Researchers climb to the highest laboratory in the world

A new laboratory is being set up on Mount Everest to examine the effects of low oxygen levels on the body, making it the highest lab in the world.

The 25-person project led by University of British Columbia scientist Philip Ainslie will be climbing their way into the record books next month, setting up the Ev-K2 CNR Pyramid Laboratory near Everest base camp. The lab is currently being assembled by team members in Kelowna, where lab equipment is been transported up.

UBC Okanagan physiologist Philip Ainslie of the School of Health and Exercise Sciences in Kelowna told Post Media News: “When you have secured the use of a place like the lab up there it’s worth maximizing your time which is why we’ve gone the international route. We’re very aware that we may have expertise in one area, but not ten different areas so we brought in experts from all over the world.”

There is a five year waiting list to use the Pyramid Laboratory, which is five kilometres above sea level. The idea of the research facility is to compare how the human guinea pigs respond to low levels of oxygen by observing blood flow, lung and brain function.

Posted by Ben Evans