The big scientific potential of little balls of fat

Plus, Toronto auditing $40.1 M in contracts, and Canada's housing bubble [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on a Toronto city hall audit, a COVID development’s medical potential and the troubling state of Canada’s housing market. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star star exclusive [Multimillion-dollar contracts are under the microscope at Toronto City Hall]( Last August, city staff “were made aware of inconsistencies” in work costs by a Mississauga-based construction company tasked with making accessibility upgrades to various buildings across Toronto. The city has now hired a forensic services team to audit six contracts held by Duron Ontario Ltd. worth a total of $40.1 million, Morgan Bocknek reports. Was the company misusing taxpayer money? [Here’s what we know and what we don’t](. - The aftermath: The chair of the city’s audit committee, Coun. Stephen Holyday, said he hoped the auditor general’s office was looking into the matter. But whether they do is a secret until a report is complete, the city said. - Go deeper: “Situations like this undermine the public’s confidence in government,” Holyday said. “It’s important to get to the bottom of the situation so that controls can be put in place so that it never happens again.” Kelvin Li Photo Illustration health [These “little balls of fat” helped make COVID vaccines work — treating Zika, the flu or cancer could be next]( Lipid nanoparticles or LNPs are fatty compounds that perform several functions in our bodies, Steve McKinley writes. Previously, University of British Columbia professor of biochemistry Pieter Cullis used his research on the little balls of fat to make Zika and flu vaccines. Then he re-directed his efforts towards COVID shots, where the LPNs he cultivates now have a good reputation for guiding the vaccine into the places where they can be most effective. But their potential doesn’t end there — [Cullis believes they can treat a wide range of conditions and “revolutionize cancer treatment.”]( - Wait, what? “If a child is born not making, say, a clotting protein, we can identify that pretty quickly, make an mRNA that codes for that particular protein within a month or so, package it up in a day or so, and then you have a very targeted medicine for that individual child,” Cullis says. - Go deeper: “It’s not 15 years and a billion dollars to develop, say, a small molecule drug or a biologic drug; these medicines can be essentially developed in real time and be of highly personalized use to an individual.” R.J.Johnston/The Star housing [An international strategist says Canada is sitting on the largest housing bubble of all time]( Phillip Colmar — managing partner and global strategist at research firm MRB — has analyzed housing bubbles all over the world. Due to increasing prices, population growth and low interest rates that have motivated more people to take on large sums of debt, he says Canada’s may be the most concerning, Clarrie Feinstein reports. [Here’s how he says it will look when Canadians take the hit](. - Context: A housing bubble is a dramatic rise in prices caused by demand, speculation and limited supply. When these unsustainable prices eventually collapse, the bubble bursts. - By the numbers: The average Canadian household owes $1.87 for every dollar of disposable income it has, while U.S. households owe $1.01, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. - ICYMI: [This segment of the Toronto real estate market is starting to see more distressed buyers](. WHAT ELSE The integrity commissioner says the [housing minister will be investigated first in the Greenbelt scandal](. The Greenbelt isn’t Ontario’s only major land deal. [Here’s what we know about secrecy surrounding Highway 413](. Ontario teachers are facing pressure from the education minister to use binding arbitration to get deals. [Here’s why one teachers’ leader scolded him for it](. A poll has found a majority of Canadians believe parents should be informed if their child wants to change their pronouns. [This is what legal experts say](. [Bell and Telus are slamming Rogers for launching TTC wireless service]( before federal consultations were complete. [Metro’s lawyer is accusing striking warehouse picketers of “criminal conduct”]( in a court bid to end the blockade. Thanks to delays with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, [Mayor Olivia Chow is restoring TTC service that had previously been cut](. The TTC is replacing one of Toronto’s busiest streetcars with buses for the next year. [Here’s what commuters need to know](. [The death of a Quebec man and his two children is a reminder for Canadians to be aware of warning signs]( domestic violence researchers say. Keeping Dundas Street unchanged or axing the World Cup won’t fix Toronto’s budget crisis. [Here’s what will](. Artificial intelligence is here. [Follow these steps to future-proof your career](. Police say a man was seriously injured on a CNE ride. [Here’s what we know](. POV Natacha Pisarenko/AP File Photo [An inside look at John Herdman’s decision to leave Canada Soccer for Toronto FC.]( CLOSE-UP Guillermo Munos/AFP via Getty Images COLOMBIA: The Nevado del Ruiz volcano emits a cloud of ash as seen from Bogotá on Sunday. The Colombian Geological Service warned that ash fall has been observed in the city of Manizales due to the volcano’s increased seismic activity since August 26. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_196928). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](