Canadian Space Agency / en Why do astronauts get cavities? 老司机直播 students drill into the data /news/why-do-astronauts-get-cavities-u-t-student-researchers-drill-data <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Why do astronauts get cavities? 老司机直播 students drill into the data</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/STS051-10-025_crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tr0kYoSY 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/STS051-10-025_crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=EckDEk1O 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/STS051-10-025_crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=syYR9uaA 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/STS051-10-025_crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tr0kYoSY" alt="Astronauts brushing their teeth on the Space Shuttle Discovery"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-12-13T17:24:23-05:00" title="Friday, December 13, 2019 - 17:24" class="datetime">Fri, 12/13/2019 - 17:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Astronauts Daniel Bursch and Frank Culbertson brush their teeth in orbit (photo by JSC/NASA)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/blake-eligh" hreflang="en">Blake Eligh</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/aerospace" hreflang="en">Aerospace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">老司机直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canadian-space-agency" hreflang="en">Canadian Space Agency</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemical-engineering" hreflang="en">Chemical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-and-innovation" hreflang="en">Research and Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/space" hreflang="en">Space</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">老司机直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Curiosity and a passion for research is taking four University of Toronto students to the final frontiers of health and space. The student research team recently&nbsp;presented a paper at an international conference of space experts&nbsp;鈥 the first step in a process that could inform future research into the dental woes of space travellers&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rachel Stubits</strong>, a third-year molecular biology student at 老司机直播 Mississauga, is lead author on the project, which seeks to understand why astronauts suffer more dental problems than their earthbound peers.&nbsp;</p> <p>She got the idea for the project&nbsp;in 2018&nbsp;when she stumbled upon a fact&nbsp;that piqued her curiosity.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淒ental caries 鈥 also known as tooth decay or cavities 鈥 are the single-most non-communicable disease in the world,鈥 says Stubits. 鈥淢ore than 97 per cent of people on Earth will experience it at some point in their lifetimes.鈥</p> <p>While prevention and treatment protocols on Earth are well-documented, Stubits wanted to know more about those who didn鈥檛 have ready access to treatment.</p> <p>鈥淚 wondered about people who are really far removed from our health-care system,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 get much farther away than space.鈥</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/rachel-stubits_0.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Rachel Stubits and her co-researchers 鈥 two current 老司机直播 students and one alumna&nbsp;鈥 presented their work at the&nbsp;70th International Astronautical Congress&nbsp;in Washington, D.C. (photo by Saumya Mathur)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>Tooth decay occurs when sugar-loving bacteria produce acidic by-products that can erode tooth enamel and, if untreated, lead to painful infections. The issue is particularly problematic for astronauts, with some studies suggesting that prolonged exposure to microgravity may increase the prevalence of dental caries.&nbsp;</p> <p>Space agencies currently manage dental health with pre-flight assessment and prevention measures and post-flight treatments, but dental abscesses are the main medical reason behind medical evacuation from spacecraft because it鈥檚 difficult to treat in space.</p> <p>The statistics behind current research warrant further investigation. 鈥淭here are so many differences between humans on Earth and humans in space that could be contributing to the incidence rate of dental caries,鈥 she says, noting that variables such as air quality, diet, hygiene&nbsp;or even gravity itself may contribute to the development of dental caries.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to pinpoint because of the small sample size and the number of variables.鈥</p> <p>In October 2018, Stubits joined 老司机直播鈥檚 Aerospace Team to develop a protocol for a review of literature about the issue. Her co-authors include fellow 老司机直播 Mississauga&nbsp;molecular biology student&nbsp;<strong>Anisha Hundal</strong>,&nbsp;chemical engineering undergraduate student&nbsp;<strong>Claire Velikonja&nbsp;</strong>and alumna&nbsp;<strong>Wendy Yao</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>whose expertise includes global health and immunology. Their project lays the groundwork for a more detailed literature review that could inform future research into dental health in space.