Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases
HRIC 3280 Hospital Drive NW T2N 4N1 Calgary, AB, Canada

University and Snyder scientists and clinicians will soon have access to a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab to further their research into vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The highly specialized facility will allow researchers to study the complete life cycle of the virus, starting at the point of infection, and ultimately translate research innovation into commercialization opportunities. With a level 3 facility we can conduct our own virus s...tudies, rather than having to outsource this critical step, says Dr. Paul Kubes, PhD, professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and lead for the Infections, Inflammation and Chronic Diseases in the Changing Environment (IICD) research strategy at UCalgary. It’s far more efficient and effective to do the entire process here at the University of Calgary. https://cumming.ucalgary.ca//ucalgary-facility-further-res

A group at the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the Cumming School of Medicine is the first in the world to find a way to record, in real-time, how the immune system battles bacteria impacting the alveoli, or air sacs, in the lungs of mice. The discovery, published in Cell, has already provided new insights about the immune systems’ cleaners, called alveolar macrophages, once thought to be stationary. The scientists observed the macrophages at work, crawling over, between and around the alveolar spaces in search of bacteria and viruses. https://www.ucalgary.ca//ucalgary-researchers-discover-how

Want to learn more about COVID-19? Join us in a 4-part live webinar series where our experts will answer your questions about the evolving changes and newest research around the COVID-19 virus. We will cover topics like: What will our normal look like now that restrictions are lifting, why are children less likely to be affected by COVID-19, and is it essential to wear a mask in public? We will also be hosting a panel of experts who will answer all your questions and conce...rns around COVID-19. Register now for the first session on July 14 at 12:00pm. https://ucalgary.zoom.us//regist/WN_R7TVte6wQ7G0Bh6wxSbnow

Many fundamental scientific questions about the relationships between microbiomes and their hosts are unanswered. We know that bacteria in the microbiome are critical but there is little known about the role of fungi. Fungi have prominent roles in soil, marine, plant, and even food microbiomes. But what about the gut? Do gut fungi directly impact the microbiome, gut physiology and human immunity? A recent study by Dr. Marie Claire Arrieta, PhD, assistant professor University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine shows that fungi have a larger role in the development of the gut microbiome than we realized.

Join us as we talk to two infectious disease experts about why the #COVID19 peak may take longer than projected, why the infection rate is still growing, and what a new normal might look like. Register: http://ow.ly/QP7S50zwzUo #UCalgaryTogether

"The good news during this pandemic is that the decisions made early in Alberta are helping to flatten the curve - we can see this in the long term predictions" says Snyder's Dr. Craig Jenne, PhD, researcher in the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine.