Innovation150 series: As Canada celebrates 150 years we look back on Canadian innovations in transfusion medicine over the years. A series of posts over the next few weeks feature remarkable Canadian progress -- past, present and future. #Innovation150.

Innovation150 series: As Canada celebrates 150 years we look back on Canadian innovations in transfusion medicine over the years. A series of posts over the next few weeks feature remarkable Canadian progress -- past, present and future. #Innovation150.

Innovation150 series on the RED blog: As Canada celebrates 150 years we look back on Canadian innovations in transfusion medicine over the years. A series of posts over the next few weeks feature remarkable Canadian progress in transfusion medicine past, present and future. #Innovation150.

A searchable database showcasing our funded research projects has just been launched on blood.ca. Together with our publications database, research highlights, links to this blog, research units and other news, you’ll discover a comprehensive knowledge hub for the transfusion and transplantation community.

Blood is red. That’s because of the red blood cells or erythrocytes that whizz around your veins and arteries. The colour is a great visual marker, both clinically and emotionally, but sometimes its very redness hides the other important components that are in you to give. These include plasma, the straw-coloured liquid that carries red blood cells, white cells (leukocytes), other important molecules such as albumin, antibodies and coagulation factors, and tiny fragmentary cells called platelets. What are platelets ? Platelets, or thrombocytes, are spherical cells (shaped like "plates"), much

Communicating science is an important part of the job for anyone involved in clinical research, whether it takes place face-to-face with the patient, a donor or the wider scientific community. Unfortunately, outreach like this can seem a daunting prospect to the lab scientist and practitioner; it is often easier to hide behind the bench or the stethoscope.

“It’s in you to give" is the fantastically simple call to action from Canadian Blood Services. But for some people — such as those of us with a mixed bag of travel and medical histories — it isn’t so easy to just show up, roll up (a sleeve) and then settle back as this life-giving liquid flows into the collection bag. Blood collected through regular donations goes to patients who need blood products to manage a wide variety of health concerns. Recipients are already dealing with serious medical issues, and the last thing they need is added risk from a transfusion. For this reason, Canadian

In the e_rly d_ys of tr_nsfusi_n medicine, d_ct_rs g_ve p_tients _ll s_rts _f different fluids, including _l__d _r milk fr_m _nim_ls. Success v_ried, _nd the results were _ften dis_str_us—even when they used hum_n _l__d.

It's National Blood Donor Week and we're celebrating blood donors from across the country who make a lifesaving difference to patients in need. Each of us has the right blood type to give life: ABOAB. This acronym refers to four blood groups — A, B, AB, and O. Blood type is one way we are all connected and today's post digs into the science and history behind ABO. By Amanda Maxwell In the early days of transfusion medicine, doctors gave patients all sorts of different fluids, including blood or milk from animals. Success varied, and the results were often disastrous—even when they used human

Mice are small, easy to handle and available as consistently bred individuals with little genetic variation – this makes them ideal for research. Furthermore, they share between 70 per cent and 90 per cent genetic make up, undergo many of the same life events that humans do, possess a similar anatomy (OK – mouse-shaped) and show similar physiology to us. A mouse offers a whole living organism in which to investigate disease, response to treatment, development of cancer and other basic research.