29 minute read
Appointments
Zymeworks announces the addition of Dr. Leonard Presta to its scientifi c advisory board. Dr. Presta has spent more than 20 years working in the biotechnology industry, and is known for his work in the fi elds of antibody and protein engineering. Most recently, Presta served as a Distinguished Fellow at Merck & Co., Inc. where he was responsible for the protein engineering of all internal therapeutic antibodies. Prior to this he worked at Genentech, Inc., including as director of the Antibody Technology Group where he was responsible for or led the protein engineering of notable antibody therapeutics including Herceptin®, Perjeta® Raptiva®, Xolair®, Avastin®, and Lucentis®. He is an inventor on more than 130 U.S. patents and has served on the editorial boards of notable journals including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, PROTEINS, and MABS. Dr. Presta received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University in the computational modeling of proteinligand interactions.
Dr. Michael Raymont has accepted the permanent role as president and CEO of AVAC Ltd. Dr. Ray-
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mont is a long serving director of AVAC who has acted as the interim president and CEO of AVAC since November of 2012. His commercial experience includes fi ve years in the U.S. as chairman and CEO of a Boston-based capital assets solution provider to Fortune 1000 companies. Prior to that assignment, Raymont was president and CEO of two Canadian-based technology companies and CEO of the non-regulated subsidiaries of Telus Corporation where he managed its venture investments as well as its U.S. and international operations. Raymont also brings extensive expertise with early and later-stage fi nancial investments including his role as chairman of Borderline Asia and as director of Arzaq Power Investments LLC. of Qatar. Dr. Raymont has assisted in bringing two Chinese companies to list on the Toronto Venture Exchange and now serves as a corporate director of both companies. He has also served at the assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister levels of the federal government where he was initially vice president, Technology and Industry Support of the National Research Council of Canada which included NRC’s successful IRAP programme and then acting president of NRC.
The Proof of Principle Program Committee at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has appointed Dr. Clermont Beaulieu, director, Business Development in Life Sciences, at Univalor to its committee. Proof of principle is a funding tool designed to help Canadian health researchers share their academic fi ndings with the marketplace. The goal is to advance discoveries or inventions to attract new investment, create new businesses, organizations and scientifi c initiatives and ultimately, improve the health of Canadians. The committee on which Beaulieu will sit evaluates grant applications submitted to the program. After studying life sciences with a specialization in neuroscience at leading universities, including Oxford, Mr. Beaulieu began his career at the Université de Montréal as a researcher in the department of pathology and cell biology. He then served as vice president, Research and Development, in a large private company, while also serving as the general manager in a biotechnology spinoff company. He joined Univalor in 2009.
LifeSciences BC is announces the appointment of Paul V. Drohan as its new president and CEO. Drohan has over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, and has recently returned from the United Kingdom where he lived and worked for the past eight years. Most recently, Drohan was with Genzyme (a Sanofi Company) as senior Global vice president, leading the organizations’ strategic, fi nancial and sales and marketing operations performance for the U.K., Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. has named Ian Mortimer as its new chief fi nancial offi cer. Mortimer has over 15 years experience in the biotechnology sector and is currently executive vice president and CFO at Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Prior to his most recent position at Tekmira, he was CFO at Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Mortimer has an MBA from Queen’s University, a B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia and is a Certifi ed Management Accountant. He will join Xenon as CFO full time by November 1, 2013.
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) announces the appointment of Dr. Thierry Mesana, cardiac surgeon and former chief
of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, as its new president and CEO. Dr. Mesana will begin his fi ve-year term on April 1, 2014. Previously, he was a visiting professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, MA. He worked as a full professor of Cardiac Surgery and was the chair of Adult Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Marseille, France. After that, he was appointed chief of Cardiac Surgery at UOHI. Dr. Mesana got his medical degree at the Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France, where he trained in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. He got his PhD in biophysics from the same university after extensive experimental work on artifi cial heart and ventricular assist devices. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. STI CEO Steve Nicolle has been appointed to the BioNova board of directors. The executive of the Halifax-based company joined the local life sciences organization in late August, bringing with him ten years of CEO and board-level experience at New England venture-backed technology companies, in addition to his knowledge and experience in his CEO role at STI since 2010. Prior to joining STI he was CEO of Tatara Systems and Sigma Systems, COO at March Networks, chairman of Searidge Technologies, and president of Nortel’s Service Provider eBusiness Solutions Group.Nicolle is a computer science graduate of the University of Western Ontario and started his career at Bell Northern Research as a software developer.
The Board of Directors of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) announces the appointment of Rick Blickstead as president and CEO, effective October 1, 2013. He joins the CDA after almost 11 years as CEO of the Wellesley Institute, a Toronto-based population health research and policy institute. He has experience working with multiple stakeholders in this role and previously in executive leadership roles with Peoples Jewellers, Wal-Mart, Dylex, Holt Renfrew and RONA. Currently he is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, a Fellow of the Social Innovation Generation at MaRS and has been the operational team leader for Seeing is Believing, an initiative of the Prince’s Trust (UK) and Prince’s Charities Canada. He is also a member of several boards, including the Toronto Central LHIN, Young Presidents/World Presidents Organization, and Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Policy and Advocacy Committee.
b y g ene Shematek feature
Psychological Health & Safety at Work
A new Canadian standard was published by the Canadian Standards Association and the Bureau de normalization du Québec in January 2013.
The standard, Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation1 , was commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to assist organizations to strive towards attaining and maintaining psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. The importance of psychological health and safety at work has been the focus of considerable research, most of which indicates strong parallels between a healthy and safe workplace and increased productivity, improved employee retention, and reductions in absenteeism and associated costs.
In 2008, Health Canada released a report that studied the increasing levels of workplace stress associated with work-life imbalance and what could be done to reduce this source of stress. In this study (available at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewhsemt/pubs/occup-travail/balancingequilibre/index-eng.php), more than 50 per cent of the 31,000 respondents reported high levels of stress and more than one in three suffered burnout. Many laboratory workers would not find this surprising.
While the focus in occupational health and safety in laboratories is most often on biological, chemical and physical hazards of work, psychological hazards are being increasingly recognized as impacting the health, safety and well-being of workers. A variety of situations, events, conditions and personalities contribute to psychological hazards. Workplace stress spills into home life, often creating additional stress. Similarly, stress outside of work can greatly impact our ability to function effectively and efficiently at work.
Assessing and Controlling Psychological Hazards
figure 1
Potential hazard
abuse by members of the public or by co-workers or workplace clients
technostress related to the introduction of new technologies
hazards related to shiftwork and hours of work
Stress related to work-life conflict
control strategies
• Isolating workers from the general, public; • Restricted access to work areas; • “Panic buttons” in reception areas; • “No abuse” policies; • Worker education on recognition and management of potential violent behaviour; • Administrative policies and procedures related to harassment, bullying and violence; • Reporting, investigation and follow-up procedures for incidents to prevent recurrence
• Selection of equipment with user-friendly features; • Provision of sufficient training; • Back-up plans in case of failures; • Change management strategies; • Realistic expectations for the use of communication technology; • Time management strategies; • Provision of support resources “help desk”
• Work environment designed to improve alertness; • Appropriate temperature and lighting levels; • Limit hours of work and overtime; • Shift design; • Quality breaks; • Individual strategies to obtain appropriate sleep through healthy lifestyle choices; • Plan for the safe commute to and from work
• Management policies to support healthy work-life balance; • Work assignments to reduce heavy workloads; • Appropriate staffing; • Alternative working arrangements
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Accreditation Requirements Relating to Workplace Violence
Given the increased risk of violence in healthcare, Accreditation Canada introduced a new Required Organizational Practice on Workplace Violence Prevention in 2010 that incorporates a requirement to consider various types of violence and develop a program to prevent and manage incidents of violence. Major requirements include a violence prevention policy, designated responsibility for the program, employee participation, risk assessment processes, education and training, reporting and investigation of incidents, and data collection and reporting to senior management.
Bullying
While workplace violence perpetrated by patients or clients is often discussed, a more insidious hazard of co-worker abuse is present in many workplaces.
In recent years, workplace bullying has become an important topic in occupational health and safety. Recognizing the serious impacts of workplace bullying on productivity, employee satisfaction, staff turnover and health costs has led to the introduction of legislation in many jurisdictions to address the issue.
According to the CCOHS article “Bullying in the Workplace” , bullying is seen as “acts or verbal comments that could ‘mentally’ hurt or isolate a person in the workplace; …it usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviours that is intended to intimidate, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people.”
Bullying is a very difficult issue to tackle, as the bully often displays different characteristics when communicating with different people. People may find it very difficult to believe that this “reasonable person” they know could be a bully. As a result, the victim of the bully is often seen as the problem. There is sometimes reluctance on the part of the organization to recognize bullying and it tries to approach it as inter-personal conflict that can be resolved with mediation. This complicates the approach to dealing with a bully. Several resources are available to assist workers if they believe they are being bullied.3,4
Technostress
New equipment, new diagnostic techniques, new quality control processes and increased use of clinical information systems are common in laboratories. Peter Brillhart defined technostress as “personal stress generated by reliance on technological devices, a panicky feeling when they fail, and a state of near-constant stimulation or being constantly “plugged in.”5
There are often great expectations
figure 2
examples of bullying behaviours:
• Ispreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true • excluding or isolating someone socially • intimidating a person • undermining or deliberately impeding a person’s work • physically abusing or threatening abuse • removing areas of responsibilities without cause • constantly changing work guidelines • establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail • withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong information • making jokes that are ‘obviously offensive’ by spoken word or e-mail • intruding on a person’s privacy by pestering, spying or stalking • assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavourable to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure) • underwork - creating a feeling of uselessness • yelling or using profanity • criticizing a person persistently or constantly • belittling a person’s opinions • unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment • blocking applications for training, leave or promotion • tampering with a person’s personal belongings or work equipment.
• Plan a workload that is appropriate to the length and timing of the shift. • Avoid scheduling demanding, dangerous, safety-critical or monotonous tasks during the night shift, particularly during the early morning hours when alertness is at its lowest. • Engage workers in the design and planning of shift schedules. • Avoid scheduling workers on permanent night shifts. • Use a forward-rotating schedule for rotating shifts, when possible. • Avoid early morning shift starts before 7AM, if possible. • Limit shifts to a maximum of 12 hours (including overtime) and consider the needs of vulnerable workers. • Limit night shift to 8 hours for work that is demanding, dangerous, safety critical or monotonous. • Avoid split shifts unless absolutely necessary. • Encourage and promote the benefit of regular breaks away from the workstation. • Where possible, allow workers some discretion over the timing of breaks but discourage workers from saving up break time for the end of the workday. • In general, limit consecutive working days to a maximum of 5-7 days. • For long work shifts (>8 hours), for night shifts and for shifts with early morning starts, consider limiting consecutive shifts to 2-3 days. • When switching from day to night shifts (or vice versa), allow workers a minimum of 2 nights’ full sleep. • Build regular free weekends into the shift schedule.
figure 3
good Practice guidelines for Shift work Schedule design6
of increased productivity and efficiency with the introduction of new technology. More tests per hour, better accuracy, improved time management, quicker access to results and health records are all widely advertised benefits of new technology. One often overlooked factor is employee confidence in using the new technology. Enabling a successful introduction of new technologies requires training for workers and enough time for workers to feel competent in their use.
Shiftwork and Work Hours
Long work hours and shiftwork may be stressors for many workers, however, it is not always possible to eliminate them. The guidelines in Figure 3 will assist in reducing the psychological impacts of shift work.
