Author Archives: vanessa

Polymers with the Ability to Glow

Posted on April 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

Science has many applications to our everyday lives which go unseen. From the moment the alarm clock wakes you up, to the moment you turn off the lights to go to bed, science is directly impacting your life.

You may be surprised to find out that a chemistry study in its early stages may have great implications for the situations you experience on a daily basis.

Benjamin Rawe, a chemist  at the University of British Columbia, has been studying polymers that have phosphorus in their backbone. This study produced a polymer which can glow!

But what are polymers? In essence, polymers are repeating units made of monomers, which are individual molecules. Using these polymers, Dr. Rawe added phosphorus to the them. Phosphorus is an element with very interesting properties because it can react with many things. When this element is incorporated into the polymer backbone it fluoresces, which means that it can glow. It is easy to think of  the phosphorus like a switch for the polymer. So based on what is attached to the phosphorus, you’re either turning on or turning off the fluorescence.

The video below explains in detail what polymers are and the properties of phosphorus that make it essential to this study.

Credit: Daniela Castillo & Vanessa Sidhu

The real-life application for these polymers that contain phosphorus is the possible ability for them to be used as sensors. Sensors are objects that detect an event or change, and respond to that change. Sensors are required for many parts of our daily lives, they are used in thermometers to measure your fever, the light that turns on when you walk by, and even the metal detector used at airports. Furthermore, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and smartphones are technologies that are on the uprise. The potential application for more efficient sensors in these items could help enhance these technologies even more.

The podcast below gives examples of sensors and their importance in our growing population.

Credit: Kush Khanna & Siriwat Chhem

The research on this topic is just getting started, there is much more to study and discover. Benjamin continues to learn more about the polymer he has created and the significance it can have in our society.

– Vanessa Sidhu, Daniela Castillo, Kush Khanna and Siriwat Chhem

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Skin Cells Transformed into Cancer-Fighting Cells

Posted on March 6, 2016 | 3 comments

Researchers receive inspiration from a variety of sources, this post follows an innovation which was inspired from Yamanaka’s Nobel Prize on cellular reprogramming.

The advancements made in the cancer research field have been extraordinary. However, there still remain certain types of cancer that reduce a patients life expectancy greatly. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a tumour that arises from supportive tissue in the brain which is located in the cerebral hemisphere (Figure 1). Once diagnosed this disease leaves a patient with a life expectancy of one to two years. Glioblastoma tumours are often very cancerous because the cells can reproduce rather quickly. One of the main reasons this disease has a low life expectancy is because though a surgeon may operate and remove the main cancer; the possibility of parts of the cancerous tumour moving deeper into the brain and reforming are high. Therefore,  glioblastoma cannot be completely rid of just by surgery.

The following image shows three types of brain cancer and their respective locations, this innovation focuses on glioblastoma.

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Figure 1. Location of the glioblastoma – Credit: Stockmedicalalert.com

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have been working on transforming ordinary skin cells into cancer-hunting stem cells that can get rid of glioblastoma. The work of these individuals was posted in Nature Communications and the idea was to transform stem cells into cells that can actively act as cancer fighting cells.

The ability to reprogram fibroblast (cells which produce collagen and connective tissue) cells into induced neural stem cells, which are self-renewing cells, is how these researchers aim to kill cancer cells. The induced neural stem cells also contain an extra additive, a killing protein, making it more effective at killing the cancerous cells.

This innovation been tested using mice. This showed how the neural stem cells can actively move through the brain and find and kill any remaining cancer cells that surgery may have been unable to get rid of. In the tested mice the survival rate increased from 160 to 220 percent due to this innovation.

The following video gives a brief overview of the research described in this post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjK5HJKj7f8

Credit: NewsBeat Social

This innovation is of much interest to individuals who battle glioblastoma. However, this study needs to undergo many safety checks before it can be administered to individuals. The researchers believe there is about one year until they reach clinical trials.

Although this research has the potential to be life-changing for individuals battling glioblastoma, it is important to question the practicality of the research. For example, will this innovation increase the life expectancy slightly or will this eliminate all of the leftover cancer cells in the brain. Unfortunately, this cannot be answered at such early stages in the research, however the results do look promising and it seems to be headed in the right direction.

