Ten entrepreneurs with ideas ranging from e-publishing, e-health, biofuels, mechanical engineering, and audio special effects will begin working on turning their ideas into businesses as finalists in the Tech Venture Challenge. The finalists were announced May 10th in Saskatoon.

Over the next three months, the finalists will be mentored and guided through the stages of business creation. One will win the grand prize: office space at Innovation Place, services from Deloitte, and $50,000 from the Industry Liaison Office to get their new venture off the ground. But the value of participating in the Tech Venture Challenge extends well beyond the prize.

“Money is necessary, I won’t argue that. But if I had a choice between a pile of cash and mentors, I’d probably take the latter,” Cook says.

The panel of judges looked at 29 applications for the most innovative technology-based business ideas with the team who believes they can make it happen.

“It was a diverse pool of intriguing, commercially viable technology ideas from the applicants,” says Rob Hendry, one of the competition judges, “We wish we could have recommended more than 10 – they would all benefit from the business advisory support being offered.”

The Tech Venture Challenge finalists are:

1. iCaregiver – Jenny Basran, Valerie Wellens
A mobile application to help caregivers manage and monitor their loved ones even when they are not able to be there in person.
2. Student Assessment Systems – Kalyani Premkumar, Neil Cowie
A technology that allows multiple-centred, multiple-station student assessment using multiple examiners for clinical examinations in all medical fields of study.
3. Done40 – David Robinson, Hongxing Geng, Tasnuva Ireen
Backend technology for a website for sharing events and building unique calendars, populated based on users’ interests.
4. TRIUMF Mobile Rewards – Jacqueline Cook, Ethan Baron, Paul Lee, Freddy Chen
A secure mobile platform that allows retailers to offer customer reward or loyalty programs in one consolidated system.
5. INS Innovations – Josh Simpkins, Carla Simpkins, Mike Simpkins Sr. & Jr., Raquel Wenarchuk
A technology to maximize internal combustion efficiency.
6. Willow Biofuels – Kurt Woytiuk, Regan Gerspacher, Bill Campbell, Ryan Hangs
Develop and manufacture specialty equipment to pelletize coppice willow and offer turnkey solution for establishing willow plantations on marginal land.
7. Mobile Information Security System – Trevor Paschke, Adam Knox, Paul Dhaliwal
Provides password security solutions for businesses using mobile device applications.
8. Farm Land Rental – Lyndon Lisitza
Connects farm land owners and renters through an online auction website.
9. Audio Effects Box – Randy Day, Andrew Miller, Gordon Anderson
An audio effects box that mounts directly onto a guitar, replacing an array of single-purpose components or synthesizers.
10. Indie Ink (digital publishing) – Jeff Smith, Suzanne Paschall, Rob Macguire
Develop a way to maximize rich media content for graphical content, audio and video elements in e-books.

Tech Venture Challenge is sponsored by the Industry Liaison Office, Innovation Place and Deloitte. It is open to any member of the U of S community, including employees, faculty researchers, alumni, or students.

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For more information, contact:

Lorna Shaw-Lennox
Startup Company Specialist
U of S Industry Liaison Office
(306) 966-7338
lorna.shaw-lennox@usask.ca

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan unveiled new design plans for the long-anticipated Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre at a special event May 9.

“The important thing is to have a presence architecturally for First Nations people on the campus, given there are many First Nations students here and in the future even more because of population trends,” said Cardinal. “To me, this is an amazing opportunity to bring the president’s (Peter MacKinnon) dream into reality because it takes a great deal of forward thinking to recognize the First Nations have a rightful place in society and a rightful place in all of our institutions.”

Cardinal, who is of Métis and Blackfoot heritage, is a forerunner of philosophies of sustainability, green buildings and ecological design in community planning. His architecture springs from his observations of nature and his understanding that everything works seamlessly together.  

He has designed a number of notable buildings including the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, the First Nations University of Canada in Regina and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Cardinal shared the design theory, site plans and consultation process that will provide the U of S community with a state-of–the–art facility for lectures, celebrations and presentations as a way of promoting Indigenous culture.  
The Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre will be built in Wiggins Court between the Arts Tower and the Murray Library. Its 1,884 square metres will house both the Indigenous Students’ Council and the Aboriginal Students’ Centre with additional space for learning and ceremonies.

