The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science’s Open House is back this Research Month. Staff from across St. Michael’s Hospital can register for tours showcasing novel technologies and research.
Hospital staff, clinical researchers, physicians and volunteers are invited to pre-register for tours that will take place Thursday Nov. 29, 2018 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Each tour will last about 20 minutes. Please note that there are a limited number of spots per tour and are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. Register now so that you don’t miss out!
In addition to the tours, St. Michael’s staff are invited to visit the Exhibition Space on the second floor of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute any time between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. No registration needed for this portion.
There are many Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science groups providing tours for you to choose from, plus there’s free lunch! Take a look at some of our cutting-edge research and tours available below, then sign up for a tour.
If you have any questions please contact Christina Ting at tingc@smh.ca
OPEN TO EVERYONE.
Does not require registration or sign-up!
The Core:
Practice Pipetting
Pipettes are a fundamental tool you need to master in order to become a molecular biologist. Often you see these used in forensic shows like Forensic Files, CSI, and Bones. Luckily, they are not that complex to use and can probably master in 20 minutes. They allow us to manipulate cells allowing us to grow them and study them outside of the body. Being able to do this allows us to compare different cells from healthy and diseased samples, and examine their responses to drugs and conditions that can occur in the body such as inflammation. Pipettes also allow us to work with incredibly small amount of chemicals, DNA and enzymes to replicate the conditions within a cell and manipulate the DNA of a cell.
Dr. Heyu Ni’s Lab:
Direct observation and intervention of thrombosis: introducing the state-of-the-art intravital microscopy system at the Ni lab
Thrombus or clot formation is the cause of death in heart attack and stroke, the two leading causes of mortality and morbidity around the world. Previously, researchers studied the blood clotting and thrombosis process in a test tube. In the human body, however, these processes occur inside blood vessels, where the blood is constantly flowing at high speed and interacting with the vessel wall. During his post-doc training at Harvard, Dr. Ni developed the first intravital microscopy system, which enables us to directly observe thrombus formation and its response to therapeutic interventions inside the blood vessel. Dr. Ni’s lab is the leader in Canada to utilize this advanced technique for thrombosis research and has made many high impact discoveries in the field. Join us for a tour!
The Core:
Name That Tissue Challenge!
The Research Core Facilities offers equipment and technologies to research staff as well as clinicians with a research interest. The facilities are staffed by resident scientists who are experts in their field, offering in-depth consultation and training in their areas, including light microscopy. Come visit the Bioimaging facility where you will be able to operate some of our microscope systems and test your skills at identifying tissue sections
Dr. Phillip Marsden’s Lab:
Agarose Gel Demonstration
Have you ever wondered what Agarose Gel is or what it is used for? Sign up for this demo of how to make Agarose Gel! You will get a chance to make your own gel and learn about its importance in the basic sciences
Bacterial Swab
Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem in modern days. In research, however, this antibiotic resistance is manipulated for our benefit. In order to produce proteins, researchers design plasmids which are tiny loops of DNA that code for proteins. Then these plasmids are inserted into bacteria, the most commonly used here being E. coli, and we hijack the bacteria’s cellular machinery to “read” the DNA and produce the proteins for us. To ensure the bacteria has successfully picked up our protein, we grow the bacteria on Petri dishes specifically infused with antibiotics then inside the plasmids we add an antibiotic-resistant gene. Thus, if the bacteria have successfully picked up our plasmid, it will be able to produce both our protein of interest and the protein that provides it with antibiotic resistance – allowing it to survive on the petri dish. Please join us for a hands-on demonstration to learn more about bacteria and using bacteria in research!”
The Biomedical Zone:
Exclusive tour of the Biomedical Zone (BMZ)
The Biomedical Zone helps early-stage health technology companies to validate their need-based solutions directly in the hospital setting with clinicians, business experts, and innovative thinkers. Through the Biomedical Zone, startups are able to rapidly iterate their technology, refine their business model, and demonstrate clinical value.
We are not just an incubator, but an innovation centre for clinicians, students, and entrepreneurs alike. Our first-in-class programs offer startups unprecedented access to the clinical environment, while facilitating unique experiential learning opportunities for students. Together, we are transforming the way hospitals innovate.
Get a chance to have an exclusive tour of this space!
The Biomedical Zone is a proud partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Xiao-Yan Wen’s Lab:
Facility Tour of Zebrafish Disease Modeling and High Throughput Drug Screen
Led by Dr. Wen, St. Michael’s Hospital launched the Zebrafish Centre for Advanced Drug Discovery in 2012. St. Michael’s is home to Canada’s first and the only fully automated zebrafish high-throughput screening platform.
In this tour, you will be guided through the advanced zebrafish housing rack system and you will be taught how to build disease models.
