UNews - Taylor Sheahan

Chinook Symposium winners awarded

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 21:32:32 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 12th annual Chinook Symposium took place recently, showcasing research work from high school, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as special presentations from postdoctoral fellows and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Collegiate iGEM (international Genetic Engineering Machines) team.

The first Chinook Symposium was organized by Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, Dr. Marc Roussel and Susan Hill in 2007 and the event has grown dramatically over the years. This year, 46 posters were presented, compared to 22 posters at the inaugural event in 2007. The event has also grown to involve the community at large, inviting guest judges such as high school teachers, politicians and business leaders. This year, 2018 Alumnus of the Year, Bill Spenceley (BASc ‘’81) served in the role.

The event began in 2007 by awarding eight cash prizes to the top two graduate and undergraduate students each in biochemistry and chemistry. In 2012, a rookie award was added to recognize students presenting at a conference for the first time, and in 2013 a PhD division was added. Cash prizes are now awarded to the top two PhD presenters in biochemistry and in chemistry.

In 2017 and 2018, the Canadian Journal of Chemistry generously sponsored two Canadian Journal of Chemistry Awards for Best Student Presentation, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level. This brings the current count to 14 cash prizes as well as a certificate for top rookie presenter.

Winners of the 12th Chinook Symposium are:

Undergraduate

Chemistry
1. Jaira Ranger (Rookie of the Year)
2. Janelle Bykowski

Biochemistry
1. Hope Vienneau
2. Sydnee Calhoun

Graduate

Chemistry
1. Priya Bhutani
2. Desmond Chisholm

Biochemistry
1. Elijah Dueck
2. Colyn Cleland

PhD

Chemistry
1. Dylan Webb
2. Ryan Kung

Biochemistry
1. Taylor Sheahan
2. Dustin Smith

Canadian Journal of Chemistry Award for Best Student Presentation
Undergraduate - Jaira Ranger
Graduate - Elijah Dueck

U of L iGEM teams succeed at provincial competition and prepare for Giant Jamboree

caroline.zentner — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 20:05:51 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) collegiate and high school teams are readying for November’s Giant Jamboree after they came away with awards and cash prizes at the recent annual aGEM (Alberta Genetically Engineered Machine) competitionin Edmonton.

“aGEM showcases the high calibre projects that come from Alberta and prepares students for the international Giant Jamboree in Boston,” says Taylor Sheahan, a team advisor and doctoral student in biomolecular sciences at the U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute. “It is incredibly beneficial to receive feedback from experts in the field, which helps improve our project prior to the iGEM competition.”

Members of this year's U of L high school iGEM team include (back row, L-R) Kyle Bodell, Erin Kelly, Sydnee Calhoun, Autumn Schmidt; (middle row L-R) Haroon Ahmed, Denysse Garcia, Nimaya DeSilva, Stephanie Dang, Kelly Situ; (front row L-R) Allison Leam, Chaeli Cowan and Halla Wagner. Missing are Candace Chan and Ross Oliver.

The U of L Collegiate iGEM team project involves developing a synthetic biology tool that can be widely used by a variety of people, from educators teaching the basic concepts of protein production, to hobbyists tinkering in the field, to scientists performing state-of-the-art research. The tool, which includes all the necessary biomachinery for safely producing proteins outside of a living cell, is a simplified version of the protein production machinery found in all living cells. Researchers will be able to use the tool to test their hypotheses, while students will learn the basic principles of protein production and hobbyist synthetic biologists can explore their ideas.

They presented their work to a panel of judges at the provincial competition and won $4,000 to help subsidize travel costs for the team to attend the Giant Jamboree in Boston, Massachusetts. They were also presented with the Stewardship Award for addressing the biosecurity risks associated with the project. In addition, the team has secured $8,000 in funding from the U of L Students’ Union Quality Initiative Program. The funding will be used for travel costs for sending undergraduate students to Boston.

The Lethbridge High School iGEM team was presented with an Aspiring Entrepreneurship Award and $4,000 to assist with costs of travelling to Boston for the Giant Jamboree. The team is using synthetic biology methods to produce biological pigments in bacteria, with the overall goal of incorporating these pigments into environmentally friendly inks for printers.

Students from universities around the world compete in Boston at the end of November to share their work in hopes of further advancing the field of synthetic biology.

“iGEM encourages students to apply their knowledge and creativity to a real-world problem, and we support them as they work towards a solution,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a Chemistry and Biochemistry professor, iGEM faculty supervisor and Alberta Innovates Strategic Chair in RNA Bioengineering. “Competitions like aGEM give them a chance to communicate their ideas to experts in the field and rewards them for their efforts, while providing transferrable skills that integrate into the bigger picture.”

New media and biochemistry students collaborate on game creation

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 15:33:05 +0000

A pair of third-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge classes, one in biochemistry and the other in new media, unknowingly shared a synergy until the AGILITY program brought them together. The end result is a new game that could enhance the learning process of one of the most difficult courses in biochemistry and provide a deeper understanding of the value of collaboration and the game creation process.

Seeking a way to engage his students with a subject that is admittedly daunting, biochemistry professor Dr. HJ Wieden thought a game might help his students learn. The class, Biochemistry 3300, Metabolism and Bioenergetics, is essential to understanding the metabolic process and synthetic biology but the volume of material to be learned is massive.

A look at one of the game board prototypes used during the creation process.

“This is probably the most hated subject matter in all of biochemistry because it is so much material,” admits Wieden.

But, he says, nature is lazy, and there are only so many ways that processes can occur and they all start with these guiding principles. Understand the principles and you’re able to build off them for the rest of your studies.

“However, you still have to do the learning, which is difficult, and it’s all out of a textbook,” says Wieden. “I thought one way of interacting with it might be putting it into game play so that you could engage with the material.”

Easier said than done, his class started on the project last year but didn’t have time to delve too deep into the material. He then entrusted PhD student Taylor Sheahan to lead the effort with this year’s class, and when she went to the AGILITY lab to have 3D game tokens designed, manager Tyler Heaton learned of the project. Heaton’s next call was to James Graham and his New Media 3310 Game Design, Theory and Production class.

Students played the games at various stages throughout the creative process to see how it would perform.

“They had the science but were finding it challenging to insert game play into it,” says Graham, who was eager to give his students a tangible project to sink their teeth into. “We talk about games as systems, they are not just processes that happen, so that’s where it has a really nice overlay. You can take the matrix of game design as a system and overlay the science as a system and see how that matrix can be made to line up and then connect that to people in a way that makes science understandable and enjoyable.”

In theory it sounded great, and after an initial presentation by the biochemistry students to their new media brethren, the project began. But with only one month of class left and a massive language void yet to conquer, the creation process proved challenging on both ends.

“They were trying to communicate complex scientific systems, the metabolic process, in a way that was not didactic and boring,” says Graham. “My students had to educate themselves to understand the science and the science students had to educate themselves about the challenges in creating complex game play that seems simple and intuitive.”

Sheahan said the communicative process between the groups was the key to overcome barriers and enhanced learning on both sides.

“It helped our biochemistry students really learn the material because they had to repeat it to the new media students, who had no knowledge of the concepts,” she says. “They had to really focus on using layman terms as well as understand the overall concept of how everything fit together so that it would make sense.”

In the end, Graham’s class of 12 split into two six-person working groups. One group designed a non-competitive, narrative-based game aimed at Grade 11 students. The other group worked on a competitive game designed for third-year biochemistry students.

The transdisciplinary process proved to be remarkably successful and the new media students showcased the game designs at the end of semester. Sheahan expects to use the game in class next year to see how well it enhances the learning process for the next Biochemistry 3300 class.

Beyond that, it also engaged students along the way, Wieden saying it even saved a few students who were floundering with the material in his class.

