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Genome Alberta: Accelerating Agricultural Innovations Program

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We would like to let you know about a funding opportunity shared with us by Genome Alberta that may be of interest. Although this opportunity focuses on Alberta and benefits to that province, Genome Alberta are keen to connect with Ontario agriculture and agri-food teams that are working/interested in working with Alberta collaborators. This could be a way to build on existing collaborations/projects, or get projects in the pipeline started. Statements of Interest are due to Genome Alberta on January 2, 2022, so if interested, please contact Ryan Mercer, Manager of Programs and Business Development at Genome Alberta: email – RMercer@genomealberta.ca.

More Information from Genome Alberta

Genome Alberta are working to advance Alberta’s agriculture and agri-food sectors through genomics innovation with an exciting and unique funding opportunity! They are working closely with Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) to identify innovative projects capable of delivering genomics (including other -omics and bioinformatics) applications that will benefit producers and/or the industry. Projects will be expected to have a direct impact on Alberta’s agricultural industry (e.g., livestock, crops, food safety), addressing priority areas including (but not limited to): enhanced productivity, profitability & competitiveness; sustainable and responsible agricultural production; and addressing market demands (e.g., food safety & quality, value-added product development). Up to $750 K per year is available for each project with a 1:1 co-funding requirement.

Genome Alberta is currently soliciting Statements of Interest (SOI) from the research community for investment consideration and we want to hear from you. SOIs will be reviewed for priority alignment and feasibility – research activities with the capacity to deliver concrete impacts within a year period will be given priority. For more information and template forms, please see our website: Innovation in Agricultural Genomics.

Interested parties should submit the completed Statement of Interest Form to Genome Alberta by 11:59 pm on January 2nd, 2022. If you have any questions around the program intentions and parameters, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ryan Mercer, at RMercer@genomealberta.ca.

AcCELLerate-ON: Food Innovation with Cellular Agriculture Competition

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Introducing Canada’s first regional food innovation with cellular agriculture competition

AcCELLerate-ON Food Innovation with Cellular Agriculture Competition

30 November 2021 – With a potential result of food innovations that will create billions in economic value for Canada and environmental benefit for the world, Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) and Ontario Genomics today announced AcCELLerate-ON, Canada’s first regional cellular agriculture competition. Designed to spark food innovation, this $700,000 program will support the research and development of viable food production methods such as cell culture, precision fermentation, tissue engineering, scaffolding and hybridizing production capabilities.

“With this first regional cellular agriculture competition, CFIN and Ontario Genomics are challenging traditional production methods to find new innovative ways to bring food to the table, to the benefit of the environment and all Canadians.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

The Opportunity of Food Innovation with Cellular Agriculture
In addition to proteins, enzymes, flavour molecules, vitamins, pigments and fats, that can be incorporated with existing products to create new value-added goods, cellular agriculture food innovation can create a wide variety of foods produced through precision fermentation (i.e., dairy, eggs, chocolate, honey, vanilla) as well as cultivated food products (i.e., red meat, poultry, seafood, pet food and others).

“Because of recent advances in food science and bioengineering, we’re at a point where cell-multiplier techniques may offer the world a viable avenue to reduce its environmental footprint while producing additional food to sustain growing global populations,” says Dana McCauley, Chief Experience Officer at CFIN. “Ontario Genomics’ national report on the opportunities for Canada in cellular agriculture food production is persuasive and identifies that if Canada acts quickly to find ways to use new and existing technologies to build capacity, it can become a global leader in this field.”

“This competition is an exciting boost to ensure innovative cellular agriculture technologies get closer to market in Ontario and the world,” says Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO at Ontario Genomics. “Canada has an up to $12.5 billion a year food innovation opportunity on the horizon. Making sure promising companies and academics receive the right support at the right time can catalyze Ontario’s leadership and support the creation of up to 142,000 jobs nationwide.”

Please see the AcCELLerate-ON page for the “Open Call for Applications,” important dates and contact information.