When completed, the centre will be “a vibrant inclusive gathering place for all,” said U of S President Peter MacKinnon.

Plans for the centre include tunnels connecting it to the Arts Building and a new link to the Health Sciences building.

The initiative was first considered in 1998 when NOVA Chemicals made a $1-million donation to the university specifically for Aboriginal student space. In 2006, the board approved hiring consultants to proceed with the design of the centre, and Douglas Cardinal Architect Inc. was chosen.

The design Cardinal produced for the U of S was described by the president as “a stunning piece of Aboriginal architecture.”

While the centre will be a celebration of Aboriginal culture and history, the president said the centre “will also be a place that encourages Aboriginal students to think of the University of Saskatchewan as their university too.”

The building in named for the late Gordon Oakes (Red Bear) was born in 1932 in the Cypress Hills on what is now called the Nekaneet First Nation. Throughout his life, he was a spiritual and political leader within his community and across the province.

Construction on the centre is expected to begin in the fall.

Note to editors: for photos, new architectural renderings and artwork, visit the U of S Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usask/sets/

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For more information, contact:
Mark Ferguson, University Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1851
m.ferguson@usask.ca

University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon has been named the first recipient of the Prime Ministers of Canada Fellowship, an initiative of the Public Policy Forum to enhance governance in Canada.

The fellowship, established to celebrate the forum’s 25th anniversary and recognize the contributions of Canada’s prime ministers to the governance of the nation, brings a prominent Canadian thought-leader to the forum for one year to help conduct research and convene informed dialogue about public policy and Canadian institutions.

“I look forward to Mr. MacKinnon joining us as the first Prime Ministers of Canada Fellow,” said David Mitchell, President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum. “His wealth of experience and respect for public institutions make him an ideal candidate to help lead the forum in its continuing work on governance and public service. Through this Fellowship, I know that he will make an impactful contribution.”

The forum notes that MacKinnon has had a long career of public policy leadership as a legal scholar and advisor to governments in areas of innovation and justice. He also serves as a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service.

“I am honoured to have received this recognition,” said MacKinnon. “I very much look forward to joining the forum and contributing to the important discussions about Canada’s public policy.”

MacKinnon was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in January 2012. He was a member of the federal Science, Technology and Innovation Council from 2007-2012, overseeing with McGill Principal Heather Munroe Blum the preparation of Council’s State of the Nations Reports. He served as chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada from 2003-2005.

MacKinnon joined the College of Law at the U of S in 1975, becoming a full professor in 1983. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990. He went on to serve as assistant dean and dean of law before his appointment as president and vice-chancellor in July 1999.

During his tenure as president, MacKinnon led policy changes to improve the university’s success as a competitive medical-doctoral institution. He oversaw major capital expansion at the university that included restoration of the historic College Building as well as construction and renovation of significant teaching and research facilities.

MacKinnon will step down as U of S president June 30 and will take up the position as the inaugural Prime Minister of Canada Fellow beginning in September 2012.

The Public Policy Forum is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of government in Canada through enhanced dialogue among the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Note to editors: A photo of MacKinnon is available upon request.

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For more information, contact:

Mark Ferguson
University Communications
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-1851
Email: m.ferguson@usask.ca

Eleven teams of aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Saskatchewan are now one step closer to winning the cash and support to start their own businesses.

The i3 Idea Challenge is designed to provide upcoming entrepreneurs with the chance to build a business. The event is hosted by the Wilson Centre – an educational institution at the U of S promoting innovation and entrepreneurship –and sponsored by Enterprise Saskatchewan, KPMG Enterprises, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration.

The finalists come from across campus, including the Colleges of Kinesiology, Agriculture and Bioresources, Engineering, Arts and Science, and the Edwards School of Business.

The top 11 finalists are:
- FarmLead Resources: A platform that allows for more proficient communication and connection between buyers and sellers of agricultural products.
- Garage Escapes: A garage community focused towards those who love their prized vehicles and need a special place to keep them.
- Gicki: A user-friendly all-in-one marketing platform for small business owners.
- Glovely Cleaning Solutions: A company that is bringing a new ergonomic dishcloth (CDN and U.S. Patent Pending) to the market to increase the efficiency of washing dishes.
- Independence: A private transportation company specializing in the safe and pre paid transport of seniors and disabled people.
- Konan Koalition: A non-profit organization designed to mitigate unnecessary pain and suffering in animals that cannot access veterinary treatment because of financial constraints facing their owners.
- Pawsitive Solutions: A service providing “Doggy Daycare” in Southeast Saskatoon.
- Pulse+: A gluten-free, nutritional snack bar that comes from simple ingredients produced by Canadian farmers.
- Renterra: A land rental auction website that offers tenders for land sanctioned by landowners which can then be bid on by prospective farmers. 
- Saskatoon Book: A used book exchange where students can buy and sell books without ever having to meet in person.
- Soldier Stands: A line of high quality, unique, customized microphone stands.

The top 11 teams will pitch their ideas live to the panel of judges on May 10 at the i3 Idea Challenge Finale where the top three winners will walk away with over $80,000 in cash and start-up services to launch their businesses.

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For more information, contact:
Nicole Kehrig, Marketing Coordinator
Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8675
kehrig@edwards.usask.ca

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN AND CAMPINAS, BRAZIL—Use of advanced internet technology to bring scientists and leading-edge research infrastructure together half a world apart was demonstrated today between the national synchrotron facilities of Canada and Brazil.

The experiment was initiated from Brazil by Peter MacKinnon, president of the University of Saskatchewan which is home to the CLS. The demonstration involved accessing the VESPERS beamline at the CLS from a computer at the LNLS and taking a series of scans of a tissue sample of Crohn’s Disease, including starting the experimental scans and receiving the resulting data.

“This is an amazing example of the new opportunities for research and collaboration available to scientists and graduate students both in Canada and Brazil thanks to this innovative technology developed at the CLS,” said MacKinnon. “It provides a powerful way for researchers at Canadian universities such as the University of Saskatchewan to exchange ideas and information in real time with colleagues around the world, thereby maximizing public investment in science facilities like the CLS.”

Another demonstration had Canadian and Argentinian researchers performing an experiment at the LNLS using LabWeb, the Brazilian remote access project that uses the new CLS-developed technology. In the same way, scientists located in their lab or office at a university in Brazil, for example, can access the CLS to run experiments directly or collaborate with Canadian researchers and students.

“This project opens a new frontier in scientific research since scientists can perform experiments from anywhere in the world, not only at the place where the laboratory is located,” points out Roque. “This is indeed the concrete realization of the concept of cooperation. From now on, researchers from Canada, Brazil and other countries will be able to exchange their expertise and knowledge working together in real time. This is a big step to improve the collaborative science.”

The CLS software innovation, funded by Canada’s CANARIE Network Enabled Program, has led to a suite of web-based applications called ScienceStudio that involves the University of Western Ontario, Concordia University, and IBM Canada.

“ScienceStudio is the result of the kind of innovation that can happen when partners from major science facilities, universities and industries work together,” notes CLS Executive Director Josef Hormes. “The Canadian Light Source and the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory are collaborating on a number of exciting projects that will benefit both of our country’s scientific communities.”

Using ScienceStudio, research groups can securely access and run experiments at ‘big science’ research facilities such as the CLS, collect data, collaborate on data analysis and interpretation of results, and schedule additional experiments. Currently, ScienceStudio is in use on a beamline at the CLS, the Nanofabrication Facility at the University of Western Ontario, and the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, California, as well as at the LNLS and Cenpes/Petrobras, an associated research centre in Brazil.

ScienceStudio and LabWeb are examples of joint projects undertaken by the two synchrotrons as the result of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2008. Another example is the collaborative development of the Brockhouse X-ray Diffraction and Scattering Sector beamlines at the CLS.

About the CLS: The Canadian Light Source is Canada’s national centre for synchrotron research and is a global leader and a recognized centre of excellence in synchrotron science and its applications. Located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, the CLS has hosted 2600 researchers from academic institutions, government, and industry from across Canada and 20 countries on over 5,200 user visits, delivering over 15,000 experimental shifts to users since 2005. CLS operations are funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. www.lightsource.ca/media/quickfacts.php.

About the LNLS: The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory is funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT). There, scientists from all over the world find excellent conditions to perform research at an internationally competitive level. Located in Campinas, State of São Paulo, LNLS makes its facilities available to users as a means of fostering science and technology. The infrastructure available to researchers includes beamlines with experimental stations installed at the synchrotron light source, high-resolution electron microscopes, scanning probe microscopes and nuclear resonance spectrometers. For more information:  http://www.lnls.br/

Note to editors:

A webcast of the demonstration is available at http://video-sciencestudio.lightsource.ca./ and a backgrounder is available at http://www.lightsource.ca/media/backgrounder_20120428.php A photo of Elder Matias who led the CLS software development team and University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. student Dong Liu is available upon request.

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For more information contact:

Matthew Dalzell
Communications Coordinator
Canadian Light Source Inc.
(306) 657-3739 Cell: +1 (306) 227-0978
matthew.dalzell@lightsource.ca

Claudia Izique
Communications Coordinator
Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Material (CNPEM)
Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS)
(19) 3512 1173/1250
claudia.izique@abtlus.org.br

Saskatchewan First Nations communities may soon breathe easier thanks to knowledge created by researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, and First Nations University of Canada, in partnership with the communities of Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation, and Montreal Lake Cree Nation.

“There are many factors that contribute to poor respiratory health in First Nations communities, such as housing conditions,” says U of S researcher Jim Dosman, who co-leads the research team. “The knowledge we create together will help us focus our resources and target our efforts to help communities improve the health of their people.”

The research team will look at conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea. Communities will work in partnership with the researchers to develop methods to help address these conditions and promote health. The team plans to start work in the partner communities this spring.

First Nations people suffer from rates of respiratory illness much higher than the general population. A variety of factors contribute to the situation, including limited access to health services, poor air quality, diet, obesity and overcrowded housing.

In Saskatchewan, 53 per cent of houses on First Nations reserves need major repairs. Poor housing conditions (e.g. overcrowding, dampness and mold) lead to higher rates of chronic bronchitis, sleep apnea, pulmonary disease and asthma. In children less than a year old, rates of hospitalization are two to three times higher than the Canadian average.

The team’s other co-leaders are U of S researchers Punam Pahwa and Sylvia Abonyi along with Jo-Ann Episkenew from the Indigenous Peoples’ Health Research Centre (IPHRC) at its University of Regina site. The IPHRC is a joint initiative of the First Nations University of Canada, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Robin, Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca

Maura Gillis-Cipywnyk, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8302
maura.gillis@usask.ca

The University of Saskatchewan’s Board of Governors has approved tuition increases that average 4.4 per cent across a variety of programs for the 2012-13 academic year. Tuition will constitute approximately 22.5 per cent of the university’s operating budget, and support core academic programs and services as well as improvements in teaching, learning, and the student experience.

Tuition level increases vary by program, but most programs will see an increase of 4.2 per cent or less. The approved tuition rate changes for specific programs include increases ranging from 0 per cent to 7.5 per cent for domestic undergraduate students, and 0 per cent to 9 per cent for domestic graduate students, with exceptions for three programs. (See attachment for detailed rate increases).
“These rate increases are comparable to previous years,” explained Brett Fairbairn, Provost and Vice-president Academic, “and will allow colleges to address supports for students such as financial aid, student advising, curriculum innovation, student counseling and, in some cases, hiring professors to achieve competitive student/faculty ratios.”

The University of Saskatchewan has been increasing financial assistance to graduate and undergraduate students, and in 2010/11 spent $32 million on scholarships, bursaries and awards for students.

New tuition revenue (a combination of the new rates and projected enrolment increases) is projected at $6.8 million in 2012-13.

The balance of the university’s operating revenue comes largely from the Province of Saskatchewan, along with interprovincial funding, investment and other income. The university’s 2012-13 operating budget will be announced in mid-May.

For more information on tuition at the U of S, including a factsheet and the 2012-13 rates, visit www.usask.ca/tuition.

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For more information, contact:

Robin Mowat, Communications Specialist
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-7815
robin.mowat@usask.ca

The University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing and the Sunrise Health Region have entered into a partnership to facilitate graduate nursing education opportunities in the region and to enhance professional practice.

