Public invited April 1st to vote on Top-Five game-changing Ontario discoveries from a list of 50 spanning 100 years

TORONTO, March 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Will it be life-saving insulin or the iconic Group of Seven? Or perhaps you prefer the infant cereal Pablum, or the enduring Yukon Gold potato? The public is being invited to vote on their favourite game-changing Ontario discoveries from a list of 50 spanning the last 100 years.

The fun online contest – organized by the Council of Ontario Universities' Research Matters campaign – will launch April 1, the same day three of the 50 game changers will be in the spotlight during a free public lecture at the Ontario and Canada Research Chairs Symposium. The lecture will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and hosted by CTV personality Marci Ien.

"It's no exaggeration to say that the world is a much better place because of Ontario's game-changing research," says Bonnie M. Patterson, COU President and CEO.

"Our university researchers have saved countless lives through discoveries in polio, diabetes and cancer treatments, and they have also revolutionized art, film, and space travel. We want the public to feel a sense of pride in Ontario research, and we want them to tell us which discoveries are their favourites."

Also on the list of eligible Ontario game-changing discoveries are:

• The colour motion picture process Technicolour, which became the most widely used colour process in Hollywood for nearly 50 years;
  
  
• The first mobile blood transfusion unit, which revolutionized battlefield and remote medicine;
  
  
• The anti-blackout suit which gave allied pilots the advantage in the Second World War and later enabled space travel;
  
  
• The discovery that grapefruit has an effect on the way the body metabolizes drugs; and
  
  
• The discovery that trans-fats have significant negative effects on human health, resulting in their virtual elimination from supermarkets.

To see a full list of game-changing discoveries and to register for the contest visit: http://yourontarioresearch.ca/ starting April 1. Voting will continue all summer at fairs and public events as the 50 game changers go on the road with the Research Matters' Curiosity Shop. The public's top-five favourites will be announced in the fall, and contest participants will be eligible for a draw.

To register for the lecture and the Research Chairs Symposium, or to view a live webcast of it, visit: http://yourontarioresearch.ca/research-chairs/big-thinking-panel/.

The Council of Ontario Universities is the voice of Ontario's universities, promoting the value of education, research and innovation that leads to social, cultural and economic success.

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SOURCE Council of Ontario Universities

Wendy McCann, Director, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Telephone: [phone] x233, Cellphone: 647-271-0825, Email Wendy McCann, [email protected]