Competition details and key dates:

  • Competition Guide available: November 30, 2021
  • Online Info Session: December 14, 2021
  • Applications accepted until February 28, 2022
  • Project start date: May 1, 2022
  • Project duration: 12 to 18 months
  • Project funding from $150K to $200K

Please contact Laura Riley, Manager, Sector Innovation and Programs, Ontario Genomics at lriley@ontariogenomics.ca for more information.

Cellular Agriculture Report Identifies Billions in Annual Economic Opportunity for Canada Over the Next Decade

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Momentum in cellular agriculture is advancing globally; now is the time for Canada to capitalize on an up to $12.5 billion emerging way to make food and create 142,000 jobs.

Toronto, Nov 23, 2021 – Today, at the 2021 Canadian Science Policy Conference, Ontario Genomics\’ President and CEO, Dr. Bettina Hamelin, announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind Canadian report: “”

Cellular agriculture presents a significant global opportunity to diversify food production while complementing existing traditional production approaches. Cellular agriculture is underpinned by to create food products and materials for numerous sectors in new and sustainable ways.

“Cellular agriculture products are already on the grocery shelves in several countries around the world,” said Dr. Bettina Hamelin. “The response has been growing consumer demand and huge industry momentum for these new and innovative products made in sustainable ways. With all the right ingredients, Canada is well-positioned to act on this window of opportunity to step up and enhance resilient food supply chains, at home and abroad.”

Led by Ontario Genomics and developed and written in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, this report features extensive stakeholder input and an economic analysis, providing critical considerations for Canada\’s emerging cellular agriculture industry.

“It is reasonable to expect that the market for cellular agriculture products will be in the billions over the next ten years, and with exponential growth, even in the tens of billions,” said Dr. Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, University of Guelph. “As consumers in Canada and beyond diversify their food choices, Canadian-made cellular agriculture products will both lessen Canada\’s dependence on imports of these goods and increase our capacity to export to the world.”

Based on stakeholder consultations, as well as a review of literature and publicly available information, the report identifies three inter-connected actionable opportunities for Canada to capitalize on this rapidly expanding and high-potential global market expected to approach US$100 billion in the next decade.

To achieve success in Canadian-made cellular agriculture, Canada should develop a national vision and strategy for this emerging industry in the near term. Canada should also develop a clear and transparent regulatory framework, quickly building on existing processes to evaluate and approve cellular agriculture products while maintaining its current rigorous regulatory process and food safety standards. Providing supporting mechanisms for research and commercial development should be prioritized to incentivize domestic research, innovation, training, and company creation.

“To compete in this multi-billion-dollar global market, Canadian entrepreneurs need support towards commercialization of their cellular agriculture technologies and to attract venture capital funding,” said Alison Sunstrum, CEO and Founder, CNSRV-X Inc. “This is one of few emerging sectors that could create an entirely new market. To thrive, companies need access to capital, infrastructure, mentorship and talent.”

By taking action on the priorities outlined in this report, Canada has an opportunity to diversify and grow its food and agriculture sector, become a leader in the new global landscape, meet sustainability and food security goals, and reap the benefits from new global economic markets.

Ontario Genomics Landing Pad Investment Program

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Ontario Genomics is pleased to announce that the Landing Pad Investment Program is now open for applications. This program seeks to provide investment and support to help Ontario-based genomics and engineering biology companies to start and scale successfully. To enable this, OG is offering support to start-ups that attend an approved International Accelerator Program and return to Ontario upon completion. The Landing Pad Investment Program partner IndieBio (San Francisco & New York), offers a minimum of $275,000 USD upon acceptance to their program, and is backed by the global venture capital firm SOSV.

  • Successful applicants will receive a $100,000 investment from Ontario Genomics
  • Companies will benefit from mentorship which may include: regulatory pathway assistance, global outlook and connections, understanding of export markets, business model strategy, technical development, funding and foreign investment.
  • Companies can be connected to Ontario’s leading incubators and support organizations such as Velocity, Synapse, McMaster Innovation Park and Ryerson’s SDZ.

