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Scientists PREPARE for quick response to new diseases

You’ve heard of rapid transit – how about rapid science?

Scientists from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and the B.C. Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre are working to develop means of applying genomic technologies to the study of infectious diseases. In doing so, these researchers are able to better understand existing diseases, and have the skills necessary to develop treatments for new diseases quickly.

“As more economic markets open up, new pathways for pathogens are created,” says Robert Brunham of the centre for disease control. “We need to have a response to this problem – a rapid-response science.”

Brunham, with Brett Finlay and Neil Reiner, have led the Proteomics for Emerging Pathogen Response project, better known as PREPARE, to apply advanced technologies to study four well-known disease pathogens.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of staph infections. Salmonella enterica and enterheorrhagic E. coli are spread through undercooked foods. Chlamydia trachomatis can damage a woman’s reproductive organs beyond repair.

These scientists’ discoveries about these pathogens have significant implications for disease control globally.

For more information, please visit http://www.prepare.med.ubc.ca/.

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