&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3bCoGC532p8" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>The team completed the protocol project in the summer of 2019 and, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency, Yao travelled to Washington, D.C. in October to present the team鈥檚 work at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iac2019.org/">70th International Astronautical Congress</a>. The event draws an international and multidisciplinary group of agencies, companies, associations and institutes to advance knowledge and foster global cooperation in the development of space assets.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to have the Canadian Space Agency take a chance on students,鈥 Stubits says.</p> <p>The group鈥檚 work is an important first step in the process of solving the problem of cavities in space.</p> <p>鈥淒ental caries will become a bigger problem as the duration of space missions become longer and people are travelling in space for months or even years,鈥 Stubits says. 鈥淲e hope to solidify our understanding of the incidence rate, what is potentially causing it&nbsp;and the possibility of microgravity being the culprit.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>In early 2020, the team will begin work on a scoping review to discover potential patterns within the existing research. 鈥淭here may be a difference in the ability of&nbsp;<em>Streptococcus&nbsp;</em>bacteria to succeed in causing dental caries in space without gravity,鈥 Stubits says. 鈥淲e would love to see this review help researchers in this field&nbsp;鈥 especially those who study simulated microgravity on Earth&nbsp;鈥 to decide what to focus their efforts on.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 think working on a literature review is one of the most successful research formats for undergraduate students with a bit of extra time on their hands.This is all about collaboration, and it鈥檚 something that I love about research.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 13 Dec 2019 22:24:23 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 161273 at 老司机直播 alumni make shortlist to become Canada鈥檚 next astronauts /news/u-t-alumni-make-shortlist-become-canada-s-next-astronauts <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播 alumni make shortlist to become Canada鈥檚 next astronauts</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=JQHuQalF 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=d7gaSTcR 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=0GgsO5F- 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Aaron%20Persad_0.jpg?h=0808bdec&amp;itok=JQHuQalF" alt="photo of Aaron Persad"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-02T13:18:53-05:00" title="Thursday, February 2, 2017 - 13:18" class="datetime">Thu, 02/02/2017 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Aaron Persad shows off a small sample of water he took on a microgravity simulation test flight in November 2016. Persad is one of 70 candidates the Canadian Space Agency is considering to become Canada鈥檚 next astronaut (photo courtesy Aaron Persad)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Tyler Irving</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/space" hreflang="en">Space</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/astronaut" hreflang="en">Astronaut</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canadian-space-agency" hreflang="en">Canadian Space Agency</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Five on the list are 老司机直播 engineering alumni; others include a marine geophysicist, a Canadian Armed Forces official and severe weather researcher with Environment and Climate Change Canada </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Aaron Persad</strong> is one of 11&nbsp;老司机直播 alumni named to the Canadian Space Agency鈥檚 shortlist of candidates to become Canada鈥檚 next two astronauts.</p> <p>鈥淚 felt excited, honoured and a bit surprised&nbsp;since I knew I was competing with very highly qualified colleagues,鈥 said Persad. 鈥淲hile space is big, the space community is small, and I am delighted to see that several colleagues are also in the CSA shortlist.鈥</p> <p>A postdoctoral researcher&nbsp;currently working in the lab of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Professor <strong>David Sinton</strong>, Persad is one of <a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/map.asp">72&nbsp;people from across Canada </a>under consideration for two upcoming astronaut roles with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).