8. Coronavirus, Vaccines, and High Containment Labs

05/11/20 • 31 min

Lab Rat Chat - Episode 08 with Dr. Ricardo Carrion, Jr., Professor at Texas Biomedical Research Institute
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In this eighth episode of Lab Rat Chat, Dr. Ricardo Carrion, Jr., from Texas Biomedical Research Institute, talks to us about the research they are doing down at their institute in San Antonio, TX to help combat COVID-19.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Dr. Carrion’s journey through his education and career leading to his current position at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
The details behind various high containment laboratories that allow scientists to work safely with deadly pathogens.
The use of various animal models to help understand and study SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus behind the COVID-19 disease.

Notable quotes:

"Individuals are actually suited into a space-suit type uniform, it's a single, continuous jump-suit, if you will, that has a zipper...they are tethered to a breathing air-supply line, and they work in the BSL-4 laboratory in that suit."
“The level of collaborations seen in this outbreak, this pandemic, is greater than any other type of collaboration that I’ve seen in the 20 years that I’ve been doing science.”

“If you look at vaccine development, if you look at Ebola for instance, as an example, it was about 7-10 years to license that vaccine. So that in one year, we’re talking about possibly having an FDA licensed vaccine for COVID-19, it’s pretty remarkable”

Resources & Links:

Texas Biomedical Research Institute (www.txbiomed.org)
Americans for Medical Progress (https://www.amprogress.org/)
AMP's COVID-19 Resources (https://www.amprogress.org/covid-19-resources/)
PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (https://olaw.nih.gov/policies-laws/phs-policy.htm)
Animal Welfare Act (https://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/animal-welfare-act)

All Lab Rat Chat episodes are edited by Audionauts: https://audionauts.pro/

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Topics discussed in this episode:

Dr. Carrion’s journey through his education and career leading to his current position at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
The details behind various high containment laboratories that allow scientists to work safely with deadly pathogens.
The use of various animal models to help understand and study SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus behind the COVID-19 disease.

Notable quotes:

Resources & Links:

Texas Biomedical Research Institute (www.txbiomed.org)
Americans for Medical Progress (https://www.amprogress.org/)
AMP's COVID-19 Resources (https://www.amprogress.org/covid-19-resources/)
PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (https://olaw.nih.gov/policies-laws/phs-policy.htm)
Animal Welfare Act (https://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/animal-welfare-act)

All Lab Rat Chat episodes are edited by Audionauts: https://audionauts.pro/

Support the show

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7. Combating COVID-19

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Lab Rat Chat - Episode 07 with Dr. Mark Slifka, Professor at Oregon Health and Science University
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In this seventh episode of Lab Rat Chat, Dr. Mark Slifka from Oregon Health and Science University talks to us about his research involving developing antibody tests for detecting COVID-19.
Check out the video version of this episode on YouTube (link below)! Be sure to comment and let us know if you want to see more of this in the future! And yes, I'm recording from my basement, which is one of the only, actually, it is the only, somewhat quiet place in my house.
Video version of the episode - https://youtu.be/ArmVEja-AD0
Topics discussed in this episode:

Dr. Slifka’s journey through his education and career leading to his current position at Oregon Health and Science University.
Serological (antibody) tests for COVID-19 detection in people.
Why developing these serological tests to be highly accurate is so important to help our country, and our entire world, move past this COVID-19 pandemic.
The general role of animals in vaccine development.
Potential treatment options for those suffering from COVID-19.

Notable quotes:

“We were the first study to demonstrate that immunity can be maintained for up to 75 years after a single vaccination against smallpox.”

“A virus like measles is very very contagious, far more contagious than COVID-19, far more contagious than flu”

“If we got herd immunity in the range of 50-60%, then there’s a good chance that the herd immunity itself would reduce that reproductive number to less than one and the virus would burn itself out”

Resources & Links:

Americans for Medical Progress (https://www.amprogress.org/)
AMP's COVID-19 Resources (https://www.amprogress.org/covid-19-resources/)
PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (https://olaw.nih.gov/policies-laws/phs-policy.htm)
Animal Welfare Act (https://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/animal-welfare-act)

All Lab Rat Chat episodes are edited by Audionauts: https://audionauts.pro/

Support the show

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9. Animal Research in the European Union

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Lab Rat Chat - Episode 09 with Dr. Javier Guillen from the European Animal Research Association
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In this ninth episode of Lab Rat Chat, Dr. Javier Guillen from the European Animal Research Association joins us all the way from Spain to chat about the similarities and differences in animal research regulations and laws in the European Union compared with those in the United States.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Dr. Guillen's extensive background and experiences throughout his education and career.
The mission and vision of the European Animal Research Association.
Similarities and differences between United States and EU animal research regulations.
The development of Transparency Agreements and how they may be contributing to increasing public trust.

Notable quotes:

“In these current times of COVID-19, EARA has put together an interactive map to display the biomedical research currently underway across the world to find a cure for coronavirus.”

“Many people don’t really know when, why, and how animals are used. When you explain to someone all the regulations and ethical oversight, they are really surprised.”

Resources & Links: