Genome Blog [Category - Gerry Ward] Blog Description [Category - Gerry Ward] en-us Wed, 01 Feb 12 16:58:41 UT Wed, 01 Feb 12 16:58:41 UT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Marqui 6.0 System Administrator System Administrator Can we trust science news in the media?http://genomealberta.ca/blogs/can-we-trust-science-news-in-the-media.aspx Question: What do you get when you have @priongirl, @jayingram and @CTVKarenOwen on @IronwoodStage hosted by @Telus_Spark?

Answer: Well, it is not a tweet-up even though it I noted that the hashtag #sciencecafe was being used. This is a panel including Dr. Valerie Sim, a scientist; Jay Ingram, a science correspondent; and moderator Karen Owen, a TV broadcaster. Tonight’s topic is “Science vs. the Media — Can we trust science news in the media?”, part of the Telus Spark Science Café series held at The Ironwood Stage and Grill.

It was hard finding a place to park in Inglewood, but I was confident there would be plenty of spaces to sit. Was I wrong! I should have known better. The Science Café has been going on for six years now and has grown in popularity with each event. Add the star power of a Jay Ingram and you have the Ironwood so full that people are even sitting on chairs ringing the sides of stage.

Dr. Sim asked us to think back to high school and compare the science nerds with the drama geeks. She pointed out that while there were exceptions, the two groups did not often overlap. Fast forward to adult careers, and you have the white-coated scientist, perhaps using a lot of jargon, having their story greatly shortened and retold with a potentially misinterpreted message which does not relay the passion for which the original science was done.

When it was Jay Ingram’s time to talk, he pointed out that shows like Discovery.Ca are for profit and they must understand and cater to the viewers to keep getting the numbers required by the sponsors. Furthermore, with the show’s success and the need to continue growing audiences, there is less appetite for risk taking. This actually shrinks the types of stories that will be told.
Ingram and Sim next conducted hilarious mock interviews illustrating three types of dysfunctional communication between a scientist and a media person. This demonstration had the audience in stitches of laughter, as we all recognized that we have witnessed each of these interview styles over the years.]]>Tue, 31 Jan 12 16:15:00 UTRevisiting Jurassic Park: Alberta Innovates presents Science in the Cinemahttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/revisiting-jurassic-park-alberta-innovates-presents-science-in-the-cinema.aspxWhen I was a kid in school, I would go with friends to see films such as The Lone Ranger or The Three Stooges on a Saturday afternoon at my local theatre, The Plaza. Amazingly, The Plaza is still there. It is home to Calgary’s alternate films and events. Today it is rented out to Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions for a matinee showing of Jurassic Park. This movie is another in their series of Science in the Cinema which was described by guest blogger Marion Hutchins last year.

There is a buzz coming from the audience, comprised of a significant percentage of excited young children. Then, near silence as the lights dim and Marion Hutchins steps into the spotlight and asks if we like dinosaurs. The children roar their approval. After explaining the Science in the Cinema program, she introduces today’s speaker, Dr. Derrick Rancourt, PhD, professor in the department of medical genetics at University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Rancourt explains that he studies the genetic manipulation of mice. He also tells us that he is a big fan of author Michael Crichton. Jurassic Park, published in 1990, was written by Crichton to help the public understand the societal issues that arise from cloning. Crichton also wrote the screenplay of the movie, which was released in 1993. Mice had already been cloned by 1987; Dolly the sheep was not cloned until 1996, three years after the movie’s premiere.

To get us ready to watch the movie, Dr. Rancourt explains that cloning in the 1990s required an intact nucleus from the organism to be placed into a de-nucleated cell. He notes that finding an intact dinosaur nucleus is not very probable. Dr. Rancourt asks us to think about the feasibility of two things during the course of the movie for discussion afterwards:
1. The process of putting the dinosaur DNA into the cell; and
2. The procedures used for biocontainment.*
]]>Mon, 23 Jan 12 16:30:00 UTMark DNA Day on your Calendarhttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/mark-dna-day-on-your-calendar.aspx
I had a lot of fun last year on DNA Day, and I learned a lot when I was able to simultaneously participate in four moderated chatrooms dedicated to discussion with some of Canada’s foremost scientists in the field of genomics. Again this year, this is an excellent opportunity for teachers to showcase social media opportunities to their students through communication with scientists who are the innovative leaders in both research and communication technologies.

Recently, Alana DeLong (MLA for Calgary-Bow) released a YouTube video of her speech in the Alberta Legislature regarding last year’s DNA Day. It is nice to see such support for our endeavor.