Eligibility, Guidelines and Funding

Please see the Landing Pad Investment Program webpage for information on the investment opportunity, eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria and the application process.

Contacts

Britney Hess, Manager, Investment and Venture Development
Email: bhess@ontariogenomics.ca

Ontario Genomics-CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science Request for Applications

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We are pleased to open the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Ontario Genomics-CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science. This Postdoctoral Fellowship will provide salary support for up to two years for an early career investigator pursuing research in the areas of statistical genetics or genetic epidemiology. In this call for applications, we seek to support research projects that deepen our understanding of genomic epidemiology of infectious disease, using genomics for pathogen surveillance or host-virus genetic interaction.

The Fellowship offers two-year salary support for up to $50,000 per year for postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research. Candidates are responsible for selecting, contacting, and securing the commitment of two mentors to jointly supervise them in their project.

Applicant Eligibility

  • Postdoctoral fellows with a PhD in the fields of statistics, computational biology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, epidemiology, engineering, mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
  • Two proposed supervisors from different academic divisions at a CANSSI Ontario member university or at any of their affiliated research institutes, where at least one supervisor is a faculty member with a PhD in statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, computational biology, genomics, or computer science.

Research Project Eligibility

  • Research projects in genomic epidemiology of infectious disease, using genomics for pathogen surveillance or host-virus genetic interaction; although all applications in the areas of statistical genetics or genetic epidemiology, developing new methodology or using existing methodology in innovative ways, may be considered; final selection is at the discretion of the adjudication panel.
  • Funding eligibility of submissions will be assessed based on defined eligibility criteria related to scientific excellence and innovation by a joint adjudication panel.

Funding and Tenure

  • Up to two years at $50,000 maximum per year.

We expect to fund the highest ranked candidate.

Guidelines and Deadline

Contacts

Ontario Genomics
Michael Dorrington, Manager, Strategic Partnerships
Telephone: 416.673.6562
Email: mdorrington@OntarioGenomics.ca

CANSSI Ontario
Esther Berzunza, Program Manager
Telephone: 416-689-7271
Email: esther.berzunza@utoronto.ca

Ontario Genomics-CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science

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August 30, 2021: We are pleased to announce a partnership between Ontario Genomics and the Ontario regional node of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI Ontario) to establish a joint Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science.

This partnership aims to help solve challenges in genomic epidemiology and statistical genetics, with applications that address infectious diseases being prioritized. This partnership aims to increase capacity in genomic epidemiology and statistical genetics by attracting, retaining, and developing Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in Ontario with expertise in quantitative fields such as statistics, computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, epidemiology, engineering, genetics, or mathematics. This award will support a post-doctoral fellow pursuing research that deepens our understanding of genomic epidemiology and statistical genetics, with applications studying infectious diseases or which uses genomics for pathogen surveillance or host-virus genetic interaction being of special interest.

The Fellowship offers two-year salary support for up to $50,000 per year for postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research at a CANSSI Ontario member university or at any of their affiliated research institutes. Candidates are responsible for selecting, contacting, and securing the commitment of two faculty members to jointly supervise them in their project, one being a statistical geneticist or genetic epidemiologist.

Funding Availability
Up to two years.

Maximum Fellowship Value
$50,000 per year for up to $100,000 over 2 years.

Call for applications opens September 15, 2021.

Ontario Genomics is a not-for-profit organization leading the application of genomics-based solutions to drive economic growth, improved quality of life and global leadership for Ontario. Ontario Genomics plays a vital role in advancing projects and programs by supporting the development of their proposals, helping them access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception in 2000, Ontario Genomics has raised more than $1.27 billion for genomics applied research in Ontario and directly supported more than 9,100 trainees and jobs. We have 110+ active projects, 500+ impactful partnerships and have secured $1.34 billion in follow-on investments.

