James Wasmuth

MIGA? Good Lord!

Calgary Herald Sat, 28 Feb 2026

CITY’S IDENTITY IS SHAPED WITH THE ARTS

epaper.calgaryherald.com/article/2816...

A comparison of protocols for isolating and extracting host DNA from caribou (Rangifer tarandus) fecal pellets - Conservation Genetics Resources Conservation Genetics Resources - Fecal samples are valuable for wildlife genetic studies where invasive tissue sampling is difficult, expensive, or negatively impacts welfare. However, fecal DNA...

Congrats to Samantha Barrette for publishing her honours thesis! 🎉👏 While are many ways to get host DNA from fecal pellets, the effectiveness of different approaches is rarely compared. We tackled this in caribou using a full factorial design and a new qPCR assay: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Excited to share that my first paper is published! 🎉🧬
We compared fecal DNA extraction methods for caribou to identify reliable, non‑invasive workflows for conservation genetics. Read more here: rdcu.be/e5cHu 🦌

"Smith is hoping their appetite can finally be sated. She might want to consider the possibility that it will just make them hungrier in the end."

I feared that we would sleepwalk into separatism in the next 20 years. Now I worry that we're galloping towards it.

"Alberta’s separatists might spontaneously combust from the rage."
Worth it just to see this play out 🤠

@sean-fitz.bsky.social

💯

Farm shows help introduce kids to agriculture | The Western Producer Every year, Agribition welcomes approximately 10,000 school kids from grades 1-6 through its doors, part of its core focus on education.

Farm shows help introduce kids to agriculture vist.ly/4n7z6 #cdnag #westcdnag #CWA25

As a Canadian, my advice: do it anyways.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency report shines spotlight on olive oil fraud | The Western Producer The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has found that olive oil and hard grated cheese are the biggest offenders, when it comes to food fraud.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency report shines spotlight on olive oil fraud vist.ly/4md5f #cdnag #westcdnag

Casio QL-10 (1981) You’ve heard it a million times growing up; don’t play with matches. Well folks, the Calcu-Lighter ain’t no match. An advertisement for a Casio product featuring a calculator, an alarm clock, and a lighter. Not a flashlight mind you, but a lighter of fire. 🔥

Casio QL-10 (1981)

You’ve heard it a million times growing up; don’t play with matches. Well folks, the Calcu-Lighter ain’t no match.

(comic) The 6-Week Annual Goal

Just paid $100 for a COVID vaccination that cost ~$2 to produce and received millions in state research funding. This is because my provincial government is run by neoliberal populists and my federal government is in the pocket of big corporations.

Only 6.5% of Albertans have received a COVID shot. It's not just the $100 cost. It's the bonkers long wait time to get an appointment.

Every morning, dropping my kids at school, I see him.

The crossing guard. Yellow uniform. Stop sign raised high.

Boston winter—brutal, cold, unforgiving. He's there.

Spring mornings when it's easy. He's there.

How we think of parasite control in cattle is changing | The Western Producer We need to all think more about timing for both lice and internal worms so that control products can do the best job possible.

How we think of parasite control in cattle is changing vist.ly/4gm82 #cdnag #westcdnag

Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88 A theatrical sensation since the 1960s, whose dramas included Arcadia, The Real Thing and Leopoldstadt, Stoppard also had huge success as a screenwriter

I saw 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' performed in Calgary. It altered my view on theatre.
Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88 www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...

Introducing the j-metric: a true measure of what matters in academia Science has become obsessed with publishing numbers. With this new satirical proposal, have we reached peak metric?

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

I’m no fan of Elizabeth May but she’s educating us on proposed projects

‘We could have asked ChatGPT’: students fight back over course taught by AI Staffordshire students say signs material was AI-generated included suspicious file names and rogue voiceover accent

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

1/ Want to master bioinformatics (or any skill)? Here's the hard truth:
There’s no shortcut to success.

Like building a skyscraper, it takes careful planning, consistent effort, and patience. Let me share how to get there—step by step. 🧵

New World screwworm not seen as trade threat | The Western Producer Canadian cattle producers shouldn’t be worried about the New World screwworm, which has become a huge concern in Mexico and the southern U.S.

New World screwworm not seen as trade threat vist.ly/4cgip #cdnag #westcdnag

Just received my COVID vaccination... No improvement in 5G though 😉 #StrongAndFree from COVID in Alberta...

Today, I submitted 456,365 Albertans’ signatures to Elections Alberta, petitioning the Premier to do the right thing, avoid a divisive and economically harmful referendum, and allow MLAs to vote and reaffirm that Alberta’s future is in Canada.🇨🇦

Alberta is #ForeverCanadian

Next week's episode features Dr. Johnathan Canton (@cantonjohnathan.bsky.social) from @ucalgary.bsky.social!

His lab identified a specialized set of proteins enabling cytosolic delivery of engulfed antigens for cross-presentation by #DendriticCells.

Read it in #ScienceImmunology: bit.ly/44ExZEp

Why Canada’s next big infrastructure investment should be in biomanufacturing As Canada faces renewed trade tensions with the United States, investing in domestic biomanufacturing could strengthen both national security and economic independence.

In case you missed it: This compelling article, part of our Immunity and Society new series with the #BridgeResearchConsortium about new vaccine discoveries and immune-based innovations, explains how — and why — Canada could be a biomanufacturing powerhouse:

theconversation.com/why-canadas-...

@ansarikargil, not on Bluesky, on PhD expectations

IT'S ON!

On the same day that teachers are rallying in record numbers on the steps of the legislature...

Demetrios Nicolaides is officially the target of an approved recall petition!

16,006 signatures needed starting now!

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli