Health NewsHoney Bee Genomics Revisited
A couple of years ago I posted a blog about honey bee genetics after some of the wild speculation about GMO crops and cell phones being involved in the demise of the honey bee. This proved to be one of my most read blog postings. Today (October 24,2008), a headline in the Vancouver Sun announces that Genome B.C. is launching a $2.8-million research project that will investigate ways to halt the worldwide decline in bees. The three year study will be looking at bee genomics with regard to predicting and selecting bees that are more resistant to the mites and associated virus that seems to be involved with the decline of the bees. UBC biochemistry professor Leonard Foster will be leading the project. Certainly as more information is revealed, I will post more on this very popular topic.
The Genetic Tests Results are in ... Now What
That was the topic of a Forum I spoke at this week and it was one of the more interesting ones I've been part of since I had my 23andMe and deCODE tests done and posted on the 'net. For a start the rest of the panel had me experiencing some trepediation going into the evening and once they started to talk I may have actually felt a bit more nervous. Dr. Elaine Mardis, Washington University at St. Louis;Dr. Wylie Burke, University of Washington; Dr. Darren Platt, human genomics scientist and former Senior Director of Research at 23 & Me and the moderator was Dr. Michael Morgan CSO for Genome Canada. And me - a former journalist turned Communications Director with a ranch and a past that never really touched the world of science.
In the end though I didn't have to worry because my views and experience with scientists proved to be in fact real and useful. Scientists have to discover how things work, collect the data, translate it and maybe even commericalize it. Communications staff have to take all the
information and make it real.
Green Genomics
I was looking forward to the morning session at the Genome Canada International Conference. Too often as the Communications guy I find myself answering questions from people who see genomics and genetics as something unnatural or artifical. If nothing else I hoped the session called 'Green Genomics' would help me with those answers. For the most part it didn't give me that, but it certainly gave me lots to talk about when people come knocking and ask what genomics is all about.
2020 Vision
I'm guessing that the title for this week's Genome Canada International Conference is both a play on the acuity of normal vision and a suggestion that the conference will be looking well into the future. Considering the pace of change that might be a pretty grand ambition for the conference but I'm here in Vancouver to attend the conference for a variety of reasons. First off we had a meeting of all the communicators from the various Genome Centres across the country. I'm part of a panel tonight at a Public Forum called "The Genetic Test Results Are In .... Now What?", and then of course there is the conference itself and its great line-up of speakers.
A Day of Discovery
Last week marked my 2nd visit to Discovery Days at the University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre and Medical School. The event is organized by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and has been running for 10 years in a variety of cities and academic institutions.
It is an opportunity for High School students to spend the day on campus and as the name implies, discover a bit about medicine and the health sciences. For many students it is an opportunity explore some career options and the general feeling from the organizers is that this year's crowd in Calgary was even more career oriented than in the past. These weren't just the science geeks out for a day away from class.