Each week at Global BC, we highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend.
Here are the five stories we want to share:
What happens to B.C.’s released orphan bear cubs? New study aims to find out
For the first time in B.C., scientists and conservationists are getting an inside look at what happens to orphaned black bear cubs when they’re released back into the wild.
While there are records of the occasional released bear that comes into conflict with humans or is killed by a hunter, the fate of most cubs — including whether they suffer predation or starvation — remains largely unknown.
That is, until now.
How fruit fly genes are helping B.C. scientists reverse Parkinson’s symptoms
A small fly may have a big impact on Parkinson’s disease research thanks to a team of B.C. scientists.
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Researchers at Simon Fraser University’s Verheyen lab say they have discovered a gene that appears to reverse Parkinson’s disease symptoms in fruit flies. It’s called Cyclin-dependent kinase 8, or Cdk8, and it bears a striking resemblance to a gene in humans called CDK19.
Fly Cdk8 and CDK19 in humans help ensure everything is working properly inside the body’s cells. They help transmit signals and regulate several things including DNA repair and metabolism. CDK19 plays a role in regulating mitochondria, more commonly referred to as the powerhouses of the cell.
For their research, the team used fruit flies with a genetic mutation that gave them Parkinsonism.
Historic B.C. gold rush town to reopen after wildfire threat
The British Columbia gold rush town of Barkerville is set to reopen Friday after a nearby wildfire forced residents and tourists to evacuate the region earlier this month.
The historic town said in a news release that its programs will resume, though guests may see “elevated smoke” and its campgrounds, cottages and guest houses will remain closed until about mid-August.
It says people are welcome to make arrangements to stay at the Historic St. George Hotel, a private local business, or in neighbouring communities that have also “faced economic challenges with the recent evacuation orders.”
2 B.C. residents awarded after rescuing trapped British couple from car
Two B.C. residents have been honoured by police for acts of bravery in helping a British couple escape their partially submerged vehicle.
According to the RCMP, tourists Mark and Janet Brimicombe were touring the province in June 2022 when their driving holiday “quickly turned into a life-or-death situation.”
After visiting family in Vancouver, the two were travelling along Highway 99, in the Hat Creek area near Cache Creek, when their vehicle left the road, and plunged down a steep embankment and into the creek.
Eccentric moose-adorned art car has ‘jaws dropping’ in B.C.
If you’ve travelled British Columbia you’ve probably seen your share of weird and wonderful roadside attractions. But how about a weird and wonderful attraction on the road itself?
Enter Lyle Brown-John, a self-described “eccentric” whose current passion is travelling the province in his eye-catching “art car.”