Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Genome Canada Announces Funding for Industry, Academic Research Partnerships

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Genome Canada announced today that it will contribute C$4.2 million ($3.1 million) in funding to support alliances between industry and academic groups that are applying genomic technologies to agriculture and healthcare.

"The federal government is pleased to support these applied genomics research projects where the science has potential to spur innovation and give Canadian companies a competitive edge in global markets, thereby creating jobs and economic growth," Canada's Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan said in a statement.

One project involves collaborators from the University of Alberta and Dow AgroSciences who will use genomic approaches to enhance the oil content and protein levels of canola seeds, while also reducing fiber and saturated fatty acid content. Genome Canada is providing C$300,000 for the project, with Dow AgroSciences providing an additional C$600,000.

Another project involves researchers from the University of Laval and diagnostics firm GenePOC. They will work together to develop point-of-care instrumentation that analyzes microbial genome sequences to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis and staphylococci infections. Genome Canada is providing C$1.7 million in funding, with C$3.2 million coming from GenePOC and C$800,000 from the province of Quebec.

"We are thrilled to add these new projects to a growing roster of genomic application partnerships between scientists and organizations that have a clear use for genomics," Genome Canada President and CEO Marc LePage added in the statement. "It is fascinating to see how rapidly genomics is maturing to the point where it is being incorporated across such a diverse range of industries."

In July 2015, Genome Canada, provincial governments, and certain private sector and non-profit organizations committed C$93 million to fund genomic research related to Canadian agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture.

The Scan

Open Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas Team Introduces Genomic Data Collection, Analytical Tools

A study in Cell Genomics outlines open-source methods being used to analyze and translate whole-genome, exome, and RNA sequence data from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas.

Neurological Outcomes Linked to Innate Immune Features After Cardiac Arrest

Researchers reporting in Med dig into immune features found a few hours after cardiac arrest that correspond with neurological outcomes.

Mouse Study Finds Circadian Rhythm-Related Gene Expression Changes Linked to Sleep Apnea

A paper in PLOS Biology reveals tissue-specific circadian rhythm and gene expression patterns in an intermittent hypoxia-based mouse model of obstructive sleep apnea.

Polygenic Risk Score to Predict Preeclampsia, Gestational Hypertension in Pregnant Women

Researchers in Nature Medicine provide new mechanistic insights into the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which may help develop therapeutics.