National Leasing, an equipment-leasing company based in Winnipeg, contributed $15,000 in June toward the purchase of a Quantitative PCR Thermocycler.
The machine uses heat to create and accurately measure up to a trillion copies of an original chain of DNA in just a couple of hours, explained Dr. Michael Czubryt, Principal Investigator, Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, in whose lab it is housed.
“It allows us to do far more samples than we used to be able to do, faster, and with fewer resources,” he said.
Dr. Czubryt and his team can use the machine with patient samples or as part of studies into fibrosis of the heart and cell loss following heart attacks and strokes.
“It’s a device that’s widely applicable,” he said. “It’s highly flexible, highly sought-after and has been a tremendous addition.”
“It works kind of like a programmable pressure cooker you have at home, in that it controls temperature very precisely, for a precise amount of time.”
We asked Samantha Squire, Public Relations Coordinator for National Leasing, about the company’s gift.
Why did National Leasing donate $15,000 to the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences?
“Over the past few years, several of our employees suffered from heart-related issues; including at least one massive heart attack. After seeing the impact St. Boniface Hospital had on members of our team, we knew where we wanted to put some of our Community Investment Program dollars.”
What was behind National Leasing’s interest in cardiovascular research?
“At National Leasing, we’re like a big family. After seeing members of our team deal with cardiovascular issues, we became interested in how we could give back and help the Hospital that had helped some of our National Leasing family members.”
Why is it important for National Leasing to give back?
“Giving back to our community is our responsibility, and it’s an essential part of being a successful company. At National Leasing, we believe we all win when our community is stronger and safer, and people are happier and healthier.”
*This article was first published in the Spring 2018 edition of Believe, St. Boniface Hospital Foundation’s bilingual newsletter produced twice annually in partnership with St. Boniface Hospital.