Work-Life Imbalance
We often hear that workers find it difficult to balance the demands of work with those of outside-of-work activities. This work-life imbalance may be very stressful and ultimately impact productivity and employee well-being. An employer should strive to develop policies and programs that support work-life balance. The following is a list of general work-life balance policies and programs to consider: • Flexible time arrangements including alternative work schedules, compressed work week, voluntary reduced hours / part-time work and phased in retirement • Flexible work locations through the use of technology such as telecommuting and satellite offices, where possible • Flexible job design through job re-
design, job sharing • Wellness programs • Flexible benefits including paid and unpaid leaves for maternity, parental care giving, educational and sabbatical leaves • Employer sponsored childcare and eldercare practice and referral services
Managers should strive to be effective at planning the work to be done, make themselves available to answer worker questions, set clear expectations, listen to worker concerns and give recognition for a job well done.
Reacting to Workplace Stressors
stress. These hazards impact not only the individual worker who is reacting to stress, but also co-workers and family members. Examples of the impacts of stress on individuals that can contribute to workplace safety are shown in Figure 4.
Communication and Respect
Communication and respectful relationships between workers and management are key determinants in the psychological well-being of workers. Many workers may be facing a variety of issues outside of work, including fi nancial problems, family problems, and health issues that may seriously impact their ability to focus on work or constructively interact with others. Supervisors, managers and workers should learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress-related behaviours and address them promptly. Workers should be encouraged to communicate concerns to management and work together to control workplace psychological hazards.
Additional resources
1. Accreditation Canada, http:// www.accreditation.ca/en/content.aspx?pageid=66 2. Alberta Human Services, Handbook of Hazards and Controls for
Laboratory Workers, available at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/ documents/OHS-WSA-handbooklaboratory-workers.pdf 3. ASIS International Healthcare
Security Council; Managing Disruptive Behavior and Workplace
Violence in Healthcare; ASIS
International; 2011. available at http://www.g4s.us/~/media/Files/
USA/PDF-Articles/Hospitals%20 and%20Healthcare/Council_
Healthcare_WorkplaceViolence. ashx 4. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety; OSH Answers – Working Alone – General; available at http://www.ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/ workingalone.html 5. Canadian Initiative on Workplace
Violence; http://www.work-
placeviolence.ca/legislation/index.html#top 6. CSA & BNQ, Psychological health and safety in the workplace –
Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation
CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700803/2013; http://shop.csa.ca/ en/canada/occupational-healthand-safety-management/cancsa-z1003-13bnq-9700-8032013/ invt/z10032013 7. Government of Alberta; Best
Practice Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety in the
Healthcare Industry, Volume 5 – Best Practices for the Assessment and Control of Psychological Hazards; 2011; available at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/ documents/bp013-bestpracticesvolume5.pdf 8. Newman, Jennifer and Grigg,
Darryl; Recognize the Signs of a Toxic Workplace; Vancouver
Sun; April 21, 2007; available at http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/archives/story. html?id=f3852087-2632-45b4ba36-399617115c00 9. Ontario Safety Association for
Community & Healthcare (Public
Services Health & Safety Association) , A guide to the development of a Workplace Violence
Prevention Program – Implementing the Program in Your
Organization, Resource Manual, 3rd Edition, 2006 10. Richards, Jon; Management of
Workplace Violence Victims;
Joint Programme on Workplace
Violence in the Health Sector;
International Labour Offi ce (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Public Services International (PSI); available at http://www.who.int/ violence_injury_prevention/violence/interpersonal/en/WVmanagementvictimspaper.pdf 11. U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Health and Safety
Administration; OSHA Fact Sheet – Workplace Violence 2002; available at http://www.osha.
gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/ factsheet-workplace-violence.pdf 12. WorkSafe BC, Preventing Violence in Health Care – Five steps to an effective program; Workers’
Compensation Board of BC; 2005
ISSN 1718-1909; http://www. worksafebc.com/publications/ health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/violhealthcare.pdf 13. WorkSafe Victoria, Prevention and management of aggression in health services, 2009, available at http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/PDF/
Guides/Aggression_in_health_ web.pdf
figure 4
effect of workplace stress on some workers
Substance abuse
feature
References:
1. Standards Council of Canada, CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013, available for download at no charge from
http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/ occupational-health-and-safety-management/cancsa-z100313bnq-9700-8032013/invt/ z10032013 2. Modifi ed from the Handbook of
Hazards and Controls for Laboratory Workers, Alberta Human
Services, accessible at http:// humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/OHS-WSA-handbook-laboratory-workers.pdf 3. Available at http://www.ccohs.ca/ oshanswers/psychosocial/bullying.html 4. Public Services Health & Safety Association; Bullying in the
Workplace: A Handbook for the
Workplace; 2010; ISBN 978-1926937-07-6 5. Brillhart, Pater “Technostress in the Workplace – Managing Stress in the Electronic Workplace”,
The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge,
September 2004. 6. Adapted from Government of the
U.K; Health and Safety Executive;
Managing shift work HSG256; 2006; www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ priced/hsg256.pdf
Suggestions for managing impacts
• Worker education about symptoms; • Investigation and elimination of underlying workplace stressors; • Support services for those impacted; • Benefi t plans and return to work programs that support rehabilitation; • For individuals, communication with personal physicians, development of a support system, and coping skills
• Policies and procedures related to substance abuse; • Worker education about the signs and symptoms of substance abuse; • Provision of counselling services; • Treatment plans To see this story online visit
http://www. laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1703
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Gene Expression Studies
in Live Cells with
RNA Detection Reagents
Detecting RNAs in individual, live cells can help researchers assess gene expression changes that occur in direct response to specifi ed perturbations.
figure 1 Molecular mechanism of SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probe.
These studies allow scientists to discover cells that express particular genes at particular levels in real time, providing valuable insights into the relationships between gene expression networks and cell functions. Despite the benefi ts of working with live cells, however, traditional technologies have limited gene expression studies to lysed or fi xed cell populations.
EMD Millipore’s SmartFlare™ detection probes offer a novel solution, with their ability to detect specifi c mRNAs and miRNAs in live, intact cells. The technology allows for carrier-free cellular endocytosis of the reagent, followed by detection and relative quantitative analysis of RNA levels. The reagent then leaves the cell, meaning the same sample can be used for any additional analyses, such as the assessment of multiple biomarkers or downstream functionalities.
The structure of the SmartFlare™ probe and its mechanism of action are shown in Figure 1. Each probe
consists of a gold nanoparticle conjugated to many copies of the same double-stranded oligonucleotide encoding the target sequence. One strand of the oligonucleotide bears a fl uorophore that is quenched by its proximity to the gold core. When the nanoparticle comes into contact with its target, the target RNA displaces the fl uorophore. The reporter strand, now unquenched, fl uoresces and can be detected using any fl uorescence detection platform.
The many potential uses of this technology include the sorting of cells based on gene expression, allowing even higher levels of enrichment using additional intracellular markers, single cell detection of RNA, and detection of multiple types of biomolecules (such as protein + RNA) in the same sample. The probes can also be used for multiplexed detection of up to two different RNAs (using different fl uorophores), enabling the normalization of gene expression levels to “housekeeping” or “control” genes within individual cells.
In addition, currently used methods for RNA interrogation involve examination of non-native, amplifi ed RNA targets, making it diffi cult to correlate results to in vivo observations. In vivo, most cells reside in heterogeneous tissues, and cell-to-cell variation in gene expression can be subtle yet crucial for tissue function. However, gene expression information that distinguishes one heterogeneous cell population from another with high resolution is not obtainable using conventional methods. In contrast, SmartFlare™ probes can quantitate RNAs in individual cells to provide this higher level of gene expression detail.
SmartFlare™ Protocol
SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probes require no upfront sample preparation, and have no toxic effects on cellular fate and no known nonspecifi c, off-target effects. The following general protocol is used for the probes; however, concentrations of probe, incubation times and detection methods can vary depending on the specifi c cell types and probes used. 1. Culture cells to 60-80%
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figure 2 Probe detection of mRNA levels correlates to RT-PCR data.
mRNA levels of EGFR RNA (A) in HeLa and MCF-7 cells and FGF2 mRNA (B) in HUVEC and HT1376 cells as quantitated using SmartFlare™; both sets of results correlate to their RT-PCR levels. Flow cytometry provides added information at the single cell level as well as how the expression is distributed within the population.
continued from page 10
confluency 2. Add SmartFlare™ probe 3. Incubate overnight (16 hours) 4. Detect via flow cytometry, microscopy, or any other fluorescent detection platform
A typical SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probe exhibits specificity for its target, as evidenced by the increase in fluorescence upon addition of the target sequence compared to a background control containing nontarget sequence.
