May Monthly Meeting: Laura Schnell
Mon, May 19
|RSM - Auditorium
Join us for our May Monthly meeting with guest speaker Laura Schnell, from the Institute for Microbial Systems and Society (University of Regina). She will be presenting her research on "Predicting toxin production by algae in agricultural reservoirs (dugouts)".
Time & Location
May 19, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. CST
RSM - Auditorium, 2445 Albert St, Regina, SK S4P 4W7, Canada
About the Event
Microcystin is a liver toxin produced by several species of blue-green algae commonly found in Saskatchewan. Current tests to detect and monitor microcystin directly measure levels of the protein toxin, which is a poor predictor of risk to animals. This is because toxins are unstable, test results take a few days (especially if a service lab needs to ship samples to a third party), and results do not estimate the capacity of microorganisms to produce more toxin after sampling. We are working to validate and deploy a genetics-based microcystin diagnostic assay that targets the genes responsible for toxin production. A genetics-based test will be versatile, inexpensive, and have the predictive potential to estimate toxin risk before water is dangerous to drink. Such a genetic-based system can be readily expanded to test for additional cyanobacterial toxins of concern and adapted for in-field use.
This will be an in person event.