NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - Two University of Manitoba research efforts have received a total of around C$1.7 million ($1.6 million) from Genome Prairie to pursue genomics research, including a genome sequencing project, into flax and how it may be used for biofuel.
One grant of C$1.3 million will fund a genomics program called Microbial Genomics for Biofuels and Co-Products from Biorefining Processes (MGB2), and another C$375,000 will fund the Total Utilization of Flax Genomics (TUFGEN) program.
The MGB2 project involves using researchers in microbiology, biochemistry, genomics, bioinformatics, and proteomics research from Canada, the US, and New Zealand.
"By using agricultural feedstocks as a source of alternative energy, we can reduce product waste and maximize uses for plants," Digvir Jayas, VP of research at the University of Manitoba, said in a statement. "The flax research project's goal to develop flax as a dual-purpose crop and to sequence the flax genome, is an invaluable contribution to flax research."
Both of the projects are supported by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.