Confirming Expression Levels with qPCR Results
We treated cells with SmartFlare™ probes and measured subsequent fluorescence with flow cytometry to measure the levels of two mRNA targets, EGFR and FGF2, in cell types that express of each of these targets differently (Figure 2, left). To confirm expression levels, we used reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to quantitate the same RNAs in these cells. Because SmartFlare™ technology allows for downstream analysis following detection and analysis, RT-PCR was performed on the same cells to compare the relative amounts of target RNA in each cell type (Figure 2).
The cells which show lower Ct values indeed correlate to the higher expression by flow cytometry, indicating that the higher level of RNA target present is reflected in the histogram as having a higher mean fluorescence intensity. The histograms revealed additional information on the variation of the expression within each cell population. For example, the HeLa cells (sharp yellow peak) showed much more uniform expression of EGFR than MCF-7 cells (wider orange peak).
Fluorescence microscopy was performed on HeLa and MCF-7 cells following addition of either an EGFR probe or a scrambled sequence. The HeLa cells showed a dramatic increase in fluorescence with the EGFR probe compared to the MCF7 cells. Both cell types showed low levels of fluorescence with scrambled sequence. The results correlate with our flow cytometry and RT PCR data (data not shown).
Distinguishing Cell Types via miRNA Quantitation
miRNAs can be effective biomarkers for disease states because they are powerful regulators of gene expression and frequently determine cell fate. Cell types can often be distinguished comparing relative levels of specific miRNAs. A probe to miR-21 was developed to test the ability of SmartFlare™ technology, in conjunction with flow cytometry, to detect differences in expression between two cell types: HEK-293 cells (expressing low levels of miR-21) and DU-145 cells (expressing high levels of mIR-21). As expected, low expression was seen in the HEK-293 cells (Figure 3, far left section of the his-
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figure 3 Target-specifi c miRNA detection using fl ow cytometry.
Detection of a micro RNA target miR-21 in both HEK-293 cells (typically used as a low expresser of miR-21) and in DU-145 (a prostate cancer cell line known to express high levels of miR-212) using fl ow cytometry. The histogram showing the HEK-293 cell population is shown overlaid with the histogram of the DU-145 cell population, refl ecting two distinct populations of cells based on their gene expression profi le.
togram), while DU-145 cells showed distinctly higher expression (Figure 3, far right of the histogram).
Conclusion
These results demonstrate that the SmartFlare™ reagent is sensitive and specifi c. In addition, it can detect both micro and messenger RNA in the cytosol of living cells and has shown good correlation to qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the probes are platform agnostic, enabling relative quantitation via fl ow cytometry or via microscopy, without amplifi cation.
SmartFlare™ technology is easy to use and robust. Importantly, it allows cells to be reused following analysis and after cell sorting for additional downstream experiments on those same cells. By allowing researchers to study gene expression in real time and determine which genes are up- or down-regulated in stimulated cells, this technology can boost the signifi cance of observed links between genotype and phenotype in heterogeneous cell populations, truly enhancing the value of data obtained for RNA analysis. Biotech industry as a research scientist for over 10 years with a focus on new emerging technologies including gene targeting in mice, molecular analysis of transgenes using GFP variants at the single cell level. His current focus involves working on a novel technology for RNA detection in live cells.
Grace Johnston is a Marketing Manager at Merck Millipore currently overseeing the product development and commercialization of SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probes. With more than 10 years of experience in Life Science, R&D and Marketing, she has commercialized products in fi elds ranging from fi ltration to cell biology. She received her PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Rochester, NY, USA.
