The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (AES) is proud to celebrate four members of the Macdonald Campus community who are preparing to embark on a well-deserved retirement: Luis Agellon (Professor in Human Nutrition), Shelly Johnston (Research Finance Services Supervisor), Roger Cue (Associate Professor in Animal Science) and Yvan Gariepy (Academic Associate in Bioresource Engineering.)

We sat down with Roger and Yvan to reflect on their journeys at McGill- the paths that brought them here, some of the work that defined their careers and what lies ahead.

Researchers at McGill University have discovered that moderate ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is best when the technique is used to enhance vitamin D₂ in edible mushrooms. Excessive exposure leads to nutrient degradation or a plateau effect, they found. The paper also provides quantitative guidance. 

The researchers’ work supports efforts to address vitamin D deficiency, which affects between 30 and 50 per cent of the world’s population, as well as enhance the nutritional value of mushrooms more broadly. 

Researchers at McGill University have found that briefly treating peanuts with cold plasma, an ionically charged gas that triggers chemical changes, reduces their potential to cause allergic reactions. The researchers say this is probably because the process causes changes to the protein structure, the part of the peanut that can trigger an immune response. The technology was also shown to improve functional properties important for food manufacturing. 

McGill University engineers have developed new ultra-thin materials that can be programmed to move, fold and reshape themselves, much like animated origami. They open the door to softer, safer and more adaptable robots that could be used in medical tools that gently move inside the body, wearable devices that change shape on the skin or smart packaging that reacts to its environment.

A McGill University-led research team has demonstrated the feasibility of a sustainable and cost-effective way to desalinate seawater. The method – thermally driven reverse osmosis (TDRO) – uses a piston-based system powered by low-grade heat from solar thermal, geothermal heat and other sources of renewable energy to produce fresh water.

McGill Bioresource Engineering Professor Michael Ngadi called for urgent action to address the challenges facing stallholder farmers in Nigeria at a recent public lecture at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU).

A specialist in developing advanced emerging technologies for monitoring and controlling agrifood processing systems, he discussed the critical role that smallholder farmers and processors play in global food systems, particularly in developing and transition countries.

In a recent article, La Presse investigates whether boycotting American products could improve our health. Experts interviewed for the article said it's possible—but only if we change other eating habits in the process.