In support of this partnership, Karen Semchuk, U of S professor of nursing and epidemiology, has been jointly appointed by the U of S and SHR as the new director of professional practice. Semchuk will work onsite with the SHR to provide leadership in professional practice and clinical education.

“This partnership will develop the Sunrise Health Region as a learning organization directly linked to the University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing,” said Suann Laurent, president and CEO of the SHR. “We are pleased to welcome Dr. Semchuk to our Sunrise Health Region team.”

Semchuk’s work with the region was made possible through the U of S College of Nursing graduate program. The support for distributed learning will allow Semchuk to continue to teach for the university while providing education opportunities in SHR.

“The purpose of this partnership is to stimulate a ‘learn where you live’ environment,” said Lorna Butler, dean of the U of S College of Nursing. “We hope that exposure to an educator such as Dr. Semchuk will encourage nurses to further their education and continue to meet the needs in building a healthier Saskatchewan.”

Semchuk will begin her new role on April 16, 2012.

For more information, visit the College of Nursing website www.usask.ca/nursing

The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan is planning for the future. A concept paper is being presented to faculty, staff and students this week and will be discussed internally over the next several weeks.

Dean Albritton stated, “Of all of the pillars of work within the college of medicine, teaching, research, administration and clinical service, the one that needs the most urgent attention for our survival as an academic institution, is research.”

Research drives international reputation for the university as well as the province. Research-intensive medical schools create more active and vibrant medical communities that in turn attract outstanding faculty and physicians. This is what is needed in the long term to ensure an exceptional academic and medical service infrastructure in Saskatchewan.

While changes may occur at the college, undergraduate and postgraduate (resident) medical students remain a top priority and are not expected to experience any disruption. Saskatchewan citizens are not likely to notice any change in their interactions with the university or their local healthcare providers. The university will work with government and the health regions to ensure the continuity of healthcare for the people of Saskatchewan.

“The College of Medicine is a priority for the university and for the people of Saskatchewan. The college has some challenges to face and together we have some decisions to make. The government has done its part, now it is time for the university to work toward our own ambitious goals,” said Fairbairn.

This is a long-term vision. A concentrated period of consultation will be followed by approval and implementation, which may take many months. Over time, the university expects these improvements to produce an influx of outstanding faculty, students, resident doctors and physicians for the university and the province.

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For more information, contact:

Sharon Scott, Communications Advisor
Human Resources
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2405
sharon.scott@usask.ca

Three pages by April 27: that’s what it takes to put aspiring entrepreneurs in the running for $50,000 to launch their business and make it reality.

“It has been a lot of work but it’s great to see our dream of starting our own business has come to reality” Rachel says, crediting the Tech Venture Challenge (then the BioVenture Challenge) with helping them get started.

“We realized through the business plan competition and the mentoring from the Industry Liaison Office that there is the broad range of skills we needed to develop to become entrepreneurs.”

Rachel also notes that while the $50,000 prize lured them to the competition, in the end they received more benefit from the education and mentoring as a part of being a finalist.

“Being a part of the competition gave us immediate credibility when approaching financial institutions and investors which helped us raise the capital we needed,” Chris says.

For her part, Shaw-Lennox and the team at the Industry Liaison Office is looking forward to seeing some novel ideas come forward in this year’s Tech Venture Challenge.

“Floating Gardens’ success shows how the winning combination of hard work and following the right process can turn a dream into reality,” she says. “We’re looking forward to welcoming this year’s entrants and helping them advance their own start-up dreams.”

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For more information, contact:

Lorna Shaw-Lennox
Startup Company Specialist
Industry Liaison Office
University of Saskatchewan
306-966-7338
lorna.shaw-lennox@usask.ca

Chris Buhler
Co-owner
Floating Gardens
306-292-7954
chris@floatinggardens.ca

Saskatoon – The University of Saskatchewan will need to decrease its expenses over the next four years in the face of budget pressures that include lower-than-requested provincial funding, salary and benefit costs rising faster than revenue increases, solvency and going concern pension issues, and the pressing need for capital renewal to support teaching, research and innovation.

“Prior to knowing what our provincial grant would be, we projected a shortfall of $10 million over the next planning cycle, which is 2012-2016,” said Fairbairn. “Now that we know what the grant is, our projected gap is more likely $12-15 million in 2012-13, and $20-40 million per year until 2016.

