Dr. Joe Harrison discusses his research into biofilms.
University of Calgary
Feb. 8, 2024
Video: Snyder member Dr. Joe Harrison discusses new approaches in chronic infectious disease treatments
Dr. Harrison's discovery of heat-sensing enzymes and biofilm susceptibility to toxic metals are examples of applications that arise from fundamental research that many never thought possible.
Biofilms are communities of bacteria that stick together and cause a wide range of problems, including battling antimicrobial resistance in human health, an issue that Canadians contend with every year to the tune of $1.3 million. In the oil and gas industry, biofilms can be destructive to metal infrastructure, causing millions in damages each year.
Recently inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Dr. Joe Harrison, PhD, says, "There are many applications that can come from fundamental research in ways we never dreamed possible: enzymes that can be used for human genome editing, or new biotechnologies that might be used for environmental cleanup."
So where you are seeing something stinky, smelly and weird, Dr. Joe is seeing a world of possibility that can make our lives better. For him, this sort of scientific discovery is "really beautiful". Watch the video.