U of S Wins $1.1 M from CFI for Seven New Faculty Research Projects
Posted March 14, 2001
Tweet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Tuesday, March 13, 2001 2001-03-09-OTHER
U of S Wins $1.1 M from CFI for Seven New Faculty Research Projects
Today the University of Saskatchewan was awarded a total of more than $1.1
million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help fund new
equipment and labs that will advance seven wide-ranging research projects
led by new faculty.
The awards will help fund nearly $2.8 million in new equipment and
facilities for projects that could have important applications in fields as
diverse as aquaculture, rare plant conservation, and medicine.
The CFI provides 40 per cent of total project costs. The CFI money will be
matched by the Saskatchewan government. The remaining 20 per cent will be
sought from the U of S and other sources.
"Today's announcement recognizes the outstanding work of some of our new
faculty members, who are nationally competitive and whose work will benefit
a wide range of fields including medicine, agriculture and biology," said
Michael Corcoran, U of S Vice-President Research.
The announcement was made today in Ottawa as part of $11.1 million in
infrastructure support for 67 projects at universities across Canada under
the CFI's New Opportunities Program. The CFI is an independently
administered fund set up by the federal government to modernize research
facilities and equipment at Canadian universities and other research
institutions.
* Biologist Hugo Cota-Sanchez will receive $137,300 to establish a
DNA-sequencing laboratory to study the molecular basis of rare and
endangered plant species. This research could lead to more effective
conservation and encourage biodiversity, among other applications. The lab
will put the U of S on the cutting edge of molecular studies in evolutionary
and molecular biology and provide a valuable research and training
instrument for both faculty and graduate students. The lab will be used by
many researchers and students including biology professor Peta Bonham-Smith
who will use the facilities to help develop a heat-resistant strain of
canola.
* Biologist Doug Chivers will get $51,930 to build better tanks and a video
observation system to study 'learned predator recognition' in trout and
salmon. Chivers hopes that hatchery fish can be taught to recognize the
'alarm pheromones' that are emitted by predator fish. This could greatly
increase the survival rate of the millions of hatchery-reared fish with
which Canadian streams and lakes are stocked each year.
* Physiologist Thomas Fisher will receive $144,000 for equipment to examine
the role of calcium ions in the nervous system. Calcium is key to
intercellular communication, and this research could have applications to
neurological diseases such as epilepsy, stroke or schizophrenia.
* Biochemist Gordon Gray will get $233,213 to establish a plant metabolism
laboratory to study photosynthetic and respiratory processes. This research
will lead to the development of plants that are more tolerant of
environmental stress.
* Troy Harkness, assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology, will
receive $160,000 to study the role of chromatin in cell function. When cells
reproduce, chromatin acts as the blueprint for the new cell. The failure of
chromatin to function properly is connected to numerous diseases and
physiological abnormalities.
* Chemist David Palmer will receive $153,949 to study enzyme catalysis at
the molecular level. This fundamental research will lead to applications as
diverse as developing new drugs for people with fungal infections and
enhancing legume crop yield.
* Biologist Yangdou Wei will get $230,276 to establish a molecular plant
pathology laboratory where he will identify, isolate and manipulate
disease-resistant genes in plants. Wei will also receive funding for the
project from the National Research Council's Plant Biotechnology Institute
and the Saskatchewan government.
"This is excellent news for the University of Saskatchewan," Wei said. "The
majority of the grant will be used to purchase a state-of-the-art confocal
microscope for the department of biology. The equipment will permit new
research initiatives involved in cell and developmental biology as well as
molecular biology."
The CFI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation established in 1997 by
the federal government. The CFI has been entrusted with a capital investment
budget of $3.15 billion, and its investments are made in partnership with
all levels of government, as well as with the private and voluntary sectors.
Suzanne Corbeil
Canadian Foundation for Innovation
Phone: 613-996-4403
Fax: 613-943-0923
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President Research
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-2506
Fax: 306-966-2411
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
Douglas Chivers
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4419
Fax: 306-966-4461
Doug.Chivers@usask.ca
Hugo Cota-Sanchez
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4405
Fax: 306-966-4461
hugo.cota@usask.ca
Thomas Fisher
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-6528
Fax: 306-966-6532
thomas.fisher@usask.ca
Gordon Gray
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4313
Fax: 306-966-4390
gr.gray@usask.ca
Troy Harkness
Assistant Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4075
Fax: 306-966-4298
troy.harkness@usask.ca
David Palmer
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4662
Fax: 306-966-4730
palmer@sask.usask.ca
Yangdou Wei
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-966-4447
yangdou.wei@usask.ca
