April 3, 2018 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) relies on science to contribute to evidence-based decisions that protect Canada's food, animal and plant resources. By supporting our country's remarkable scientists and providing them the facilities they need, we are strengthening science and building a better tomorrow. Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of $80 million to replace the Centre for Plant Health in Sidney, B.C.…

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After years of sequencing the genome of many organisms, science is drowning in data yet often unable to reach out and touch the valuable bits of information that will turn that data into knowledge. Deep learning and artificial intelligence are ready to save important insights from disappearing into an ocean of genomics data. Paul Stothard is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences and he specializes in…

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Romantics would say that the universal language is love, but its ability to keep pigs healthy has yet to be proven. Genomics, on the other hand, shows great promise in that regard. It’s this potential that spawned the Genome Alberta-led project on using genomics to improve disease resilience in Canadian pork production. And it’s the power of genomics that brought Canadian and French researchers together to apply the technology in fighting a common foe: pig…

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                                I was in my basement the other day when I heard a drumming sound on my chimney. It was more rapid than the cadence of a drum corps snare drum warming up prior to a performance. I knew it must be spring -- the flickers are back in town! The first time that I encountered this curious drum roll, I had no idea of what was going on. I ran outside to look at…

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Mule deer can be captured, collared, and counted and dead mule deer can be examined to see if they carry chronic wasting disease. Their movements can be tracked across rugged terrain and into grasslands and with all this information, wildlife researchers can start to develop management strategies to slow the spread of CWD. What will really advance the understanding of CWD however is learning more about the genetics of the deer, which is just what…

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                     We may find our students talking about flat earthism in the next few months. Canada's first Flat Earth International Conference is going to be held in Edmonton this August and that gives us a great opportunity to engage students in a discussion about the use of models in science. Apparently, Flat Earthers believe that depictions of the earth as a sphere are all part of a massive NASA conspiracy. There has been much mocking…

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With apologies to twins and 4-person bobsled, the best things come in threes. For proof, look no further than EnVigour HX™, the latest example of how a Genome Alberta project is applying genomics to improve meat quality and feed efficiency in beef cattle. By combining parentage verification, genomic breed composition, and a simple Vigour Score (assessment of hybrid vigour), EnVigour HX™ is benefiting producers and causing a buzz in the beef industry. “This is the…

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While your two-year old might disagree, sharing is important. And if you’re dealing with cutting edge technology like genomics, sharing information and learning from others in the field is critical. With that in mind, a team of researchers from the Efficient Dairy Genome Project recently attended the 11th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production in Auckland, New Zealand.  “The audience at the congress was really diverse, including students, researchers, tech companies, producers and professors,”…

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                    In my previous blog, ‘Ethical lessons from a friendly octopus’, I described how I became involved with the Youth Science Canada Ethics Committee. In this blog I will look closer at what happened in Sacramento and how ethics are dealt with at Canadian regional science fairs. The Sacramento science fair A science fair project with the title 'Race and IQ' was on display at a Sacramento science fair recently, and it led to a…

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Retiring researchers Julia Foght and Gerrit Voordouw have both had a strong influence on how the science of genomics is being used by the oil industry. The relationship between genomics and hydrocarbons was not initially viewed as being important by the industry, but petroleum microbiology now touches a surprising number of areas. Microbes lead to the souring of gas wells, they can cause corrosion problems, contribute to the remediation of tailings ponds, and help make…

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