This evening I'm at Science on Tap which is a monthly event held at Ravenna's Third Place Pub and lower Queen Anne's T.S. McHughes Pub.
What is SCIENCE ON TAP?
Science on Tap is a forum for local scientists to discuss current scientific issues and research. It is based on a Cafe Scientifique program.
What to expect: meetings usually last about one to two hours. Speakers give short talks about their area of interest and discussion follows.
Tonight's discussion. Using zebrafish to cure human hearing loss.
Facts: 3 out of 1000 non-risk babies have some sort of hearing issues but children who are classified as neonatal intensive care babies their incidences increase to 5 in a 100.
Causes of hearing loss include genetics, loud noises (from gun shots/fire crackers/snow mobiles), age, infection and even side affects of medication (like neomycin & CISplatin- a cancer medication).
How much noise is too much noise??
85 decibals (rush hour traffic noise) for eight or less hours a day.
So why zebrafish? These small fish share special ear hair cell characteristics with humans, and scientists have found they are able to regrow these cells using a specific gene therapy. These external hearing hairs in zebrafish, when damaged or destroyed by applying research medications are able to be regenerated. UW scientists who are working with this gene therapy processes are working to apply these findings in humans.
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Find Science on Tap near you @
Ravenna Third Place Pub on the last Monday of the month
T.S. McHugh's Pub on Lower Queen Anne-
the first Tuesday of the month
Next Science on Tap event:
Ravenna Third Place Pub,
August 31st 2009, 7pm
Who: Fran Solomon- Adjunct Professor @ the University of British Columbia and at The Evergreen State College Tacoma speaks on
"Toxic Chemicals and Hormone Disruption: Reproductive Health Effects in Fish, Frogs, and People"
