The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has committed $1.65 million dollars over six years to establish a research and training program at Concordia’s Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology. The funds were awarded after Malcolm Whiteway (pictured, right), professor of biology and the Canada Research Chair in Microbial Genomics, and the grant application team submitted a proposal to NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program. The Synthetic Biology Applications CREATE program…

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                            A friend recently challenged me saying "you know about mitochondria, what can you tell me about mitochondrial disease and atrial fibrillation?" "What?" "I really don't know anything about it!" A quick search to answer my friend's question revealed numerous papers and discussions available online. The question had me thinking, "Isn't this a great idea for a STEM project?" I quickly dug out a sheet of paper and started mind mapping where I thought such…

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A unique research partnership between the University of Lethbridge and the University of Calgary has Dr. Vanessa Meier-Stephenson using Highway 2 as a pathway to developing a greater understanding of the hepatitis C virus, and potential new therapeutics to combat the infectious disease. Supported by a CanHepC Network Post-doctoral Fellowship, Meier-Stephenson is utilizing the laboratory expertise of the U of L’s Dr. Trushar Patel in collaboration with UCalgary’s Dr. Carla Coffin as she explores how…

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Chronic wasting disease is fatal to cervids such as deer or moose, and it can only be diagnosed after the animal has died. That process requires the animal's head to be submitted for testing which needless to say can be messy, and generally only takes place with the cooperation of hunters during hunting season. There are chemical changes in an animal infected with CWD and the Genome Alberta funded CWD project is working with the…

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“Short term pain for long term gain” may sound like a good deal, but it would be even better without the first part. Fortunately, the Genome Alberta project targeting more accurate genomically-enhanced breeding values for the commercial cattle industry is all about gain: groundbreaking work today to benefit industry for years to come. “We view this project as an opportunity to improve fertility and healthfulness of cows and calves within the Canadian beef cattle population,”…

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The 2018 iGEM season continues to be a great success for members of the Lethbridge high school team. The team submitted a scientific paper outlining their synthetic biology project, as well as participated in an online conference. “This was a great experience for the students,” says team mentor Sydnee Calhoun. “We are so proud of their progress and how much they have learned this year.” For their efforts, the team received medals for problem solving,…

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                         I was enjoying a couple of pieces of chocolate recently and as I was finishing up I began sneezing uncontrollably. I'm used to this, it happens frequently when I eat chocolate. I exclaimed to my friends that I was just expressing my Neanderthal genes. When pressed to explain myself, I claimed that I'd read it someplace before. I wanted to verify what I learned since I have not had any genetic testing and can't…

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Halifax, June 20, 2018 - New research will create a clearer picture of the oil and gas resource potential that exists off the coast of Nova Scotia The Nova Scotia Department of Energy has outlined how more geoscience work will proceed as part of the government’s four-year $11.8-million commitment to the second phase of the Offshore Growth Strategy. “Investments in research and exploration have already paid off for Nova Scotians by attracting more than $2…

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New LSARP in agriculture & agri-food, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors June 15, 2018, Ottawa, Ontario – Today, Genome Canada, together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), is pleased to launch a Request for Applications for the 2018 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomics Solutions for Agriculture, Agri-Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Competition aims to support projects that have the potential to provide new approaches that can improve disease and pest resistance in our crops, livestock…

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Update: Application details for the new LSARP in agriculture & agri-food, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors June 15, 2018, Ottawa, Ontario – Today, Genome Canada, together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), is pleased to launch a Request for Applications for the 2018 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomics Solutions for Agriculture, Agri-Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Competition aims to support projects that have the potential to provide new approaches that can improve disease and pest…

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