To see this story online visit
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September 15-18, 2013 ToronTo, onTario
In Partnership with
Technical Program Plenary SPeakerS ShorT courSeS exhibiTion awardS
feature
by the StandardS council of canada
Assessors play vital role
in ensuring quality laboratory results
A growing number of government regulations. Encouragement by industry peers and customers. A fi ercely competitive global trade arena. These are a few of the reasons behind Canadian testing laboratories’ increasing efforts to comply with international standards.
Assessors greatly contribute to the ongoing implementation of the Standards Council of Canada’s (SCC’s) Laboratory Accreditation Program. SCC accredits conformity assessment bodies, such as testing laboratories, to internationally recognized standards.
“Having an accredited laboratory increases the assurance of the public and other regulatory authorities – including regulatory authorities of other countries – that the test results are reliable, competent and valuable,” says Chantal Guay, SCC’s vice-president, Accreditation Services.
“In addition to the benefi ts SCC brings to Canadians’ health and safety, SCC is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC),” she says. “Both IAF and ILAC promote the mutual recognition of accreditations and certifi cations worldwide.”
Two key international standards
Two key international standards that have a direct impact on citizens’ health and safety, and that testing laboratories comply with, are ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories and ISO 15189 Medical laboratories — Particular requirements for quality and competence.
ISO/IEC 17025 provides a globally accepted basis for laboratory accreditation. The implementation of this international standard demonstrates an organization’s competence to perform specifi c, vital testing methods and to meet the general requirements for the quality system of a testing laboratory. The implementation of ISO 15189 provides greater accuracy of test results generated by clinical and medical testing laboratories.
“Accredited organizations, including laboratories, are distinguished from those that are not,” says Guay. “More and more, both public- and private-sector laboratories around the world are requesting that their suppliers have gone through accredited testing, inspection or certifi cation, in order for them to do business together.”
Yvon-Louis Trottier has been the Regional Microbiology Laboratory supervisor for Health Canada’s Regional Food Laboratory (based in Longueuil, Quebec), and has worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for a combined total of some 20 years.
The vital role of assessors
In carrying out conformity assessment activities to determine that a process, product or service meets relevant technical standards and fulfi lls relevant requirements, SCC recognizes the important ways in which assessors assist the organization’s work.
Yvon-Louis Trottier exemplifi es the important role that assessors play. Trottier has been the Regional Microbiology Laboratory supervisor for Health Canada’s Regional Food Laboratory (based in Longueuil, Québec, near Montréal), and has worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for a combined total of some 20 years. The team he has managed inspects laboratories testing food safety and natural health products. As well, the team assesses inspectorate programs for drugs and medications and supports the water testing program for Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.
In describing the nature of the team’s work, Trottier says, “We look at (a laboratory’s) analytical methods, at the measure of uncertainty of (its test) results, at the management of (an organization’s) whole testing program and at the confi dence level of the results delivered to the client. We (also) look at how closely the lab is conforming to a standard.”
Trottier maintains that the confi dence level of laboratory test results is very important. “For instance, a false positive (test result) could end up in recalls of massive amounts of food, which would be detrimental for commerce,” he says. “Canada is recognized as a leader in terms of ensuring a high level of confi dence in (its laboratory test) results, to ensure food safety for all Canadians, and also for imported products, to be sure that we’re protected from any kinds of disease or fraud.”
Having more than 30 years of experience in the fi eld, Trottier recently retired. He says he is extremely proud of the work he and his team have carried out and has enjoyed sharing knowledge and experience with other lead assessors. “Every time you do a technical assessment, it’s a new world, new people, new fi elds. It’s constantly changing. It’s a new adventure every time.”
Learn more at World Standards Day 2013
SCC invites you to join us, and the international community, in celebrating our World Standards Day (WSD) 2013 event in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 16. SCC’s presentations and panel discussion will underscore how conforming to international standards ensures quality laboratory results. As well, SCC will screen its new video entitled Assessors Wanted. The video highlights the vital role Canadian assessors play in ensuring organizations’ adherence to international standards. To learn more about opportunities for becoming an assessor, please visit www.scc. ca/assessors.
This article is reprinted with permission from SCC’s website feature article (August 2013).
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