]]>Mon, 16 Jan 12 05:15:00 UTSharing the excitement of a Science Fair projecthttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/sharing-the-excitement-of-a-science-fair-project.aspx
Sarthak is a Grade 10 International Baccalaureate student at Henry Wise Wood High School. He joined the Biernaskie Lab at the University of Calgary to gain a hands-on understanding of how human bodies function and how to better administer clinical treatments. He has done research in the field of stem cells since ninth grade. 

]]>Mon, 16 Jan 12 04:15:00 UTThe Mathematics of Life: A Book Reviewhttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/the-mathematics-of-life-a-book-review.aspx

Yesterday, two apparently unrelated announcements were made. In the first, the genome of the so-called arsenic bacterium was sequenced. There has been a year-long debate over whether extra-terrestrial life implications were found in this bacterium, which purportedly uses arsenic in place of phosphorus in its DNA backbone. The other announcement proclaimed that a Super-Earth is only 600 light years away. This is exciting news indeed, though with this Goldilocks exoplanet being in such a far-off solar system, it will take the equivalent of the Starship Enterprise to visit it. I’m not packing my bags for this trip yet.

In The Mathematics of Life, author Ian Stewart proclaims that there have been five major revolutions in Biology, with a sixth on the way:
•Invention of the microscope
•Systematic classification of living things
•Development of the theory of evolution
•Discovery of the gene
•Discovery of the structure of DNA
•Broader incorporation of biomathematics
I picked the book up hoping that I might gain a better understanding of the relatively new science of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics only recently entered the scientific lexicon as the mathematical analogy to biochemistry and biophysics. I personally have become more aware of bioinformatics as it makes an important contribution to interpreting genomic data. Stewart points out that bioinformatics is the science of big computing used to sort through billions of data points related to genomics. His book is primarily about the application of mathematics to biological problems. I learned about the mathematics of virus shapes, and nodes in nerves, movement, and hallucinations. Stewart tells about calculations needed to determine if DNA forms knots. He looks at patterns of spots and stripes. I enjoyed the way he formed a mathematical relationship between predicting the outcome of a game of rock/paper/scissors and evolution. He devotes entire chapters to each of the math of networks and populations. I was slightly disappointed in his treatment of chaos. Although he defines the concept, I was left bewildered when he says it is possible to tell the difference between random and chaos results. I am not sure he told us how.

In the end, I was fascinated with the mathematics of life on other planets. Stewart talks about both exoplanets and DNA with arsenic in place of phosphorus in the backbone. Stewart shows how we might not ever be able to prove life exists on other planets, but he suggests that we can certainly use mathematical modelling to explore the possibility that there is anybody out there.

The Mathematics of Life by Ian Stewart is a book I recommend to anyone with an interest in the interplay of mathematics and biological sciences. Teachers should mention this as a great read to the type of students who are very strong in mathematics and just taking biology because it is a necessary credit course. They will gain an appreciation of the application of pure mathematics to everything from molecules to exoplanets. 

]]>Sun, 15 Jan 12 21:45:00 UTMovember - Making Men Aware of Prostate Cancer Issueshttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/movember-making-men-aware-of-prostate-cancer-issues.aspx
In 2007, Canadians adopted Movember as a major awareness and fund raising activity during the month of November in support of prostate cancer. I am constantly reminded of the competitive element through the jovial jousting of the various male newscasters and professional athletes I see on television. I am told that I can donate or that I can watch celebrities shave their moustaches on November 30. But what else am I aware of?

Besides funding prostate cancer research, Movember Canada includes building awareness of additional men`s health issues. They strongly advise men to maintain a healthy diet and appropriate weight. They promote smart lifestyle choices such as staying physically active, not smoking, consuming alcohol in moderation, and getting regular medical examinations.]]>Wed, 30 Nov 11 17:15:00 UTOpportunities for Educators through SERGhttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/opportunities-for-educators-through-serg.aspxSociety of Educational Resource Groups (SERG), a consortium of educational organizations from across Southern Alberta. I initially learned about SERG when I interviewed Andrew Clapperton of Calgary’s Heritage Park. I wondered if the educational support we provide at Genome Alberta would qualify us to be members. I learned that SERG exists more to support organizations that provide quality field trip destinations or in-class programs for students as opposed to the online blogs and support materials that we at Genome Alberta provide for teachers.

SERG’s stated purpose is “to promote and enhance, through educational and interpretive programming, an awareness, understanding, appreciation and commitment to our natural and cultural resources”. School teachers and the leadership of youth groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Guides can search the data banks of SERG to find programs that are appropriate to their curriculum or activity needs. Both the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Separate School District are associate members. The significance of this is that it means the two large Calgary school boards streamline the process for teachers to obtain permission to take field trips to SERG members’ sites. With the increased awareness of risk management and the decreased field trip budgets, this is a very important contribution.

If you are from an organization that provides field trip opportunities or in-class programs, consider that becoming a member of SERG provides:
  • Listing of your organization’s programs and curriculum fits
  • Easier access for school teachers to your programs
  • Professional development opportunities
  • A forum to discuss issues and solutions to problems
  • Networking opportunities with other educational organizations in Southern Alberta.
I observed the process involved for groups wishing to join SERG at this meeting. Applicants make a small presentation about their organization’s programs to the SERG membership. Applicants are expected to give some background information such as learning opportunities, length and cost of the programs, and how many students can be accommodated at a time.

For me personally, I hope that through contacts I made at this meeting, I will be able to spread the word about the educational resources we at Genome Alberta provide. Great opportunities such as our annual DNA Day provide teachers and their students the ability to interact live online with major Canadian scientists. DNA Day is accessible at no cost and without making a field trip. If you are interested in more information regarding DNA Day, please get in touch with me (gward@genomealberta.ca)
]]>Sun, 20 Nov 11 17:45:00 UTGreat Opportunities for Science Students and Teachershttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/great-opportunities-for-science-students-and-teachers.aspxAlberta Innovates – Health Solutions has provided an excellent opportunity for very able and motivated science students through the Heritage Youth Researcher Summer program (HYRS). The program started in 2000 with positions for 15 students at each of the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. The program was so successful that first year, it expanded to 40 students in 2001. In 2002 an additional 5 student positions were created at the University of Lethbridge. Additional support from the Alberta Cancer Foundation funded 4 additional positions in 2011. The selection committee was faced with the difficult decision of placing 48 students from the excellent applications of 202 students representing over 100 Alberta schools.

The HYRS program supports students doing mentored independent projects over a 6-week period in research labs in the areas of:
  • cardiology
  • neurology
  • cell biology
  • genetics
  • epidemiology
  • bioengineering
In addition to lab work, the students participate in seminars given by top researchers, field trips of interest and the opportunity to network with other strong science students from throughout the province. There is no cost to the successful students. There is an expectation that when they return to their schools in the fall, they will act as ambassadors to spread the word about their experiences so that the following year’s students will be encouraged to apply for the program.

I got the inside information on a new parallel program of great interest to science teachers. This summer teachers are encouraged to participate in a 3-day workshop that explores current topics in disease. The program is tailored to the Biology 20/30 program, looking at different organ systems: the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Genetic components of diseases will also be addressed. I don’t know if all the details have been released yet, but I know that I will have the dates marked on my calendar. Contact information is provided on the poster below, and I will provide additional information as I learn of it.


]]>Mon, 14 Nov 11 04:30:00 UTSharing the Trailhttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/sharing-the-trail.aspxGenOmics and other Social Media is the presentation that I made recently at the Alberta Teachers Association – Science Council Conference. I was pleased to meet a number of teachers at the conference. We had a great and lively discussion on the use of Social Media in science and educational settings. Since I was speaking in Banff National Park, I used the very popular Legacy TraiI as a metaphor. As with learning many new skills where there is an initial learning curve, the trail starts off with a short sharp uphill and then levels out to a more or less even path.

Some in the audience were ready to run: these teachers are already using the latest connected devices. Many were up an walking, and there were a few who wished to take their first steps. Are we there yet? Hardly!

I am making the presentation available, and if you view it on SlideShare, you can see the speaker notes for each slide by selecting the appropriate button on the lower right of the presentation on that site. I welcome additional comments and suggestions.


Sharing the trail : Inspiring your students through GenOmics and other Social Media
View more presentations from gwardis
]]>Wed, 02 Nov 11 19:45:00 UTInspiring your students through GenOmics and other Social Mediahttp://genomealberta.ca/blogs/inspiring-your-students-through-genomics-and-other-social-media.aspxInspiring Science, the future is fantastic!” October 20 – 22, 2011

I was excited when I saw the theme for the 2011 ATA Science Council Conference, because I knew that we at Genome Alberta can make a significant contribution to the discussion. Make sure you mark my session on your schedule: “Inspiring your students through GenOmics and other Social Media”, 9:15 a.m. Saturday Oct 22 in the Parker Room at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. I’ve sub-titled my presentation “Sharing the Trail” since I anticipate a lively discussion and sharing of ideas to inspire science.



Each of the past five years, I have met with teachers at the ATA Science Council conferences and enjoyed providing them with materials and ideas to use in their classrooms. This year I’m focusing on social media; here is a preview:



]]>Wed, 19 Oct 11 23:00:00 UT