Super Awesome Science Show (SASS)

It has been a long and painful pandemic but the light at the end of the tunnel is within our sights. While there are many reasons for what will surely be a celebration, there is one one particular medical advancement that has raised all of our spirits and may represent the future for battling disease. It’s the mRNA vaccine. This week, we’re closing out our season on COVID-19 science with a guest we all need to hear. He is Pieter Cullis and he a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology  at the University of British Columbia. He is one of the founders of mRNA vaccine technology, although when he started this journey over four decades ago, there was a very different reason for the work. It’s a story you need to hear to truly get a feel for the miracle that is mRNA vaccines.  I want to thank everyone who asked a question over the course of this season. It helped to make the show interactive and also more informative. If you have any questions, you can still reach me on Twitter or by Email. Have a great summer and I look forward to better times and awesome science.  Twitter: @JATetro Email: [email protected] Guest: Pieter Cullis https://biochem.ubc.ca/person/pieter-cullis/ 

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 variants. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today.  We’re back with Earl Brown, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and also a colleague with whom I’ve performed research and published on emerging pathogens such as SARS and avian flu. He has been observing the impact of variants and is ready to answer your questions.  Next week is our season finale and it is with one of the original researchers behind the mRNA vaccine technology. He’s been doing it for over 40 years and best of all, it’s been done right here in Canada. You won’t want to miss it.   Twitter: @JATetro Email: [email protected] Guest: Earl Brown https://web5.uottawa.ca/www2/mcs-smc/media/experts-details-324.html 

Over the course of the pandemic, our vocabulary has gained a specific word that has come to represent great concern and distress in our global community. Variant. In the context of COVID-19, it has meant a resurgence in viral infections, resistance to treatments, and the risk of an ineffective vaccine.  This week, we’re going to look at the science behind SARS-CoV-2 variants with Earl Brown. He’s a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and also a colleague with whom I’ve performed research and published on emerging pathogens such as SARS and avian flu. Our discussion will not only enlighten you but also reveal aspects of the nature of variants you won’t hear anywhere else.  While we try to identify all the potential questions you might have regarding wastewater testing, I’m sure you will have more. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetro Email: [email protected] Guest: Earl Brown https://web5.uottawa.ca/www2/mcs-smc/media/experts-details-324.html 

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and wastewater. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today.  We’re back with Tyson Graber, a research associate at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. He has been working on the development of wastewater testing and has gained support from the local government who now shares that data with the population.  Over the last few months, I have received a few questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on those living with Multiple Sclerosis. I have reached out to Farrah Mateen, an Associate Professor of Neurology and her clinical practice focuses on helping and treating MS patients. She has been learning of the impacts of the pandemic from her patients and also through her international collaborations with researchers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetro Email: [email protected] Guest: Tyson Graber https://www.linkedin.com/in/tysongraber/?originalSubdomain=ca City of Ottawa Wastewater Surveillance https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/reports-research-and-statistics/Wastewater_COVID-19_Surveillance.aspx Farrah Mateen https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/19421/farrah-mateen   

It may seem like COVID-19 is everywhere and this week, we’re going to find out how we can take advantage of that fact. Research has shown that the virus behind the disease, SARS-CoV-2 can survive in sewage and be identified using a diagnostic test. More importantly, the results of those tests provide an early warning system to communities about the spread of the disease.  Our guest this week has been working on the development of wastewater testing and has gained support from the local government who now shares that data with the population. His name is Tyson Graber and he is a research associate at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.  While we try to identify all the potential questions you might have regarding wastewater testing, I’m sure you will have more. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetro Email: [email protected] Guest: Tyson Graber https://www.linkedin.com/in/tysongraber/?originalSubdomain=ca City of Ottawa Wastewater Surveillance https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/reports-research-and-statistics/Wastewater_COVID-19_Surveillance.aspx