CANSSI Ontario is the Ontario regional centre of CANSSI–a national institute offering the leadership and infrastructure necessary to increase and further develop statistical sciences research in Canada and promote the discipline. CANSSI Ontario seeks to support data-intensive, interdisciplinary research and strengthen the network of statistical and data scientists in Ontario and across Canada. www.canssiontario.utoronto.ca.

Contact:

Ontario Genomics
Michael Dorrington, Manager, Strategic Partnerships
Telephone: 416.673.6562
Email: mdorrington@OntarioGenomics.ca

CANSSI Ontario
Esther Berzunza, Program Manager
Telephone: 416-689-7271
Email: esther.berzunza@utoronto.ca

Ontario Researchers Receive Over $39 Million to Support Innovative Research and Technology Development in Natural Resources and Environment Sectors

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Toronto, July 27, 2021 – Ontario Genomics announces a total investment of over $39 million into the Large Scale Applied Research Program (LSARP) projects from across Ontario that will help address the impact of climate change and pollution.

Genome Canada announced funding for eight Canadian projects under the Genomic Solutions for Natural Resources and the Environment competition with an overall budget of $58.6 million. Five of the eight projects involve Ontario researchers, with over $39 million of the nationwide budget being received by provincial researchers.

Ontario Genomics plays a vital role in advancing these projects by supporting the development of their proposals, helping them access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Global Risks Report 2020 from the World Economic Forum ranked biodiversity loss as one of the top five threats confronting humanity. The University of Guelph’s BIOSCAN-Canada project is harnessing new genomics technologies to make DNA barcoding faster and less expensive. This will help slow biodiversity loss, improve Indigenous relations through consultation, increase the sustainability of our agricultural and forestry sectors, and strengthen Canada’s leadership in global conservation efforts.

“By illuminating biodiversity with genomic approaches, BIOSCAN–Canada will foster environmental sustainability in settings spanning our nation – from agriculture in New Brunswick to forestry in British Columbia and wildlife management in Nunavut.” Dr. Paul Hebert, Director, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph.

In Canada, 29,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the environment and oceans every year, creating severe environmental problems. Another 2.8 million tonnes of plastic are sent to Canadian landfills, which creates a latent problem for future generations. A Queen’s University project is working to drive a shift to a zero-plastic waste future by harnessing genomics technologies to create a circular economy for plastics. This project will identify and engineer bacteria and enzymes that can break down plastics into recyclable components or into valuable fine chemicals more effectively than chemical conversion-based technologies.

“Through open science our team of 21 investigators from across 6 universities will develop a systems approach to innovate toward a zero-waste plastic future: from genomes to new enzymatic processes, fully integrated with environmental, social, economic, and policy research to facilitate uptake.” Dr. Laurence Yang, Assistant Professor, Queen\’s National Scholar in Systems Biology.

In collaboration with Genome Alberta, the TRIA-FoR project will adopt a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary and integrative approach to develop genomics-informed knowledge, tools and application frameworks that mitigate risk for the present mountain pine beetle epidemic and improve resiliency in future epidemics. The current mountain pine beetle epidemic has killed approximately 20 million hectares of mainly lodgepole pine forests in British Columbia and Alberta and this project aims to use genomics-based solutions to help remedy the situation.

Learn more about these LSARP projects:

LSARP 2020

Sewage Surveillance: Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Wastewater across Ontario

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Ontario Genomics, University of Guelph, University of Ottawa and CHEO announce a game-changing initiative to analyze COVID-19 in wastewater to improve public health response and better understand outbreaks in communities across Ontario.

June 2, 2021 – Ontario Genomics, Genome Canada, and Illumina are investing in a first-of-its-kind SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance initiative across Ontario. This cutting-edge project will enhance critical province-wide coordination and viral surveillance and support provincial and national efforts to understand how the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is changing over time.

This project is made possible through an investment of over $338,000 from Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics and Illumina. The funding supports Ontario-wide research efforts, led by Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, University of Guelph, and co-led by Dr. Rob Delatolla, University of Ottawa. It also harnesses the power of an extensive network that consists of members and collaborators from across Ontario and Canada, including the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), University of Waterloo, University of Windsor, Ryerson University, Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) among others.

“I am proud of Ontario’s leadership in SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in wastewater. Through a coordinated approach, leveraging the province’s deep genomics resources and capacity, this project will provide early signals of worrisome viral changes and equip public health with evidence for timely decision making,” said Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO, Ontario Genomics. “Our end-to-end view of Ontario’s genomics ecosystem has enabled Ontario Genomics to break down silos and harness genomics expertise in the fight against COVID-19.”

Since the start of the pandemic, many countries have been using wastewater monitoring to identify potential outbreaks before they are detected in people through clinical testing. SARS-CoV-2 can be recognized in human waste up to a week before individuals develop symptoms and in people who remain asymptomatic but may spread the virus. By collecting fecal matter at key wastewater collection sites (for example, long-term care facilities, schools, universities, etc.), we can get an early warning sign at the population level and pre-empt further spread by local public health interventions.

“Using wastewater surveillance to assist in predicting COVID-19 caseloads in Ontario is an excellent example of how genomics research was adapted in the face of the pandemic. This demonstrates how sustained, long-term investments in genomic research prepare us for the unexpected,” said Dr. Rob Annan, President and CEO, Genome Canada. “Genome Canada looks forward to helping leverage this important initiative into national solutions for future pandemic readiness.”

Several jurisdictions in Canada, including Ontario through it’s wastewater surveillance initiative, have been using a surveillance technology (qRT-PCR) to monitor SARS-CoV-2 levels over time. By leveraging modern genomic techniques (metagenomics), this project will enable researchers to identify known Variants of Concern (VOCs) while also staying ahead of the curve on potential new emerging viral changes that could become concerning. Participation of the research team in the wastewater surveillance initiative and strong partnerships between the research team and public health agencies ensure that the results will be shared for rapid actioning as necessary.

“I want to thank Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics and Illumina for their leadership in detecting Variants of Concern through this project, which will support Ontario’s wastewater surveillance initiative by enhancing how we track the spread of the virus,” said Hon. Jeff Yurek, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “It is through investments and partnerships like this one, in addition to the government’s COVID-19 wastewater surveillance initiative, that we are able to expand wastewater sampling and analysis provincewide and enable more timely decisions about how and where to mobilize resources in response.”

“Only a small percentage of clinical samples in Ontario are being sequenced to identify VOCs,” said Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, who holds the Leung Family Professorship in Food Safety and is the director of the University of Guelph\’s Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. “This timely funding from Ontario Genomics and Genome Canada, and Illumina will allow for surveillance of VOCs in wastewater, increasing our knowledge regarding which VOCs are circulating in the general population.”

“We will now have a province-wide proven epidemiological tool to identify signs of viral prevalence ahead of an outbreak,” said Dr. Robert Delatolla, Associate Professor, uOttawa Faculty of Engineering and project co-lead. “It will prove to be an asset to local public health units in our shared fight against SARS-CoV-2.”

“With this investment, public health officials and researchers will be able to better interpret the wealth of public health data that we flush down the toilet every day,” said Dr. Tyson Graber, Research Associate, CHEO Research Institute. “It\’s amazing how quickly this scientific field has matured since the beginning of the pandemic; starting from basic research projects in university labs to a surveillance programme used by public health units across Ontario, providing a clearer picture of how COVID-19 is affecting their community. It is a stellar example of how open science and collaboration across disciplines can benefit all Ontarians.”

