Genomics Blog

As part of our co-sponsorship of the National Geographic Live presentation of Deep Ancestry with National Geographic's Explorer-in-Residence Spencer Wells, we have some free tickets available.

• First place to check is the Facebook contest page for the Epcor Centre. Post a comment to the page answering, “Where is your family from?” and you’ll be entered to win a family four-pack. Deadline is 11:59pm, Wednesday, February 1^st.
• On Monday, February 6^th, sometime around 4:40p, CBC Radio's Homestretch Program will have tickets to giveaway. They'll also be interviewing Spencer Wells so be sure to tune in this coming Monday.
• Swerve Magazine has tickets and you'll have to visit their website now to get in on those ones.
• Shaw TV will have tickets.
• If you are in the genetics department at the U of C,  they have tickets and as soon as I can get more details I"ll let you know.
• The Epcor Centre has an email contest that closes later this week. To enter send an e-mail to  contests@epcorcentre.org  with "DNA" in the subject line, and include your name, address and postal code and you're automatically eligible to win.

The presentation is on February 7^th at 7:00p in the Epcor Centre's Jack Singer Concert Hall. We're pretty pleased to be part of this event as Toronto is the only other Canadian city hosting one of the presentations so it was a good catch for the Epcor Centre and for Genome Alberta.  Check the Epcor website for more details. 
                                                                                     
 
               

Twitter is going to hit user number 500 million this month. That is an impressive feat and means it is becomng impossible to dismiss Twitter as a useful communication tool with an equally useful role in science communication. It also means it is no longer an easy job to find the best accounts to follow and sort out the good from the bad and the useful from the useless.
Here is a VERY small sample of people and posts from the last 2 weeks meant to give you a taste of what is out there and how it is used.
If you're not already a Twitter user, sign up fast and try to be that 500 millionth account. And of course be sure to follow @mikesgene or @GenomeAlberta .

@ayrrisbio    Great blog by @digitalbio - Next-generation sequencing adds thousands of new genes http://bit.ly/wd7aSm

@bakercom1 How to Judge if Research is Trustworthy http://mindshift.kqed.org/2012/01/how-to-judge-if-research-is-trustworthy/

@briankotts   13 Everyday Technologies That Were First Imagined In Science Fiction http://read.bi/w7nXyv SAI #scichat

@cdnstemcell   Canada is known as a hotbed for stem cell research. Join the excitement; be at the forefront of great innovation! #RenewTheWorldGala

@crscience  Science Fairs Are Ground Zero For U.S. Innovation http://t.co/1T1lgZpR  #edchat #scichat #STEM

@edyong209   Help me support good sci writing. Every month, I donate £ to 10 ppl whose work I'd pay to read. January's picks: http://bit.ly/AhMATy

@ElizabethMay  In Question Period, Joe Oliver claims there has been a "30% reduction in emissions (of GHG) in the oil sands." Not true. #cdnpoli #tarsands

@EmileABegin  The pros and cons of working from home. http://buswk.co/AazoYV   

@enniscath  Excellent post and discussion about medical ghostwriting at @rpg7twit's place http://j.mp/xHi9dk  #OccamT

@EpiExperts  Looking for another study linking #epigenetics with socio-economics? New one from Glasgow http://bit.ly/yrsQ02

@Genomengin  Yale gets new DNA sequencer | Yale Daily News http://bit.ly/wlGMX3 via @addthis

@idtdna  Genes linked to cancer could be easier to detect with liquid lasers http://ow.ly/8N4V1  #DNA

@kejames  Health coverage in @washingtonpost & @bangordailynews so sensationalized & misleading I had to read it between fingers: http://bit.ly/whEQo9

@msoskil  Science Fair Project Ideas http://education.com/science-fair/  #education #scichat #sciencefair

@ShipLives  My post for Nature on PIOs, Scientists and getting it right: http://t.co/HnHxmIx5  #scio12 #SITT

@StemCellNetwork   New blog post: Trading on hope: A look at what motivates #stemcell tourists and what happens when it goes wrong http://bit.ly/xuy76X

These bits and bytes are brought to you 140 characters at a time by the following:

On February 17^th Genome Alberta and the Public Policy Forum are co-hosting a workshop on how genomics tools and technology can be applied to the development of hydrocarbon resources in Canada and around the world.  Genomics or genetics are not the first thing that come to mind when you think of Alberta's oil and gas industry but there is a strong and useful relationship. Until recently, the limited ability to grow bacteria and other life forms found in hydrocarbon environments in the laboratory made it difficult to understand the genetic make-up of these organisms.  Our new and  emerging understanding of microbial action in hydrocarbons can now help in many ways:

• Mitigate tailing ponds
• Decrease water use in the extraction process
• Reduce souring in oil reserves
• Reduce corrosion in pipelines and oilfield equipment 
• Provide a technology platform to manage environmental impact

The list of how genomics is used now, and how it can be used in future oil and gas development, will be the focus of a prestigious group of workshop panelists and speakers:

• Terry Hazen - A recognized authority on bioremediation of the Gulf after the BP oil spill and a professor at the University of Tennessee
• David Mitchell - CEO of the Public Policy Forum
• Gerry Protti - Vice-Chair of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures and founding President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
• Jason Switzer - Director of Corporate Consulting at the Pembina Institute
• Eddy Isaacs - CEO of Alberta Innovates Energy and Environmental Solutions
• Pierre Meulien - CEO and President of Genome Canada
• Steven Larter - Professor at the University of Calgary specializing in metagenomics and hydrocarbon energy production
• Subodh Gupta - Chief of Technology Development for Cenovus Energy
• Vincent Saubestre -  Executive Director of the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI)
• Mehrdad Hajibabaei -  Assistant Professor Biodiversity Institute of Ontario Department of Integrative Biology
• Paul Willems -  BP, Technology Vice President, Energy Biosciences

Genome Alberta is a non-for-profit funder of genomics research and is holding the workshop to:

• Discuss the role genomics can play in developing a more productive and responsible Alberta energy sector
• Assess the research and infrastructure capacity in environmental and energy genomics in Alberta, across Canada, and internationally
• Explore funding models to advance this area of research.

