App Reviews

trailblazers in sciences, humanities, engineering celebrated in

2017 killam awards

For 50 years now, the Killam Awards, one of the country’s most prestigious prizes for outstanding achievements, has been honouring Canadian scholars and scientists actively engaged in research, in various fields of interest.

The Killam Program was funded in 1967 through the contribution of Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam, in honour of the memory and exceptional achievements of her husband, Izaak Walton Killam. Each year the program awards five prizes of $100,000 to individuals in the fields of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering.

Through the years it has been noted to many recipients of the Killam have gone on to distinguish themselves further in their careers.

This year’s winners are: John Burrows, of the University of Victoria, for social sciences; W. Ford Doolittle, of Dalhousie University, for natural sciences; Thomas Hurka, University of Toronto, for humanities; Julio Montaner, University of British Columbia, for health sciences; and Molly Shoichet, of the University of Toronto, for engineering.

W. Ford Doolittle is an evolutionary and molecular biologist. His area of interest integrates the philosophy of biology and genomic research on previously controversial notions of the “tree of life” and Gaia Theory.

Doolittle has been the director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s Evolutionary Biology program for 20 years. He received NSERC’s 2013 Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

Doolittle’s work in molecular genetics includes the study of lateral gene transfer, a key driver of microbial evolution and the proposition of an alternative “web of life” theory. Doolittle’s more 300 published works are experimental (dealing in chloroplasts and nuclear origins, archaeal genetics, gene transfer and metagenomics) and theoretical (origins of genes, “selfish DNA,” meaning of the Tree of Life, levels of selection).

A physician and researcher, Julio Montaner he is credited for saving millions of lives worldwide with his bold work on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and the creation of the “Treatment as Prevention” strategy.

He is professor of medicine, chair of AIDS research, and head of the division of AIDS in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is the director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CFE), a program at St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH), Providence Health Care (PHC); the national co-director of the Canadian HIV Trials Network and a past president of the International AIDS Society (IAS).

Montaner supports harm reduction, including safe injection sites and needle exchange programs and is currently working with the World Health Organization on prevention strategies for viral hepatitis.

Tissue and polymer engineering, targeted drug delivery, tissue regeneration and stem cell research; these are the areas that Molly Shoichet concentrates on. She holds the Tier 1 Canada research chair in tissue engineering at the University of Toronto, and is senior advisor on science and engineering engagement to Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto.

Shoichet has published over 500 papers, patents and abstracts, and given over hundreds of lectures worldwide in the fields of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and drug delivery. She leads a laboratory of 30 and has graduated 162 researchers.

Shoichet is the only person to be a fellow of Canada’s three national academies of science, engineering, and health sciences. She was L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science North American laureate for 2015. She holds the Order of Ontario, is a university professor, and a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

aPP review

Genetics 4 Medics

hhttp://genetics4medics.com/index.html

Genetics for Medics is an Android and iOS medical genetics mobile app which allows users to search for information on over 200 genetic conditions, including syndromes. The amount of information you can access is astounding. The app provides access to digital literature on each condition, cases studies, therapies and typical treatments. There are also pictures of chromosomal location of conditions. The app is US$4.99 and is available from the Android and iOS store.

DNA/RNA Protein and General Mol. Weight Calculator

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ dna-rna-protein-general-molecular/ id408366615?mt=8

Its name is quite a mouthful, but this free application for iOS devices is an ideal biochemical pocket companion, according to its maker Wiley Publishing. Copy and paste or type in any nucleic acid-based sequence, any protein or peptide amino acid sequence, or any standard chemical formula, the app will provide you its molecular weight. The app also lists 1,200 of the most commonly encountered organic and inorganic compounds.

Keep Growing

The BioFlo® 120—easy to use, fl exible, dependable

The straightforward setup and process > Push button Auto Culture modes for control of the BioFlo 120 let you focus microbial and cell culture applications on what is important, your work. > Flexible operation with glass or Designed to seamlessly integrate BioBLU® Single-Use Vessels into your day-to-day operation, the > Scalable expanded working volume BioFlo 120 bioreactor/fermentor range (250 mL–40 L) emphasizes simplicity and ease of > Universal connections for digital and use, with no sacrifi ce on capability. analog sensors