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Engineer who designs gels to mimic human tissues wins Canada's top science prize – CBC.ca

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A Toronto chemical engineering professor has won the $1 million Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, the country’s top science prize, for her work designing gels that mimic human tissues.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced Tuesday that Molly Shoichet, professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering at the University of Toronto is this year’s recipient of the award, which recognizes “sustained excellence” and “overall influence” of research conducted in Canada in the natural sciences or engineering.

Shoichet’s hydrogels are used for drug development and  delivery and regenerative medicine to heal injuries and treat diseases.

NSERC said Shoichet’s work has led to the development of several “game-changing” applications of such materials. They “delivered a crucial breakthrough” by allowing cells to be grown in three dimensions as they do in the body, rather than the two dimensions they typically do in a petri dish.

Her collaborations with biologists have led to applications to treat cancer, stroke and degenerative blindness. 

Hydrogels are polymer materials — materials such as plastics, made of repeating units — that become swollen with water.

“If you’ve ever eaten Jell-o, that’s a hydrogel,” Shoichet said. Slime and the absorbent material inside disposable diapers are also hydrogels.

Shoichet’s hydrogels are specially designed to mimic tissues inside the human body.

“Most of our tissues are very soft, and that’s what hydrogels are.”

The work of Molly Shoichet, right, and members of her research lab, including Katarina Vulic, left, involves developing new materials that mimic human tissues. Her collaborations with biologists have led to applications to treat cancer, stroke and degenerative blindness. (Roberta Baker/University of Toronto)

Shoichet was born in Toronto, and studied science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduating, she worked in the biotech industry alongside “brilliant biologists,” she said. She noticed that the biologists’ research was limited by what types of materials were available.

As an engineer, she realized she could help by custom designing materials for biologists. She could make materials specifically suit their needs, to answer their specific questions by designing hydrogels to mimic particular tissues.

“There’s no existing material that has the properties we’re looking for,” she said. “And so we end up inventing these new materials.… that’s so exciting.”

Her collaborations with biologists have also generated three spinoff companies, including AmacaThera, which was recently approved to run human trials of a long-acting anesthetic delivered with an injectable hydrogel to deal with post-surgical pain.

Shoichet noted that drugs given to deal with that kind of pain lead to a quarter of opioid addictions, which have been a deadly problem in Canada and around the world.

“What we’re really excited about is not only meeting that critical need of providing people with greater pain relief for a sustained period of time, but also possibly putting a dent in the operation,” she said. 

Shoichet added that she was caught up in the excitement of the biotech sector in Boston in the 1990s, and wants to create that kind of community in Toronto. Many of her students end up pursuing careers in the U.S., she said. “But really, Canada has invested so much in their education. And wouldn’t it be great if we had more opportunities for students to get work?”

Secret kept for 5 months

Shoichet, 55, previously served as Ontario’s first chief scientist and has won dozens of accolades for her work, including the Canada Council Killam Prize for Engineering. She has been named a L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate and an officer of the Order of Canada.

“But,” she said, “I think this is the pinnacle.”

She first got the overwhelming news by phone in May, which was when NSERC had intended to announce the award before postponing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shoichet and the students and staff in her lab are finally able to share their big secret after five months.

The money will fund their research and give Shoichet’s team the opportunity to ask and answer scientific questions on a broader scale, since it’s not tied to a particular project, she said.

“We make our biggest discoveries and advance knowledge the greatest when we just have that opportunity to think and be creative,” said Shoichet. “It’s wonderful just to have that opportunity to explore.”

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Coronato scores twice, but Flames video coach plays hero in Calgary’s win

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MONTREAL – Matt Coronato scored the game-tying goal and the overtime winner in a dramatic finish, but video coach Jamie Pringle was the hero on Tuesday night.

Before Coronato powered a Calgary Flames comeback, Brendan Gallagher appeared to give the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 lead with 8:24 remaining in the third.

Pringle, however, instantly flagged the goal for offside. Then the Flames challenged successfully, and Coronato did the rest as Calgary flipped the script and won 3-2 in overtime.

“I was just saying that a post is normally a goalie’s best friend, but I think the video coach is now number two,” Flames netminder Dustin Wolf said.