While this workshop is by invitation only, if you think you could contribute to the discussion or that you or that your organization would like to take part, please contact Heather Smith at hsmith@genomealberta.ca or 403-503-5220 ext. 24 to discuss an invitation.

 

2011 CIHR-CMAJ Top Achievements in Health Research Awards

Genome Alberta is pleased to see all researcher recognized for their work but are particularly pleased so see Board Member Dr. Marv Fritzler among those recognized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Medical Association Journal

Ottawa, Ontario (January 23, 2012) – The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) have announced the six recipients of the 2011 CIHR-CMAJ: Top Achievements in Health Research Awards. Each researcher who is honoured improved our understanding of health and human diseases, helped tackle health challenges, and improved the health care system.

For the third year, a peer-review panel of Canadian and international experts selected exceptional individuals based on the considerable health impact of their work to benefit Canadians and others worldwide. Among the six outstanding achievements selected, two received special mentions for their highest-ranking successes.

• Dr. Daniel Drucker for his innovative work in improving the lives of patients with type 2 diabetes (Toronto, Ontario) – Special mention
• Dr. Gideon Koren and colleagues for revolutionizing the area of medication safety in pregnancy (Toronto, Ontario) – Special mention
• Dr. Marvin Fritzler for identifying novel autoantigens that resulted in new diagnostic testing and biomarkers for autoimmune diseases (Calgary, Alberta)
  • Virtually all of Dr. Fritzler's discoveries of novel autoantigens have been translated into new diagnostic assays or biomarkers that are in wide use in clinical diagnostic and research laboratories around the world. Dr. Marvin Fritzler's work out of Calgary is particularly important for patients with autoimmune disorders.
• Dr. Terry Klassen and colleagues for improving health outcomes of acutely ill and injured children visiting pediatric emergency departments (across Canada)
• Drs. Anthony Tang and George Wells for helping reduce cardiac mortality rates with resynchronization therapy and implantable defibrillators in heart failure (Ottawa, Ontario)
• Dr. Michael Hill and colleagues for the Calgary Stroke Program (Calgary, Alberta) that has changed the face of stroke care by thoroughly integrating research and clinical care
  • Dr. Hill's team has changed the face of stroke care. The Calgary Stroke Program, through its multidisciplinary clinical research group, has guided practice changes in Canada and beyond. A defining feature of the program is that research and clinical care are thoroughly integrated.
• Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR, congratulated the researchers. "Today we celebrate the tireless work of outstanding individuals who dedicate their careers to finding innovative solutions to pressing health care problems. Along with their significant advancement of knowledge, they ensured the results had a direct impact to benefit patients. These researchers have humbly improved the lives of millions of people worldwide."

"The calibre of recipients is remarkable and reflects the high quality of research in Canada," said Dr. John Fletcher, new Editor-in-Chief of CMAJ. "Their work, from improving management of type 2 diabetes to revolutionizing medication safety for pregnant women to helping better diagnose and understand autoimmune disorders and more, will have a lasting impact in the practice of medicine and for many people around the world."

"The recipients of this award have demonstrated the key purpose of health research – translating research knowledge into practical health outcomes," said Dr. Ian Graham, Vice President, Knowledge Translation and Public Outreach at CIHR. "The achievements recognized today are a testament to how health research and better healthcare delivery go hand in hand."

Essays from the two highest-ranking achievements are available on the CMAJ website under "Special Reports".
Essays by the winners of the two highest-ranking achievements are available:

• Drucker, Daniel J.
• Koren, Gideon, et al.

Deep Ancestry with Spencer Wells - A Genome Alberta co-sponsored event

I shouldn't be surprised given the number of ads, print magazines, and online sites devoted to it, but until I heard some comments by Spencer Wells  I never realised genealogy is the second most popular hobby behind gardening. Spencer Wells is a population geneticist, the National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and heads up the Genographic Project.  He'll will be speaking in Calgary on February 7^th about the project and about some of the things he has learned travelling around the world to collect DNA samples and research human migration patterns. The project is using the latest technology in DNA analysis to create a genetically-based map of human migration. The team has collected hundred of thousands of DNA samples to help understand how we started from a small population in Africa, and spread around the globe over the last 60,000 years.

There are some fundamental questions that we don't have complete answers for yet.

•  When did modern humans first colonize the Arctic?
•  How many waves of migration were there into the Americas?
•  Who are the oldest populations in Africa and therefore the world?
• Can ancient remains from animals help to trace the spread of domestication?

The project draws on experts in human population genetics and related disciplines, located at 11 research laboratories and universities. Together they lead regional efforts to obtain and analyze DNA samples from indigenous populations and there is another scientist focusing on DNA collected from ancient samples.
The project also invites the general public to join in, submit a sample for the broader research project, and get information about their own ancestry. Sounds like an interesting project so what is a journalist turned Genome Alberta Communications Director supposed to do other than join the project !