I am excited – for many reasons.  Three months ago, I joined the team at Innovotech, an incredibly hard-working group of (mostly) scientists, plugging away at creating products and solutions to manage the issues caused by biofilms (American Scientist 2005, Infection Research 2008) - a topic of discussion for another day, when I am running low on things to talk about!  It is great to be a part of something you believe can make a difference in the world.  I am also pretty hyped about my first blog post, which hopefully you are currently perusing as we speak.  While I am somewhat new to the art of blogging, I have been using my writing and communication skills in earnest for the last ten years or so in other areas of corporate communications.  My focus and passion has always been in the life sciences industry, working with companies whose technologies are designed to improve the lives of individuals with diseases that, more often than not, can have serious implications on these individual`s lives.... Continue Reading

When people get a bacterial infection or illness they assume a simple trip to the doctors and a prescription for antibiotics will cure them.  However, in the past, antibiotics have been misused and overused, and have lead to bacteria becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics that once worked and no longer do.   Poor use of antibiotics is often seen in farming practice, where perfectly healthy animals are given antibiotics.  These animals are often living in filthy conditions where bacteria are prevalent.  The use of antibiotics in this way is a catalyst for resistance to them in bacteria.  This happens because, in a bacterial community, there will be a couple of bacteria that are already resistant to the antibiotic to some degree, just by random mutations in their DNA.  If there is not enough antibiotic given, which is often the case in these farming situations, the bacteria that are naturally resistant become the ones that are able to multiply, and soon you have an entire community of antibiotic  resistant bacteria. ... Continue Reading

Our blog posts will be put on hold until the New Year.  Happy Holidays from everyone at Innovotech!... Continue Reading

In order to meet ongoing international demand for bioFILM PA™ tests, Innovotech has established a testing service here in Edmonton.  Recently, Innovotech sold a test through this service to a patient in Texas, which proved how easy it is to get samples long distances to a central laboratory.  The time to diagnosis was not any longer than it would take for a sample to be tested from a patient in Alberta. This test is also Innovotech’s first sale of bioFILM PA™ tests in the United States.  Additionally, bioFILM PA™ was used to help diagnose a treatment plan for a post-operative infection from orthopedic surgery, which shows that bioFILM PA™ can be used effectively in Pseudomonas infections other than lung infections.... Continue Reading

Innovotech is deeply interested in increasing the quality of life for people living with Cystic Fibrosis by providing tools to doctors.  Recently, Innovotech entertained members of the Edmonton CF Chapter at our facility and listened to their stories about what difference a change in their treatment could make to their quality of life.  One conversation lead to an interesting statement that it means “being normal” for one child, and playing with friends instead of staying inside and inhaling antibiotics.  Although the treatment was working for this patient, they desired another form of treatment so that they could have a better quality of life.  This shows that living with a chronic condition is about more than dealing with that condition, and what that means for each person is different.   Quality of life means different things to different people.  What does quality of life mean to you?  How can we help you achieve that quality you are looking for?  We’d love to hear your comments on this issue.  Have a great weekend everyone... Continue Reading

With the flu season here and in full swing, it is important to protect yourself in every way possible to ensure you stay healthy this winter.  Check out this website for some helpful dos and don’ts.... Continue Reading

When using bioFILM PA, the biofilm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa is grown on polystyrene pegs (this is an up close look at what the biofilm would look like!)... Continue Reading

When Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes an infection in the lungs of CF patients it is in the biofilm state.  Below shows the lifecycle of how the bacteria goes from its planktonic state to its biofilm state.... Continue Reading

Since this blog was started a few months ago, we have come across some very touching, interesting stories about people with CF.  One story that we posted on November 16 called 65_redroses, was that of a girl in B.C, Canada named Eva that is on a lung transplant list.  Another website worth checking out is Confessions of a CF husband which follows a couple as they struggle to start a family and the journey that follows. There are many Youtube videos out there, but one that we particularly enjoyed  was this story about a young girl and how she deals with CF.... Continue Reading