“Red Hot” Discovery by CBR Scientists
Calcium is a universal second messenger important for brain and immune homeostasis, activation, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The events surrounding Ca2+ mobilization are tightly regulated and involve the coordination of diverse ion channels, membrane receptors, and signalling molecules. A calcium channel TRPV1 , has a well-recognized role in nerve cells that help regulate body temperature and alert the brain to […]
McNagny et al. provide key insights into longterm effects of antibiotics
In research led by CBR member, Kelly McNagny, and published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, UBC investigators revealed that different antibiotics affect bacteria that play a positive role in promoting a healthy immune system. They found that receiving antibiotic treatments early in life can increase susceptibility to specific diseases later on. Most […]
A Brooks Discovery: Super Glue for Cells
Don Brooks, from the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) at the University of British Columbia, led a group of scientists in Canada to make a super-strong cell membrane adhesive and used it to stick red blood cells together. The polymer, based on the phospholipid head group phosphatidyl choline, could be used to secure cells in […]
Hi-Definition HIV Sequencing in the Harrigan Lab
Low levels of drug resistant HIV can emerge when exposed to drugs. Researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS have developed a “deep” sequencing approach that gives an in-depth cross-section of the HIV envelope profile in patients. HIV is extracted from patient blood samples and a portion of the envelope gene (which mediates […]