotic can improve outcomes in patients who undergo total knee replacement surgery.

Research team studies how changing honeybee gut microbiota contributes to hive health and influences social behaviour Widespread pesticide-use and diminished floral diversity in the environment have contributed to the worsening susceptibility of honeybees to infectious disease, threatening their support of adequate pollination of food crops.

New study uses rare isotopes as a tool in the fight against cancer Specially designed molecules seek out and deliver radioactive isotopes directly to cancer cells In a national multi-centre study, scientists at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute are working to create rare isotopes that will be used as an important tool to help treat cancer.

Understanding how animals make their way around in the world helps determine things humans are doing that might influence them Earth's magnetic field, generated by the flow of molten iron in the planet's inner core, extends out into space and protects us from cosmic radiation emitted by the Sun. It is also, remarkably, used by animals like salmon, sea turtles and migratory birds for navigation.

Team examined association between pain and DISH, a disease that causes calcification of the spine After hearing first-hand from patients about how the disease impacted their lives, a team of researchers and graduate students at Western were inspired to investigate the symptoms associated with an understudied spine disease called diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).