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The Dead Sea: Solutions to Shrinkage

Shaima Al-Khalili

Dead Sea has been shrinking at a steady rate since the late 1960s.  This is a result of over-extraction of water from the Jordan River Basin.  In a water-scarce region, riparian states are now seeking to reverse the damage done by a mega-project called the Red-Dead Sea Conduit.  Many contenders claim that other softer solutions, including policy changes, have not been given fair discussion.

Reviewers: Heather Gerstmar, Lauren Intven, Kelly Rowsell

Baishali Dutta

The production of biochar has recently become a major focus due to its advantages as an efficient energy source and its potential use in stabilizing or reducing concentrations of Green House Gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Biochar can be produced by thermochemical methods such as pyrolysis. Biochar can then be converted into energy-rich gases which can be used to produce liquid fuels or combusted directly for power and/or heat generation. Sequestration of biochar in soil could potentially play a major role in the long term storage of carbon. This presentation looks into the production of biochar and its applications.

Reviewers: Jesse Ketler, Lylia Khennache, Xin Rui, Filina Poonolly

A Flax-based Ingredient for Increasing Omega-3 Content of Animal Products

Kael Eggie

The trend toward health conscious eating habits includes increasing the level of omega-3 fatty acids in our bodies, which can be achieved by consuming products from animals which have high flaxseed levels in their diet. The work of this project is to create a feed ingredient based on flaxseed that retains the maximum amount of oil and is suitable for animal consumption.

Reviewers:  Fru Ngwa Felexce, Colline Gombault, Cory Zyla, Rachele Reichel

Diabetes: Prospects of herbal medicines

Winny Routray

With changing food habits and lifestyle, the complications related to different diseases are also changing, which we can describe as evolutionary changes of the diseases. One disease which is spreading rapidly world-wide is diabetes mellitus, in which the pancreatic cells in the human body are unable to produce or respond to insulin properly. Insulin enables the body’s cells to absorb glucose and convert it to glycogen. Regular medicines for diabetes are mostly based on insulin derivatives. Some natural sources (plants) are also available which can add to the function of insulin without any reported side-effects. There are many herbs such as ginseng and bitter melon which have been used successfully in antidiabetic treatment. This seminar focuses on the use of such herbs and plants as natural medicines to reduce many of the complications of diabetes.

Reviewers: Kael Eggie, Ashutosh Singh