Saskatoon Researchers to Receive $8M from Genome Canada for Two Projects

Posted April 05, 2001


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? April 4, 2001 2001-04-04-OTHER

Saskatoon Researchers to Receive $8 M from Genome Canada for Two Projects

University of Saskatchewan and other Saskatoon research centres will receive
a total of roughly $8 million from a $15-million pool of funding announced
today by Genome Canada for two Genome Prairie projects. This money is
expected to create up to 50 new positions at Saskatoon research
institutions.

One project, led by U of S plant scientist Graham Scoles, will look into the
way crops tolerate cold and other environmental stresses. The work has the
potential to improve agricultural productivity in Canada and around the
world.

The other project, led by four Prairie researchers including U of S
agricultural economist Peter Phillips, will look at the ethical,
environmental, legal and social issues related to genomics research (the
study of genes and their function). Roughly $1 million over three years will
come to the U of S for this research.

The projects are among 22 approved for funding under a $136-million
investment in Genome Canada, federal Industry Minister Brian Tobin announced
today.

"We?re delighted that the University of Saskatchewan is a major participant
in these exciting new research programs that build on our strengths in
biotechnology, genomics, and socio-economics," said Michael Corcoran, U of S
Vice-President of Research. "These projects will involve many of our
graduate students and will attract new staff and scientific equipment to the
University."

The $15 million approved for Genome Prairie, which encompasses researchers
in the three Prairie provinces, is contingent upon finding matching funding
from industry, government, foundations or other sources. Federal funding
details for the two projects have not yet been finalized.

Scoles? genomics project will involve academic researchers from three other
provinces, and scientists from both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in
Saskatoon and Lethbridge and the National Research Council?s Plant
Biotechnology Institute in Saskatoon. Other U of S researchers include Brian
Fowler and Larry Gusta, both of the plant sciences department, and Gordon
Gray of biochemistry.

The researchers will work with both wheat and canola, examining the whole
plant and studying these crops at the molecular level. Determining what
proteins and genes are involved in regulating a plant?s response to low
temperatures could provide critical information that will lead to more
tolerant crop varieties. The researchers will also study canola?s response
to metal and nutrient stresses.

Phillips? project is called GELS, an acronym for the ethical, environmental,
legal and social issues related to genomics research.

The GELS project will study the impact and use of genomics in the agri-food
industry. It will also examine how citizens think about applications of
genomics research, how regulators manage these technologies, and how the new
knowledge is exploited and protected through property rights. The
researchers will also attempt to improve our understanding of how the
transmission of information affects consumer behavior relative to genomic
technology.

"This funding is a confirmation of the developing capacity we have here to
undertake socio-economic research," Phillips said. "It will provide
resources to expand and improve what we?re doing."

Genome Canada is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to developing and
implementing a national strategy in genomics research for the benefit of
Canadians. Genome Canada has $300 million to establish five research centres
across Canada. The overall goal is to make Canada a world leader in genomics
research in selected areas such as agriculture, the environment, forestry,
fisheries and human health.


For more information contact:

Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications Officer
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca

Graham Scoles
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5857

Peter Phillips
Department of Agricultural Economics
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4021