There will be changes to the agricultural research landscape in Alberta this year and we can all add our voice to how that will look. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry made cuts to its spending in the budget handed down in October 2019. Fewer dollars available means less research. To help make the most of the available funds however, the ministry wants to change the way ag research is handled. Key to that change is making…

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How could you pick out the keeners in high school? They even studied for a blood test. Maybe they were onto something, though, as today, scientists seeking to improve disease resilience in pigs are studying a particular blood test as part of their cutting-edge research. “Disease is a huge concern in the pig industry today,” said Xuechun Bai, a PhD student in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta.…

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Topics of interest for scientists, science teachers, students, and anybody else keen on science: in 2019, we had it all on our Genomics Blog. There were many new podcasts featuring a wide range of expert interviews. A YouTube playlist of ‘genetics explainers’ now being used in flipped classrooms was inspired by the query from grandparents wanting to understand what their grandchildren were learning. We had news releases and funding announcements and book reviews. Genome Alberta…

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There is a big push to shift to personalized medicine in countries around the world. But that involves a collection of tasks that are often easier said than done. One example of how processes are being improved is the new labeling for prescription medicines that includes genomic biomarkers. When matched to the results of a patient’s preemptive pharmacogenomics tests, a doctor can quickly identify which drugs will work best, and which are likely to harm…

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In May of 2017, Lydia Pyne in a tweet, encouraged us to keep our fingers crossed for her pursuit of a new obsession. Over the next couple of years, she teased us tweeting objects genuine and fake. Finally it all come together in her new book: Genuine Fakes : How phony things teach us about real stuff. Through the book we learn that some fake objects are made to bamboozle us. Other fake objects are…

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In 2013 Canada's Genome Centres collaborated to produce a series of sector strategies focused on the future of genomics as the foundation for Canada's emerging bio-economy. Genomics is equipping agriculture, forestry, fisheries & aquaculture, energy, mining, and health with cutting-edge science and technology. It made sense for Genome Canada and the six regional centres to develop a strategic approach to drive growth, productivity, commercialization, and global competitiveness in the key Canadian sectors of agriculture, fisheries…

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If you ever asked for a raise in your first month on the job, you may have learned the hard way that timing is everything. It’s a concept that’s well understood by those behind the Efficient Dairy Genome Project (EDGP). In using genomics to enhance feed efficiency in dairy cattle, optimal timing can ensure that this vital research runs like clockwork. “Feed efficiency is recognized as a complex trait that may be defined in different…

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Alberta Innovates is proud to announce the Exploring Cannabis-Based Medicines and Tools (mCannabis) Program. This ground-breaking program is an opportunity for stakeholders in Alberta’s Cannabis ecosystem to collaborate in a coordinated way to advance Cannabis research and innovations that aim to enhance patient care, improve patient outcomes, support training of health professionals, and responsibly grow Canada’s Cannabis industry. These opportunities will align to Alberta Innovates’ three research and innovation priorities, the Alberta Research and Innovation…

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                              Chas Yonge was not fully satisfied with the popular explanation of the water flow at the Banff Hot Springs. As one of Canada’s top karst scientists, he decided to use his expertise to investigate the karst hydrogeology and the movement of water through the Sulphur Mountain Thrust. He has now put that research into book form, Understanding the Banff Hot Springs, making it available for us to learn more about how water flows through…

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The University of East Anglia (UEA) is leading a pioneering international project to sequence the DNA of marine microbes in the Arctic Ocean. The resulting data will be used to develop models to predict how global warming impacts the diversity and activity of microbes - such as viruses, bacteria, microalgae and fungi - thereby altering ecosystem processes, including controlling the cycle of key nutrients, carbon capture and storage, and food chain dynamics. Marine microbial ecology…

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