Key Facts

    • Wastewater surveillance can provide critical information about COVID-19 community spread sooner than individual test results or reports of illness.
    • Genomics, the study of DNA for innovation-driven solutions, plays a critical role in developing COVID-19 surveillance, diagnostics, vaccines, and public health responses.
    • Variants of Concern or VOCs have mutations that make them more transmissible and/or more likely to cause severe disease with a higher mortality rate.
    • Metagenomics enables the detection of all variants of SARS-CoV-2 in a mixed sample, such as that found in wastewater, allowing for population-level surveillance of the variants circulating in a population or community.
    • This $338,000 investment supports the coordination of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance metagenomic resources across nine partner research centres and institutions across Ontario, in addition to the national Public Health Agency of Canada (National Microbiology Laboratory).
    • Funding partners include Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics, and Illumina.

Additional Quotes

“Illumina is proud to take part in supporting this effort to empower researchers and public health experts with the sequence data of SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The added detail provided by Illumina-enabled whole genome pathogen sequencing approaches will better inform Ontario’s infectious disease surveillance strategies and prime the network for a longer-term strategy for broader pathogen surveillance.” – Michael Gallad, Senior Director, Canada and Latin America, Illumina.

“The University of Guelph is delighted and grateful to Ontario Genomics, Genome Canada, and Illumina for the generous support for this incredibly timely, cutting-edge viral surveillance partnership. This wise investment will reinforce our strong partnership with University of Ottawa and enable Professors Goodridge and Delatolla to conduct vital genomics-based surveillance for viral pathogens, and thereby safeguard public health and improve life.” – Dr. Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research), University of Guelph.

“The University of Ottawa is extremely grateful for this funding from Ontario Genome, Genome Canada, and Illumina, which will allow the expansion of wastewater surveillance across the province. This novel project has shown how strong multi-site research collaborations can have a relevant impact in our communities.” – Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research, University of Ottawa.

“This province-wide program to monitor for COVID-19 variants of concern is a testament to the pioneering multidisciplinary scientific work of the team at the CHEO Research Institute and University of Ottawa in partnership with Ottawa Public Health. Together they have made wastewater numbers a commonly reported metric and have helped people predict the prevalence of disease in the community.” – Dr. Jason Berman, CEO and Scientific Director, CHEO Research Institute.

About Ontario Genomics

Established in 2000, Ontario Genomics (OG) is a not-for-profit organization leading the application of genomics-based solutions to drive economic growth, improved quality of life and global leadership for Ontario. Ontario Genomics plays a vital role in advancing projects and programs like wastewater surveillance by supporting the development of their proposals, helping them access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception in 2000, Ontario Genomics has raised more than $1.27 billion for genomics applied research in Ontario and directly supported more than 9,100 trainees and jobs. We have 110+ active projects, 500+ impactful partnerships and have secured $1.34 billion in follow-on investments.

About the University of Guelph

One of Canada\’s top comprehensive and research-intensive universities, the University of Guelph spans urban hubs and rural communities. Established in 1964, the University enjoys a reputation for innovation and excellence dating back more than 150 years to its founding colleges: Ontario Veterinary College, Ontario Agricultural College and Macdonald Institute. Today U of G’s seven colleges conduct leading-edge teaching and research in the physical and life sciences, business, arts, social sciences, and agricultural and veterinary sciences. We have nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in Guelph, Toronto and Ridgetown and 185,000 alumni in more than 160 countries worldwide. The University of Guelph, and everyone who studies here, explores here, teaches here and works here, is committed to a simple, shared purpose: to Improve Life.

About the University of Ottawa

A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe.

About CHEO

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it’s needed. CHEO is a partner of the Kids Come First Health Team, a network of partners working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated system for pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

 

Download the Press Release pdf – Sewage Surveillance: Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Wastewater across Ontario

Ontario Agriculture & Agri-Food Sector to Benefit from Provincial Investment

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May 3, 2021 – The Government of Ontario and other partners are investing nearly $27 million into five Ontario Genomics-led and co-led projects in the Large Scale Applied Research Program (LSARP) with applications in the agriculture and agri-food sector. This Genome Canada program supports large-scale genomics applied research projects using genomics approaches to address challenges in Canada’s key economic sectors and create socio-economic benefits for Canada. The provincial government invested over $4 million with additional funding from Genome Canada ($9.7 million) and industry and research partners for a total of $27 million in support for these job-creating projects.

