NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Western Economic Diversification Canada today announced a C$3.5 million ($3.5 million) investment into the creation of a service laboratory to use genomics technologies to improve livestock quality.
The facility will be located in Edmonton and is a spinout of the University of Alberta's Livestock Gentec Program. It will commercialize new technologies and provide genomics services to livestock producers.
"By providing access to important technologies and services, this facility will help the Canadian livestock industry to produce higher quality and more cost-efficient products," Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, said in a statement. "This means that producers can grow and create even more jobs and opportunity in our communities."
The funding will be used for purchasing equipment and operating costs of the new laboratory.
Western Economic Diversification is a federal government department that works with provinces, industry associations, and communities to develop and diversify the economy of western Canada.