Comments on: Even the pretty black and white ones http://deitchley.com/2008/02/even-the-pretty-black-and-white-ones/ I'll be dipped in owl butter Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Dawn http://deitchley.com/2008/02/even-the-pretty-black-and-white-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-75409 Dawn Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:01:03 +0000 http://www.deitchley.com/blog/2008/02/18/596/#comment-75409 When I worked at a Children's Hospital, we developed analytical methods pushing technology to its limits to minimize blood draw volumes for premature infants. One of the technologies we employed involved a radioreceptor assay to monitor the active Vitamin D metabolite. This was critical to helping premies, and other kids and adults with metabolic bone disease, identify that therapy was on-track so that they could grow and develop healthy bones. Without these "markers" kids would suffer painful fractures and fail to grow. The receptor we isolated was from calf thymus. Regretfully, we had to go to the slaughterhouse and "quench" the thymus from freshly slaughtered calves in 4^C PBS to minimize protease activity. While I never witnessed the slaughter myself, I will never forget arriving to the slaughterhouse while the calves were being "unloaded" and ultimately holding warm tissue in my hands, knowing that it came from calves that I myself refused to eat. The refrigerated area we worked in contained the "not for human consumption" material that is sold to pet food manufacturers. During the 45 minute ride back to the lab, I had to prepare myself for the 6 hours of work to isolate the receptor and begin testing for suitability. This was the first time in my professional career where morals and science collided. Since the entire process was so deeply disturbing for me, I definitely paid attention to the receptor isolation to *avoid* having to go back to the slaughterhouse. It used to take me at least 4 days to "recover" from my slaughterhouse experience. During my 8.5 years at the hospital, I had to make that disturbing trip 4 times - the last time two weeks before I relocated to Indianapolis. I will say that the clincal work was deeply rewarding. We interacted with clinicians and got to meet many of the kids our methods helped while they were at the hospital. I'll never forget the receptor isolation.... When I worked at a Children’s Hospital, we developed analytical methods pushing technology to its limits to minimize blood draw volumes for premature infants. One of the technologies we employed involved a radioreceptor assay to monitor the active Vitamin D metabolite. This was critical to helping premies, and other kids and adults with metabolic bone disease, identify that therapy was on-track so that they could grow and develop healthy bones. Without these “markers” kids would suffer painful fractures and fail to grow.

The receptor we isolated was from calf thymus. Regretfully, we had to go to the slaughterhouse and “quench” the thymus from freshly slaughtered calves in 4^C PBS to minimize protease activity. While I never witnessed the slaughter myself, I will never forget arriving to the slaughterhouse while the calves were being “unloaded” and ultimately holding warm tissue in my hands, knowing that it came from calves that I myself refused to eat. The refrigerated area we worked in contained the “not for human consumption” material that is sold to pet food manufacturers. During the 45 minute ride back to the lab, I had to prepare myself for the 6 hours of work to isolate the receptor and begin testing for suitability.

This was the first time in my professional career where morals and science collided. Since the entire process was so deeply disturbing for me, I definitely paid attention to the receptor isolation to *avoid* having to go back to the slaughterhouse. It used to take me at least 4 days to “recover” from my slaughterhouse experience. During my 8.5 years at the hospital, I had to make that disturbing trip 4 times – the last time two weeks before I relocated to Indianapolis.

I will say that the clincal work was deeply rewarding. We interacted with clinicians and got to meet many of the kids our methods helped while they were at the hospital. I’ll never forget the receptor isolation….

]]> By: Melissa http://deitchley.com/2008/02/even-the-pretty-black-and-white-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-75231 Melissa Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:20:40 +0000 http://www.deitchley.com/blog/2008/02/18/596/#comment-75231 Ack! I knew there was a reason I eat very little meat. Ack! I knew there was a reason I eat very little meat.

]]> By: Matt http://deitchley.com/2008/02/even-the-pretty-black-and-white-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-75183 Matt Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:55:58 +0000 http://www.deitchley.com/blog/2008/02/18/596/#comment-75183 I was off work when the video surfaced on NBC which gives WNDU their national video and I saw it on our station without warning of "graphic video" beforehand, and it was hard to take in. I was off work when the video surfaced on NBC which gives WNDU their national video and I saw it on our station without warning of “graphic video” beforehand, and it was hard to take in.

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