What is an analytical development scientist? (That’s me!) The development of a particular class or type of drug can span long periods of time and consist of collaborations amongst hundreds if not thousands of people. During this entire process it is critical to have lab-based assays (methods/protocols/tests) that can characterize the drug product in it’sContinue reading “Analytical Development”
Author Archives: annickae
COVID-19 Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer was just FDA approved for the detection of organic compounds associated with an active SARS-CoV-2 infection! This is not only a fun new diagnostic method but also provides a test with very non-invasive sample collection. The breathalyzer was created by InspectIR using a portable (suitcase size) GC-MS technology. What is GC-MS? In aContinue reading “COVID-19 Breathalyzer”
Confounding Variables
Have you heard of a confounding variable? Let’s go over it! When you are looking at the relationship between two things there is an independent variable and a dependent variable. Independent: the variable you are adjusting or controlling in the study. This variable presumably has an effect on the dependent variable and you want toContinue reading “Confounding Variables”
Development Milestone Updates
Understanding how to measure your child against the development milestones is critical to them working properly! You might be a parent who didn’t realize the original checklists were based on 50% data (meaning only half of children at that age should meet the development goal). You might be a parent who did know this butContinue reading “Development Milestone Updates”
“I heard it’s not that deadly!”
From a global perspective Omicron has been objectively very deadly. 🗣The message of Omicron being “less deadly” is speaking entirely on an individual level (and entirely relative). While it’s very fortunate that we aren’t dealing with a virus with a higher mortality rate, it is also important to acknowledge that the absolute burden of theContinue reading ““I heard it’s not that deadly!””
Let’s Talk HPV Vaccine!
To kick off #hpvpreventionweek 2022 I wanted to put together a more comprehensive post going over the reasons why the HPV vaccine is recommended so broadly for teenagers and young adults. Unfortunately, despite the really clear reduction in infection and subsequent reduction in risk of cancer, the rate at which parents are saying no to their childrenContinue reading “Let’s Talk HPV Vaccine!”
Viral Evolution and the Trap of Mildness
A look at viral evolution shows us why a more “mild” virus is an evolutionary trap. Viruses evolve faster than any other organism on earth and knowing why and how helps us better prepare for current and future outbreaks. I have been wanting to tackle this concept of “mildness” and Omicron for quite some timeContinue reading “Viral Evolution and the Trap of Mildness”
Inner Workings of a PCR Test
The inner workings of a PCR test! Now that we’ve walked through the science of an antigen test, let’s do the same with a PCR test. This one doesn’t have a visual readout that you can see with your own eyes so it’s a bit more abstract – let’s dive in! PCR stands for polymeraseContinue reading “Inner Workings of a PCR Test”
Got symptoms? Stay home!
Got symptoms? Stay home! Can we normalize staying home if we have symptoms of an infectious disease? For work, for school, for church, for parties, for trips to the store, etc.. With all the talk of testing and the recent updates to the CDC isolation and quarantine guidelines, I think it is important to highlightContinue reading “Got symptoms? Stay home!”
The Inner Workings of an Antigen Test
The inner workings of an antigen test! I can almost guarantee every one of you have taken an antigen test recently or plan to in the very near future (this weekend perhaps??). I figured I’d take a second to explain how they work! What are those two pink lines (or hopefully only one!)? How doesContinue reading “The Inner Workings of an Antigen Test”