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What are Smart Pills?
Jagjeet Hara — McMaster Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization 2023 According to Statistics Canada, gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year in Canada across all ages (3). GI diseases are predicted to increase over the next ten years and can impact human health on a global level. Common causes of digestive issues…
Exploring the Potential of RNA Editing with CRISPR-Cas13 in Treating Genetic Diseases
Farbod Azaripour Masooleh—McMaster Life Sciences 2025 Gene Editing has been a frequently discussed topic with its increasing importance, as new technologies continue to improve it. CRISPR is one such gene editing technique that has revolutionized the field by making it more precise and easier. This has made scientists hopeful about the possibility of correcting disease-causing…
The Future of Designer Babies and Genomic Editing
Kahono Hirasawa—McMaster Health Sciences 2026 You may have come across the term designer babies in recent years as the topic has started to rise in popularity. Although they may sound like babies who cruise around town in their Gucci baby stroller, snuggled up in their Louis Vuitton onesie, the reality is much more fascinating. Unfortunately, however, many…
The Applications of Quenchbody: A Novel Fluorescent Immunosensor
Laura Weiler—Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences 2026 Today’s society centers itself around immediacy and efficiency, and these values are also reflected in the world of medical research. Current diagnostic tools are continuously improving thanks to advancements in data manipulation, computer models, and assays.1 Among these advancements are Quenchbodies: fluorescent immunosensors that show promise as…
Genetically Engineered B Cells and Their Implications on Disease Treatment
Zachary Kazaz—McMaster Integrated Science Program, Specialization in Biology 2025 Recent advancements in genome editing have facilitated major developments in both existing and new gene therapies (Hirakawa et al., 2020). The culmination of these findings became most evident on July 5th 2018, when Dr. Carl June and Professor Michel Sadelain published a seminal review article in…
Polio Resurgence: Uncovering the Reasons Behind the Recent Global Outbreaks
Adan Amer—McMaster Arts & Science 2021 Despite the tremendous medical and technological advancements achieved in modern human history, only one disease has been officially eradicated from the world – smallpox (1). Nevertheless, another life-threatening disease came painstakingly close to being eliminated. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disease caused by the wildtype poliovirus (colloquially referred to…
The Implications of Pfizer’s New Antiviral COVID-19 Pill, Paxlovid
Donna Mahboubi—McMaster Health Sciences 2026 Chances are you’ve heard mentions of a COVID-19 pill, but you may be wondering, “What actually is it?” There are many emerging treatments for COVID-19 meant for people who are already infected with the virus, including treatments taken orally. These treatments differ from vaccinations because they actively treat the virus…
Revolutionizing Cancer Detection: The Potential of Blood Tests
Jessie Xu—McMaster Life Sciences 2025 Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths1. Cancer results from the uncontrollable division of abnormal cells. The most common cancer are breast, lung, colon and rectum, and prostate cancer1. While the survival rate varies depending…
Listening to the Environment: The Emerging Field of Bioacoustics
Daniel Constantinescu—McMaster Health Sciences 2026 The field of bioacoustics is uncovering amazing new ways to study the natural world. It involves investigating the production, transmission, and reception of animal sounds (1). Bioacoustics can be used to assess habitat health, species diversity, wildlife behaviour, and more (2). Audio has the incredible capability of recording species in…
Revolutionizing Cancer Care: The Power of Artificial Intelligence
Karina Bhargava—McMaster Kinesiology 2026 Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue as well as spread throughout your body.1 It is the second leading cause of death in the world.1 Cancer…
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