“I’m a big fan of when the students have to talk to each other and I think a lot of learning happened in that interface between what is the language that new media students use and what is the language that biochem students use,” he says. “One of the critical aspects of teaching is how to get into the heads of students, and this was a fantastic example of students getting hands-on experience and getting exposed to the material in an interactive way and suddenly it all fell into place for them.”

U of L iGEM team golden, now focussed on furthering project with Lethbridge Fire and EMS

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 18:10:55 +0000

Their project is once again golden and now the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge iGEM team is excited to embark on the next phase – determining if and how their plan to improve the cleanliness of emergency medical vehicles is feasible.

“Our presentation went really well, we had a lot of positive feedback and a lot of interest around how feasible it would be for EMS to actually implement the system,” says first-year PhD student Taylor Sheahan after her team returned from the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) World Jamboree in Boston, Mass. with a gold medal in tow.

The team was tasked with characterizing the microbial community within ambulances and then developing an intuitive antibody-based strip test for real-time monitoring of the vehicles’ cleanliness. Pictured here are (L to R) Keith Aiken, Rhys Hakstol, Suneet Khary, Taylor Sheahan and Graeme Glaister.

The team was tasked with characterizing the microbial community within ambulances and then developing an intuitive antibody-based strip test for real-time monitoring of the vehicles’ cleanliness.

“We are not only thinking of providing clean orderly EMS units for best practice clinical care for people we meet and transport; we are also thinking of our staff, their families and the potential transport of infection to other patients and health-care facilities we serve,” says Ward Eggli, EMS Resource Officer with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services.

While the system the iGEM team created has proven to be effective, Sheahan says that more work needs to be done before it can actually be used in the field.

“We’re still in such an early stage of our work that there is a lot to be done to get to that point where we can actually see if they are cleaning effectively or whether we could compare two different cleaning products,” she says.

Sheahan is a Catholic Central High School product who earned bachelor and master degrees at Queen’s and Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ respectively before joining Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden’s lab.

“What we know today that we did not know before is that we have many types of pathogens in the back of our units,” adds Eggli. “We can now focus on best practice cleaning techniques, frequency and using products that affect these pathogens.”

The fact the project was community-driven and seeks to solve a real problem garnered praise from the judges in Boston. This aspect has been a focus of iGEM in recent years and something the U of L has excelled at, winning gold at each of the last four competitions. In particular, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Public Health Agency of Canada expressed interest in following the project as it continues.

“It’s key at the beginning of projects like this to actually identify a real problem that needs to be solved to benefit the community,” says Sheahan, whose group was approached by Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Medical Services in May to look at the cleanliness of their vehicles and to assist with their methods of cleaning. “I think it’s important for an iGEM project to be focused on a real problem, so you’re not just using cool science, but producing a tangible benefit.”

The two groups will continue to work together in the coming months.

“We plan on testing products and practices to see how we can best affect the pathogens we now know are in the back of our units,” says Eggli. “We have identified a few products that can kill pathogens long after they first have been applied and we want to know how long they’re effective after application and what might affect that product if left without reapplication. We can only complete this through a continued relationship with the U of L and their researchers.”

Wieden, the iGEM supervisor and director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, says the U of L continues to impress on the world stage, despite competing against teams from established engineering schools.

“In the 10 years we have been competing at iGEM, we have managed to win nine gold medals, which really is remarkable and speaks to the quality of our students, how they work with one another and how they pass that along from year to year,” says Wieden. “It also says that we are solving some real challenges and making a difference in society.”

The full U of L iGEM team consists of Sheahan, Graeme Glaister, Rhys Hakstol, Sydnee Calhoun, Keith Aiken, Suneet Kharey, Courtney McDermott and Karin Otero. Wieden is the supervisor and principal investigator, while Drs. Andy Hudson, Cesar Rodriguez (Florida State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) and Glaister are team advisors.

In addition to the U of L iGEM team, the Lethbridge High School iGEM team was awarded a bronze medal for their work on a rapid wound treatment system.

U of L iGEM team gears up for Boston with win at aGEM competition

trevor.kenney — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 19:48:36 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team warmed up for the upcoming iGEM Giant Jamboree by taking first place in the collegiate division of the Alberta Genetically Engineered Machines (aGEM) competition in Calgary recently.

Using the aGEM event as a tune-up opportunity to hone its presentation for the Giant Jamboree in a mock competition setting, the U of L team placed first in the collegiate division and also received special awards in the areas of Human Practices and Demonstrated Knowledge. Second place in the collegiate division went to the host ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary team.

The U of L iGEM team (l to r) Dr. Andy Hudson, Keith Aiken, Taylor Sheahan, Graeme Glaister, Karin Otero, Suneet Kharey, Rhys Hakstol and Courtney McDermott.

“aGEM provides Alberta teams with a unique advantage as we are able to get meaningful feedback from judges who will be at the international competition in Boston,” says Graeme Glaister, a fourth-year neuroscience student, who will be competing in his fourth iGEM contest.

The iGEM competition is a worldwide synthetic biology competition started by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is now the main program at the iGEM Foundation. Competing for the past nine years, U of L teams have excelled on the world stage, leading all Canadian teams by winning eight gold medals for their innovative work. This year’s competition takes place Oct. 27-31 in Boston, MA.

The project the U of L team is tackling involves creating an easy-to-use and cost-effective kit for the rapid detection and monitoring of newly emerging germs in ambulances and health-care facilities.

“I’m very excited about this project because it was really informed by the needs of the community,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, chemistry and biochemistry researcher, Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Strategic Chair in Bioengineering, and iGEM supervisor. “When scientists and community members sit down to define a problem, it can result in a very productive collaboration. This iGEM team is demonstrating the ways that cutting-edge synthetic biology and fundamental biomolecular research can have a truly beneficial impact on our communities, particularly in the areas of health and medicine."

Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Medical Services contacted the U of L iGEM team to determine if their current cleaning practices were adequate. The team met with paramedics, surveyed them about areas of concern and participated in ride-alongs with emergency medical workers to better appreciate the situations faced daily by first responders. These steps helped shape the project and determine its scope, with the goal of determining if emergency medical vehicles are indeed reservoirs for pathogens.

"We are very excited to know more about what is found and how we can affect it,” says Ward Eggli, EMS Resource Officer with Lethbridge Fire and Emergence Services. “We are looking at other cleaning practices, just to determine best practice, once we find out the results. It would be nice to know if we can affect sick time with our own staff, to give some peace of mind to the wives and children we have at home, and to know that what we’re bringing home is minimized in some way.”

Using cutting-edge, in-house DNA sequencing technology to aid in identifying pathogens present in the emergency medical vehicles, the U of L team conducted experiments to identify different bacterial species present in each ambulance by investigating a region of DNA unique to each organism.

The results obtained from sequencing experiments allowed the team to develop novel antibodies which specifically recognize and bind to the surface of the identified bacterial organisms. These antibodies are then used in a test which generates a colour change in the event of bacterial identification. This test facilitates rapid and inexpensive detection of pathogens in emergency medical vehicles, and will enable targeted and purposeful sterilization of affected areas.

The novel antibodies being produced and used in this experiment are called single-domain antibodies (sdAb), which are much smaller than traditional antibodies, but with full antigen binding capabilities and increased stability. These antibodies can be synthesized without the use of animal hosts, allowing for lower production costs and less required infrastructure. The team is also constructing an online, searchable database of these single-domain antibodies which will streamline future research in this area, and may also allow the commercialization of sdAb production at the U of L.

The U of L iGEM team is composed of Keith Aiken, Taylor Sheahan, Graeme Glaister, Karin Otero, Suneet Kharey, Rhys Hakstol and Courtney McDermott. Dr. Andy Hudson and Dr. HJ Wieden serve as instructor and supervisor respectively.

UNews - Taylor Sheahan

Chinook Symposium winners awarded

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