Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Given the option, would you rather get vaccinated by taking a shot in the arm or eating a bowl of vegetables?
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are currently studying whether they can turn edible plants, such as lettuce and spinach, into mRNA vaccines people can grow themselves.
The research project has three goals: to show that DNA containing mRNA vaccines can be successfully integrated into plant cells; to demonstrate that plants can replicate enough mRNA to rival current injection methods; and to determine the correct dosage.
"Ideally, a single plant would produce enough mRNA to vaccinate a single person," Juan Pablo Giraldo, lead researcher and associate professor in UCR's Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, said in a news release.
"We are testing this approach with spinach and lettuce and have long-term goals of people growing it in their own gardens," he added. "Farmers could also eventually grow entire fields of it."
The key to introducing mRNA vaccines into plants are chloroplasts, according to Giraldo, which are the small organs in plant cells that are responsible for photosynthesis.
"They're tiny, solar-powered factories that produce sugar and other molecules which allow the plant to grow," Giraldo said. "They're also an untapped source for making desirable molecules."
Previous lab work by Giraldo has shown that chloroplasts can express genes that aren't naturally part of the plant. This was achieved by sending foreign genetic material inside a protective casing into plant cells.
Similar research into an edible COVID-19 vaccine is also being conducted close to home.
A team of scientists led by Allyson MacLean, an assistant professor in the University of Ottawa's Department of Biology, have been working on an alternative means of immunization against the virus for more than a year now.
Their method involves the expression of viral antigens in edible plants, including lettuce and spinach, which people would then eat. Testing of the vaccine has already begun as part of a partnership with The Ottawa Hospital.
The mRNA technology used in some conventional COVID-19 vaccines works by using mRNA to provide human cells with genetic instructions for making antibodies against specific diseases. One of the challenges of mRNA vaccines, however, is they must be kept at cold temperatures to maintain stability during transport and storage.
If the UCR research project is successful, not only could it make edible mRNA vaccines possible, but also create an mRNA vaccine able to be stored at room temperature.
"I'm very excited about all of this research," Giraldo said. "I think it could have a huge impact on peoples' lives."
The research project is being backed by a US$500,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.