IntroductionVaccinations are an integral part of our modern health care system. They have allowed us to protect our population against some terrible diseases- Hepatitis, Polio, Small Pox, and the Measles just to name a few. But lately they have also garnered additional media attention- anti-vaccination advocate groups and trigger-happy media outlets can be quick to publish rumor and pseudoscience. Sorting through internet debate and rhetoric can be time consuming, difficult, and confusing.
Your task today will be to take this matter into your own hands. You will be creating a digital infographic for the purposes of educating a subsection of the population on the topic of vaccination. Though your information must be scientifically accurate, you will be responsible for deciding how to present it. |
Local Science Connection |
Research, development, and mass production of a vaccine is an incredibly expensive and difficult endeavor. Often, this process has to occur in many steps across various research institutions around the world. One of those such research labs is run by Dr. Ratmir Derda at the University of Alberta. Dr. Derda and his team are working on a diagnostic test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria responsible for TB. Though a laboratory test already exists for this bacteria, it is slow, expensive, and requires a sterile environment. This makes it difficult to use in resource-limited settings like sub-Saharan Africa. The Derda lab has identified a protein-carbohydrate molecule that binds very tightly to TB antibodies. The hope is that this new molecule may allow us to do a TB test with a quick finger poke and a small drop of blood - an incredibly useful tool!
|