</p> <p>He's one of five 老司机直播 Engineering alumni to make the shortlist. Other Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering alumni on the list are:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?eyer-jesse"><strong>Jesse Koovik Eyer</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?frenzel-francis"><strong>Francis James Frenzel</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?grant-cordell"><strong>Cordell Grant</strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?ibrahim-najmus"><strong>Najmus Ibrahim</strong></a></li> </ul> <p>Other 老司机直播 alumni on the shortlist include:</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?dickson-brendan">Brendan Craig Dickson&nbsp;</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?koehle-michael">Michael Koehle</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?marchetti-catherine">Catherine Marchetti</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?mariani-zen">Zen Mariani</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?sirek-adam">Adam Sirek</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/recruitment/profiles.asp?willoughby-eleanor">Eleanor Willoughby</a></strong></li> </ul> <p>Any alumnus or alumna picked for the program would be following in the footsteps of such 老司机直播 astronauts as<a href="/news/astronaut-julie-payette-toronto-science-festival"> alumna <strong>Julie Payette</strong></a> and 老司机直播 Misissauga alumna &nbsp;<a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biobondar.asp"><strong>Roberta Bondar</strong></a>, who took the crest of Erindale College, as 老司机直播 MIssissauga used to be known,&nbsp;into space with her as the first Canadian woman astronaut.</p> <p>Persad鈥檚 dream of going to space began at the age of seven&nbsp;and his pursuit of it <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/engineering-grad-watch-astronaut-hire-aaron-persad/">accelerated at 老司机直播 Engineering</a>. During his undergraduate studies, he completed his Professional Experience Year internship at the CSA, including a flight in a Falcon-20 jet where he got experience the sensation of free-fall for the first time.</p> <p>鈥淚t felt fantastic. I remember my legs had the tendency to float up toward my chest.&nbsp;I had to consciously keep them down,鈥 said Persad.</p> <p>Persad鈥檚 PhD research, supervised by Professor Emeritus <strong>Charles Ward</strong>, focused on solving a decades-old mystery about <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/water-behave-space-u-t-engineering-researchers-aim-solve-longstanding-mystery/">the behaviour of water in microgravity</a>, specifically the shape it takes within a closed container. The seemingly simple question has important implications for life-support systems in space.</p> <p>The project suffered a major setback when a SpaceX rocket meant to carry his experimental apparatus into orbit exploded in the summer of 2015. Undeterred, Persad created a new apparatus in time for the next launch in the summer of 2016. Last week, NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-S-Kimbrough/135188716512256">Robert S. Kimbrough</a> performed the experiment aboard the International Space Station.</p> <h3><a href="/news/when-spacex-rocket-blew-his-experiment-u-t-engineer-saw-it-facebook">Read more about Persad</a></h3> <p>Persad is standing by for the data downlink, which will include videos and high-resolution images of the microgravity experiment.</p> <p>Outside of his research, Persad has been <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/five-engineers-recognized-teaching-excellence/">recognized for his teaching excellence</a> and has led a number of educational initiatives, including a company that delivers robotics technology education to young children.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OO2gpP8RlZ0" width="750"></iframe><br> <em>The above video, taken in November 2016, shows Persad bringing his experimental apparatus aboard a Falcon-20 jet to test it in free-fall conditions. Persad hopes&nbsp;to compare the behavior of water in jars from that&nbsp;experiment to those currently aboard the International Space Station&nbsp;(photo courtesy of Aaron Persad)</em></p> <p>This is Persad鈥檚 second attempt to become an astronaut, having applied during CSA鈥檚 previous round of recruitment in 2008, when he was a master鈥檚 student at 老司机直播 Engineering. Since then, Persad has greatly enhanced his technical expertise and aggressively pursued astronautics training through the non-profit organizations <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/">Astronauts4Hire</a> and <a href="http://projectpossum.org/">Project PoSSUM</a>.</p> <p>鈥淚 used my previous evaluation as a checklist to prepare for a future call. For example, I was asked questions like 鈥楧o you have piloting experience?鈥 or 鈥楬ave you ever taught a post-graduate engineering course?鈥欌 said Persad. 鈥淔or the last eight years, I鈥檝e been working hard to turn every 鈥榥o鈥 into a 鈥榶es.鈥欌</p> <p>A final decision from <a href="http://Read the Toronto Star story about Persad">the current round</a> is expected by June 2017.</p> <p>鈥淚 know my family and friends are cheering me on,鈥 said Persad.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 02 Feb 2017 18:18:53 +0000 ullahnor 104263 at