“Our challenge will be to remain focused on our institutional priorities as we work to close the gap between revenue and expenses. That said, our revenue sources are limited and our actions will centre primarily on reducing expenses. We need to think about what we will start doing, and what we will stop doing, but we must ensure that our solutions are sustainable in the long term.”

The provost pointed out that declining provincial funding is not unique to Saskatchewan, and that post-secondary institutions across the country are grappling with budget pressures similar to those being experienced by the U of S.

Fairbairn explained that budget decisions will be guided by the priorities outlined in the university’s recently approved third integrated plan, the academic mission of the institution and principles that include transparency, effective use of data and evidence, and decision-making at appropriate levels within the organization.

For more information, visit http://www.usask.ca/finances

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For more information, contact:
Mark Ferguson
University Communications
(306) 966-1851
m.ferguson@usask.ca

Saskatoon - The Diefenbaker Canada Centre (DCC) reopened its gallery doors to the public earlier today following extensive renovations made possible through a funding partnership between the Government of Canada and the University of Saskatchewan.

The newly renovated gallery features three in-house produced exhibits that address the Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker’s contributions in the area of human rights: The Diefenbaker Legacy; The Canadian Bill of Rights; and Unity, Diversity and Justice: Canadian Approaches to Human Rights. The exhibits weave personal and national stories that encourage visitors to explore the way human rights and civil liberties have come to be protected in Canada and how we as Canadians approach these topics.

“When he enacted the Canadian Bill of Rights, Mr. Diefenbaker was acknowledging that we have fundamental human rights as well as responsibilities, and that governments should respect those rights,” said Mary Eberts, Ariel Sallows Chair in Human Rights and U of S professor of law. “This was a bold decision, ahead of the rest of the Commonwealth and indeed much of the rest of the world. His encouragement to the fledgling culture of rights then growing up in Canada led the way to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the DCC on the U of S campus in September 2010 to mark the 50th anniversary of Canada’s Bill of Rights. The outcome of the occasion was a $1.33 million investment to rejuvenate the Diefenbaker Building. At the event, Harper described the former prime minister and U of S graduate John D. Diefenbaker as a man of dignity and passion as well as “a Canadian patriot to his core.”

Admission to the gallery is by donation and hours are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday - 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Thursday - 9:30 am to 8 pm
Weekends and holidays - noon to 4:30 pm

For more information, please visit www.usask.ca/diefenbaker

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For more information, contact:

Terresa Ann DeMong, Manager
Diefenbaker Canada Centre
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8382
terresa.demong@usask.ca

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are closing in on a needle-free vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of respiratory illness in children under two years of age.

For most children, RSV infection means a runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, light fever and mild headache. In young infants, the virus can cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis, with a severe cough, high fever, and difficult breathing. Where children have access to good care, including respirators to deliver supplementary oxygen, the outlook is usually good. Where they don’t, it’s a problem.

“In developing countries and in the northern part of Canada, a lot more babies actually die,” says van den Hurk, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the U of S College of Medicine and a research fellow at VIDO-InterVac (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre).

That may soon change. Van den Hurk and her team, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, have found that the vaccine candidate works in mice and cotton rats. The team recently received a $740,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to take the next steps.

The team delivers the vaccine through the nose, using a platform technology developed at VIDO-InterVac with funding from the Krembil Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The challenge is to vaccinate while (maternal) antibodies are circulating, because these antibodies can inactivate the virus and prevent infection, but also inactivate the vaccine,” van den Hurk says. “You have to formulate your vaccine to avoid that.”

Baby’s blood is full of mother’s antibodies acquired during pregnancy and breastfeeding. These antibodies recognize the vaccine as a threat and eliminate it before the baby’s own immune system can react. By avoiding the usual needle, the vaccine concentrates the immune response in the mucous membranes of the nose and lungs – exactly where the virus attacks – before maternal antibodies in the blood can deactivate the vaccine.

The vaccine candidate includes a protein from the surface of RSV. This protein is a molecular “lock pick” that allows the virus to gain entry into the cell, highjack its machinery, and establish an infection.
Since this protein is found on the surface of the virus, it’s an ideal candidate to prime the immune system to create antibodies against it.