-Vanessa

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Posted in Science Communicators, Science in the News

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One time solution- Universal Flu Shot

Posted on February 7, 2016 | 4 comments

Are you tired of getting vaccinated every flu season? Do you want to be protected but refuse to be poked? Fear no more, the universal flu shot is here (well not yet, but almost).

shots-shots-shotsCredit: WeKnowMemes

Every flu season millions flock to receive that seasons flu shot. Have you ever wondered why you can be vaccinated just once and be protected for life for diseases such as mumps and measles but not the flu?

This can be answered by the characteristics of the flu. There are 3 known types of flu viruses but only 2 types of flu viruses which cause the annual flu. The types that cause the flu are A and B. However, these have many subtypes which change every season because of the genetic changes undergone by the head region. So every season the World Health Organization is given predictions of the strain of flu that scientists believe is circulating that year. Using this information that seasons vaccine is chosen. However, the educated predictions made to create the flu shot fail to be completely effective as they can only protect up to 3-4 strains of that flu. Therefore, it is difficult to create a vaccine every year that is completely successful in protecting us against the annual flu. This is one of the main reasons why developing an all-in-one flu shot is of much interest.

There have been many attempts to try and create the all-in-one flu shot. The difficulty is creating one that can account for the different strains. A recent study, in Nature Science,  has came up with an innovative solution to creating a universal flu shot which may solve the issue that the flu changes every year.

In their approach they focus on the proteins on the outside of the antibody. These proteins are comprised of a head and a stem. The head, in flu vaccines being hemagglutinin (HA), can mutate and it is the reason for the various faces of the flu. However, the stem doesn’t mutate as easily as the HA. The new vaccine uses this information and focuses on the stem instead of the head. If our bodies can recognize the stem and create antibodies according to the stem, it would be able to create antibodies to protect one against all strains of the flu; this would account for all the changes in the HA.

The following video gives a brief overview of how the vaccines work and how this universal flu vaccine would work.

Credit: Discovery News

This study has been proven successful in rats and chimps, however it must be researched and perfected before it can be used in humans. The difficulties of creating an all-in-one shot is the ability of the flu to change itself. Focusing on the stem instead of the head may be the way to success. Thankfully, this innovation is on a uphill and our future for the all-in-one flu shot is looking bright!

-Vanessa

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication

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Sperms join the racetrack- Team Spermbot!

Posted on January 18, 2016 | Leave a comment

Humans are made to be fertile so that they can reproduce. However, many couples cannot have have children for various reasons, the main one being the inability of the sperm to reach the egg successfully. To aid fertility problems there are many pricy alternative fertility options but these have a very low success rate.

In order for a man and women to conceive, male sperm must swim down the female fallopian tubes and connect with the egg. However, some males have difficulties getting their little guys to make it all the way to the finish line. The sperm are usually fully fertile but have difficulties swimming. This is one of the leading problems of male infertility. To resolve this problem, a team of German researchers have invented the “spermbot“.

As published in Nano Letters, the spermbot is a tiny spiral metal helices that rotates and fits around the tail of the sperm. It is big enough to fit the tail but not too big that it goes over the head. The helix can be controlled using magnetic fields. The main purpose of this spermbot is to provide better motility to the sperm so they can reach the egg.

The Spermbot

The spermbot overview. Credit: American Chemical Society

The spermbot works in 4 steps: First, the hybrid micrometer is coupled with the sperm as coupling is the most efficient way for the microhelix to attach to the sperm without killing it. Second, the spermbot starts propelling it to where it to its destination. Third, it makes contact within the ovaries, which is where female reproduction takes place. Once this is completed the final step includes the release of the sperm from the spermbot. This 4 step process was shown to be a success by the German researchers in a petri dish. The petri dish was designed to mimic actual conditions the sperm would face inside a female’s body. This simple yet unique and innovative design could be life-changing for many infertile males as well as their spouses.

The following video gives an overview of the description of the spermbot and how it works.

 

Credit: American Chemical Society

The spermbot is on the brink of being an absolute genius invention, however it needs to be fully tested and all precautions need to be taken before it is put to use in humans. The spermbot could provide various risks for both males and females. The spermbot can be compared to artificial insemination, which is the only fertility option that deals with motility problems. Artificial insemination has a 30% success rate. Whereas the spermbot has a much higher chance of producing a better success rate because of its innovative design and the ability to control it through magnetics. Furthermore, artificial insemination is very invasive for hormonal females, whereas the spermbot provides a non-invasive entry in males. The risks of the spermbot can be controlled once they are identified, and once the risks are eliminated, the spermbot will thrive in the world of fertility.

 

 

Vanessa Sidhu

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