Canadiens forward Josh Anderson had set up Gallagher on an odd-man rush, though it was unclear in real-time if Anderson had full control of the puck when he entered the Flames’ zone backward.

The Bell Centre’s roof nearly blew off with Canadiens fans celebrating like it was a sure thing, but Pringle thought otherwise.

“We’ve always been confident in Jamie,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said. “He’s the best guy in the league. So another situation where he flashed it up, challenge right away.

“We don’t get this win if it’s not for the courage that he showed. You have a great guy in that chair for a reason. And Jamie did a great job for us, keeping us in this game tonight.”

Pringle, a 49-year-old from Picton, Ont., who’s also known as “Chips,” is in his 14th season with the Flames.

And it wasn’t the first time he played a crucial role in a victory this season.

In Calgary’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 13, the video coach successfully challenged two goals, including one Corey Perry deflection that the hockey world was convinced should have counted.

Pringle made the snap decision anyway, even though a failed challenge would put his team on the penalty kill.

“He’s hot this year,” forward Blake Coleman said. “You know what? He needed to redeem himself after a tough last year. We had some good chats down the stretch, and he’s been on fire.

“I’d say of all the guys on our team, he’s probably the one who hasn’t missed a night so far.”

Coronato showed up at the right time on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old winger tied the game with 2:46 remaining in regulation when he cruised into the slot and went off the post and in. He then buried the winning goal seven seconds into the extra period, coming one second shy of tying the fastest OT goal in NHL history.

“He’s remarkable. He’s had so many chances to score, and he’s kind of been snaked bit a few times,” Wolf said. “To see him score on two unbelievable shots, that’s a scouting report on him, his shot’s lethal.”

“The kid can shoot it,” Coleman added. “Couple big ones.”

Coronato, a 13th overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, spent most of last season in the American Hockey League with the Calgary Wranglers.

This season, he’s played two games in the AHL and eight in the NHL. And with performances like Tuesday’s, he can expect plenty more in the big leagues.

“Sometimes with younger players, you put them in the American League for a bit and it’s hard on them,” Huska said. “There’s a long-term plan for sure. We know how good he’s going to be for us. We just want to make sure that we are putting him in situations that he’s going to be ready for and be able to have success.

“He’s done an excellent job of preparing himself to play, and we saw the result of his effort tonight.”

The Flames (7-5-1) picked up their second win in seven games to kick off a three-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Canadiens (4-7-2) dropped their fourth in a row ahead of four games away from home.

“We didn’t throw up on ourselves tonight, but we still feel a bit sick to our stomachs,” head coach Martin St. Louis said, referencing a post-game assessment he delivered after a 6-3 loss last week in Washington.

The Canadiens didn’t paint a picture of doom and gloom in the dressing room despite coming a couple minutes shy of securing two points and snapping their skid, but St. Louis said his players should leave this game “hungry” to get in the win column.

“If I was in their shoes, I’d wish we played tomorrow,” he said. “That’s what I would want to feel like. That’s what I want to be like.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.



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Blues Dylan Holloway rushed to hospital after being struck in neck by puck

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway left Tuesday night’s contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning and departed the rink on a stretcher after being struck by a puck late in the first period.

Holloway was hit in the neck area by a puck with 2:37 remaining in the period, and proceeded to finish his shift, continuing to participate in the play before skating to the bench under his own power.

As play was stopped with 1:11 remaining for a high-sticking penalty that was later called off, teammates started calling and gesturing for assistance.

Blues trainer Ray Barile and medical staff from both teams tended to Holloway for several minutes before emergency medical technicians carted him off the bench on a stretcher.

“I was just sitting beside him and saw something was happening,” Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko said. “I told Ray. He knows what he’s doing. I was just kind of curious to what’s going on. Doctors came in and, like, I think everything is good right now. But we were worried, everybody.”

Holloway was seen raising his arm as he was carted off. The Blues later announced that Holloway was alert and stable and was rushed to a St. Louis area hospital for further observation.

“I think the only way I can put is if you’re at work, and you get a call, and one of your family members is sick, and you rush to the hospital,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said.

“Holly’s a family member. That was tough. I thought we, as a group, showed a lot of fortitude, and the way mentally being able to push through that, because the easiest thing to do is your head goes somewhere else. But, we were able to get updates on Holly and kind of put our minds at ease a little bit and refocus ourselves.”

Referees Wes McCauley and Cody Beach sent the teams to their locker rooms and started the first intermission after Holloway was transported off the bench due to the nature of the injury.

“It’s hard,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “It’s your teammate. Then we got news that he’s going to be fine. And then, you have to wrap your head around it a little bit and go play a hockey game again, right?

“So that’s just, unfortunately, the reality of the sport, and it took us awhile to get going.”

St. Louis rallied to score three goals after falling behind 1-0 early in the second period to beat Tampa Bay 3-2.

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Niederreiter scores twice in 900th career game as Jets beat Utah 3-0

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WINNIPEG – Nino Niederreiter showed his veteran savvy in his 900th NHL career game on Tuesday.

The Winnipeg Jets forward scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves in a 3-0 victory over the Utah Hockey Club that kept the team’s early-season success rolling with a fourth consecutive win (12-1-0).

On his first goal, the 32-year Niederreiter lifted a Utah opponent’s stick in Winnipeg’s end, allowing the Jets to get the puck and head toward the visitor’s net.

Niederreiter then joined the rush, deked and put the puck around netminder Karel Vejmelka for a 2-0 lead at 7:30 of the third period with his sixth goal of the season.

“Obviously, the game wasn’t very pretty,” Niederreiter said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of flow out there. I think that is something that we knew and just had to stick with and do the little things right.

“Eventually, we would create our own luck and that’s what happened there.”

And what about his deke in front of 12,932 fans at Canada Life Centre?

“I still got it somewhere in there,” Niederreiter said with a smile. “It’s a great feeling, like I said. It’s a cool night to score a goal like that.”

His second goal — the 230th of his career — was into an empty net with 2:59 remaining. He also has 225 assists for 455 career points.

Gabriel Vilardi scored the first goal at 17:57 of the second period on the power play and Adam Lowry picked up two assists.

Hellebuyck recorded his second shutout of the season and 39th of this career.

Niederreiter signed a three-year contract extension with the Jets last December. The $12-million deal kicked in this season.

He’s now scored against 33 NHL teams, including the Jets.

“It’s a cool stat, but I think it also says that I’ve been traded a few times,” he said. “But I guess it gives me the chance to do that.”

Niederreiter was drafted in 2010 by the New York Islanders (fifth overall), becoming Switzerland’s highest NHL pick.

He’s also played for the Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators before being traded to the Jets in February 2023.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel was impressed by Niederreiter’s quick-thinking stick lift.

“We’ll throw that on the old system video,” he said. “But that’s just going the distance, coming all the way back and he creates that.

“We’re never out of it. You never know how a puck’s going to bounce. He just kept coming and obviously we turned that offence the other way.”

Arniel said the team recognized Niederreiter’s milestone.

“That’s special. That’s a lot of games,” Arniel said. “We had a little tribute to him, saw all his pictures from all the jerseys he’s worn and the places he’s played.

“He hasn’t changed a bit. He’s a big power forward and that line I thought was really good. They take that (Clayton) Keller line on, those skill guys. They did a really good job.”

Niederreiter is on a line with Lowry and Mason Appleton.

“Those guys on the PK were really strong,” Arniel added. “When that line plays like that they’re a force, they’re hard to handle. They wear teams down because they spend so much time in the offensive zone.”

Utah (5-5-3) ended a run of picking up points in three consecutive games (1-0-2).

Vejmelka stopped 25 shots for Utah in its second game of a four-game road trip.

“They know what to expect of each other. They play a really, really structured game, and they were patient tonight,” Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said of the Jets.

“I think that was a good chess game. They got one on the power play and from there they waited for the opportunity to have a killer goal. They did a good job.”

NOTES: Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey picked up his 14th assist of the season when his point shot with five seconds left in a power play was tipped in by Vilardi. … Kyle Connor had his franchise-record, season-opening points streak end at 12 games. He almost picked up an assist until Vilardi tipped in Morrissey’s shot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.



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