荔枝视频

Several 荔枝视频 researchers received a funding boost on March 18, by way of a of $20 million through and regional Genome Centres. The funding will launch 33 new research and development projects across the country, three of which will take place at U荔枝视频.  

Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, made the announcement today at U荔枝视频, on behalf of the Hon. M茅lanie Joly, Minister of Industry. 

鈥淲e know that building Canada into the world鈥檚 leading hub for science and innovation will help create the strongest economy in the G7,鈥� said Bardeesy. 鈥淭he projects announced are a great example of how Canadian ingenuity is tackling some of the world鈥檚 toughest problems, finding solutions, and driving real change.鈥� 

Funding brings together companies, researchers, end users 

The funding, delivered through Genome Canada鈥檚 (GAPP), brings together companies, researchers, and end users to accelerate development and adoption of genomics-based technologies across health, agrifood, natural resources, clean technology, and advanced manufacturing. The program is designed to reduce commercialization risk, attract private investment, and shorten the path from innovation to market.  

According to , MD, U荔枝视频 vice-president (research), this investment will lead to solutions for a wide range of challenges facing Canadians.  

鈥淯sing innovative genomic tools, U荔枝视频 researchers are working on canola crops that can stand up to drought conditions, creating more food security for a hungry world," he said. "A second initiative is focusing on commercializing a new treatment of the most common form of thyroid cancer with fewer complications or followup procedures. And a third project is de-risking underground energy storage in Atlantic Canada through deep biosphere genomics. 

鈥淢aking strategic investments in research that partners with industry leads to positive economic impacts and a better quality of life for all Canadians.".

 

U荔枝视频 funded projects 

Clinical Utility of Thyroid GuidePx庐: An Alberta-Led Genomic Innovation in Thyroid Cancer Care  

• Dr. Caitlin Yeo, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine
• , MD鈥�90, professor, Departments of Surgery and Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine; member, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
• Industry partner: Qualisure Diagnostics 

This project will evaluate the clinical utility of Thyroid GuidePx庐, a genomic test developed in Alberta that helps doctors better understand how aggressive a patient鈥檚 thyroid cancer is likely to be. Today, many patients undergo surgery or additional treatments without clear information about how their cancer will behave. By analyzing patterns of gene activity in a tumour, the test can help guide decisions about the extent of surgery, the need for radioactive iodine therapy, and the intensity of followup care. Clinical studies at U荔枝视频 and the University of Alberta will assess whether using this genomic information improves treatment decisions and reduces unnecessary care. 

鈥淕enomics is giving us new tools to understand the biology of cancer in ways that weren鈥檛 possible before,鈥� said Bathe. 鈥淭his funding allows us to test whether that information can help doctors make better treatment decisions for patients with thyroid cancer. It鈥檚 exciting to see Alberta-developed innovation being evaluated in our own health-care system, with the potential to improve care while also reducing unnecessary treatments.鈥�

Identifying Genetic Traits for Abiotic Stress Resilience During Canola Reproduction 

• , PhD, associate professor, Biological Sciences
• Industry partner: AgGene Inc. 

Heat and drought stress are two of the most significant yield-limiting factors for Canadian canola, especially during flowering and pod development. With climate change increasing the frequency of extreme weather, Prairie producers face growing economic risks. High temperatures during flowering can reduce yields, while drought only compounds these losses. 

Despite the scale of the problem, no commercial hybrids provide targets genetic resilience to heat or drought stress at flowering. This project will deliver non-GMO heat- and drought-resilient canola traits by integrating mutagenesis (the process of inducing changes in the genetic material of an organism), phenotyping (the process of measuring, analyzing, and characterizing the observable physical, physiological, and biochemical traits of an organism, resulting from its genetic makeup and environment), and genomics to identify the genetic basis of stress tolerance.  

鈥淪tress-resilient canola will reduce yield volatility and improve profitability for farmers,鈥� explained Yeaman. 鈥淲orking with partners at AgGene and the , this project will generate new intellectual property, licensing revenues, and strategic positioning in climate-smart crop development while strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of Canada鈥檚 $43-billion canola industry, helping maintain our leadership in sustainable oilseed production.鈥� 

De-Risking Underground Energy Storage in Atlantic Canada Through Deep Biosphere Genomics 

• , BSc鈥�98, PhD鈥�04, professor, Biological Sciences; associate member, The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases
• Industry partner: Triple Point Resources

A cross鈥慍anada research project led by U荔枝视频, in partnership with Triple Point Resources and Memorial University, is helping de鈥憆isk underground hydrogen storage by addressing an often鈥憃verlooked challenge: microbial activity. The collaboration was initiated by Dr. Omid Ardakani, PhD, at , and focuses on hydrogen storage in underground salt caverns 鈥� environments thought to limit microbial activity due to extreme salinity. However, some salt鈥憀oving microorganisms, known as halophiles, can survive in these extreme conditions, potentially consuming the hydrogen or contributing to corrosion. Hubert鈥檚 lab will study these "extremophiles" to better understand whether they pose a risk, helping ensure hydrogen can be safely and reliably stored as Canada works toward a low鈥慶arbon energy future. 

鈥淭his project and partnership are exciting because it allows us to apply energy sector knowledge about subsurface microbiology to tackle new challenges associated with the transition to clean low-emissions energy like hydrogen,鈥� explained Hubert. 鈥淚t also allows expertise from Alberta to contribute to an opportunity in Atlantic Canada, and collaborate on a national scale.鈥� 

This project builds on an Alberta Innovates grant Hubert received in 2023.