Delivering a vaccine to the mucous membrane poses challenges: enzymes can break it down, and the respiratory system itself is designed to sweep out foreign substances. To overcome this, van den Hurk and her team combined the protein with two adjuvants – substances that help activate the immune system. Then, they packaged it all in a particle designed to stick around long enough to spark an immune response.

The technology has been licensed to the Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT), a National Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research, which is backing the technology through Phase 1 clinical trials. PREVENT conducts early stage clinical trials for promising vaccine candidates. This work is essential before vaccines can be commercialized.

Meanwhile, a focus of the CIHR grant is to unravel a mystery: when the vaccine formulation is put together, it works much better than any single ingredient alone.

“We find that when we put all these molecules together we get a synergistic effect, and we don’t yet understand why,” van den Hurk says. “With the new CIHR grant we will define the mechanisms responsible for this effect.”

Part of this will be to look at how the RSV vaccine and its components function in the respiratory tract. The team will also study how various types of immune cells are activated and migrate toward the site of vaccination.

Understanding how the vaccine components work together will provide further support for testing this RSV vaccine in humans and allow researchers to capitalize on the technology in future vaccines against other important diseases.

U of S VIDO-InterVac is a centre of excellence for vaccine development and research, with eight commercialized vaccines, six of which were world firsts. For more information visit visit: www.vido.org.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Robin
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1425
michael.robin@usask.ca

The W. Brett Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Saskatchewan wants to know who has a winning business idea that would impress the likes of Brett Wilson. Over $80,000 in cash and start-up services will be awarded to U of S students through the i3 Idea Challenge.

“There are so many talented, aspiring young entrepreneurs at the university, and we want to give them the resources to get their ideas up and running,” says Stephanie Yong, director of the Wilson Centre.

Over the past three years the i3 Idea Challenge has helped create 14 new business ventures and has awarded over $300,000 in cash and start up services to outstanding teams of student entrepreneurs. Past competitors include 3twenty Solutions, a company that converts old shipping containers into modular work-force housing, and Neechie Gear, a clothing company which supports the development of aboriginal youth-based sports teams.

The i3 Idea Challenge is open to all U of S students. In order to participate, students are asked to submit a three-page summary of their business idea and a three-minute video pitch to the Wilson Centre by April 27.

This year’s top three winners will receive prizes including $10,000, mentorship, office space and other start up services such as legal assistance, strategic planning, accounting assistance, web design, graphic design and printing.

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For more information, contact:

Nicole Kehrig, marketing co-ordinator
Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8675
kehrig@edwards.usask.ca

As a well-known historian, Barnhart has a long affiliation with the U of S.
He completed his BA (’66) in history at the U of S, and, after completing a
masters degree at the University of Regina, returned to the U of S to
complete his PhD in history (’98). From 2000 to 2005, he served as the U of S Secretary,
and later taught several political studies classes in the College of Arts and Science.

"Gordon Barnhart has been an outstanding representative for this province
and country over the past two decades, and we are thrilled that he is
returning to the University of Saskatchewan," said Peter Stoicheff, dean for
the College of Arts and Science. "The Department of History is a prestigious
and storied academic unit and Professor Barnhart will add another
distinguished layer to this department, our college and the university as a whole."

His 2001 book, Peace, Progress and Prosperity, provided the first detailed
biography of Saskatchewan’s inaugural premier, Thomas Walter Scott. He has
authored several other books, including Saskatchewan Premiers of the
Twentieth Century; Building for the Future: a photo journal of
Saskatchewan’s Legislative Building; and Parliamentary Committees: Enhancing
Democratic Governance in the Commonwealth.

“Gordon Barnhart is one of our most outstanding graduate student alumni and
I was very pleased to have the opportunity to appoint him to an adjunct
professorship,” said Lawrence Martz, dean for the College of Graduate
Studies and Research. “He embodies a rare combination of scholarly work and
public service that will make him a very special mentor for our graduate
students in history and other disciplines.”

In his role, Barnhart will contribute to the Department of History’s
activities by working on several book-length projects and supervising
graduate students.

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For more information, contact:

Kirk Sibbald
College of Arts and Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-1982
kirk.sibbald@usask.ca