Innovation Anthology #752:

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The people most likely to die from hospital acquired infections are those who are already sick or immuno compromised.

Using metabolomics to better understand the infectious microbes, Dr. Ian Lewis has made a startling discovery.

He worked with cystic fibrosis patients and found a genetic quirk with the microbes called metabolic dependency or oxytrophy.  

Dr. Ian Lewis holds the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Translational Health Chair in Metabolomics at the University of Calgary.

DR IAN LEWIS:  We think that genetic problems in microbes might actually be beneficial  in microbiology these are known as oxotrophies.  And this is a metabolic dependency.  These are defects.  If these microbes were to grow in a condition other than in your lungs, they would die as they are dependent on these external supplies of nutrients.  So we actually have a good thermodynamic explanation for that.  We believe its directly related to biosynthetic cause.  And we believe, we can predict all of the mutations that could potentially contribute to selection.  

Dr Lewis’s research will use thermodynamics to predict metabolic changes that help infectious microbes thrive,  thereby improving diagnosis and treatment.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2016-01-26