Ontario Genomics plays a vital role in advancing these projects by supporting the development of their proposals, helping them access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception in 2000, Ontario Genomics has raised more than $1.27 billion for genomics applied research in Ontario and directly supported more than 9,100 trainees and jobs. We have 110+ active projects, 500+ impactful partnerships and have secured $1.34 billion in follow-on investments.

Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector supports one in eight Ontario jobs and accounts for over 30% of Canada’s total GDP.

“While Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector is strong and growing, its demands and challenges are also rising. Global food insecurity, competition, and technological disruptions are on the rise because of epidemics, climate change, and economic constraints. Fortunately, genomics-based innovations and technologies provide significant opportunities to advance and modernize Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector for a critical competitive advantage.” – Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO, Ontario Genomics.

“As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, our government is committed to investing in projects that support research and innovation in the agri-food and agriculture sectors. By investing in projects supported by Ontario Genomics, our government is supporting research and technological advances in the sector to ensure the sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food sectors.” – Ross Romano, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities.

One of the projects funded in this round, the “GEN-FISH” project, led out of the University of Windsor, is using genomic approaches to develop toolkits based on so-called environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples that will provide quantitative assessments of the health of fish and the stressors they face. Collectively, these toolkits will enable a complete and accurate assessment of the status of Canada’s freshwater fish resources. This will save millions of dollars in fish survey costs and will result in additional indirect savings through more effective and directed management action. Furthermore, and most importantly, this project will ensure the sustainability of Canada’s freshwater fish resources for generations to come. This project has already piqued the interest of numerous industries in the environmental sector.

“Despite freshwater fishes being critical for Ontario’s economy, food security and aquatic ecosystem health, over 25% of its freshwater fish species are considered “at risk.” The Genomic Network for Fish Identification, Stress and Health (GEN-FISH) brings together 25 experts from across Canada to address the startling loss of fish biodiversity using genomic tools integrated with cutting-edge social science methods. Our work will help stakeholders effectively conserve and manage fish stocks through assessment of fish community composition and health, facilitated by extensive collaboration and consultation with fishery professionals.” – Dr. Daniel Heath, Project Lead & Professor, University of Windsor.

“The project strives to enhance local capacity by supporting traditional ecological knowledge preservation and inclusion to ensure outcomes address local research priorities, specifically food security and subsistence fisheries, and potential opportunities for sustainable economic development options. FISHES will work closely together with traditional knowledge holders and scientists, local and regional governments, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs and Fisheries and Oceans Canada on seven species of fish across the North (including Northern Ontario) to establish new methods for stock identification and delineation of mixed stocks to enhance sustainable co-management for communities.” – Dr. Stephan Schott, Project Co-Lead & Associate Professor, Carleton University.

Another project that has been funded, aims to use genomic tools to develop BeeCSI – a new health assessment and diagnosis platform powered by stressor-specific markers. “Our Ontario and Genome Canada funded project will help us develop tools that beekeepers can use to understand the stressors affecting their colonies. This will be of great benefit to beekeepers who are losing a large number of their colonies every winter to unknown causes. The funding is also very timely as COVID-19 has hit beekeepers particularly hard.” – Dr. Amro Zayed, Project Lead & Professor, York University.

Our 4DWheat project is important because wheat alone provides 20% of the proteins and 20% of the calories of the world’s population. Canada is one of the largest wheat exporters of the world. With 1 million acres planted to wheat in Ontario and a farm-gate value of $440 million, Ontario is incontestably an important contributor. “This is why Canada, and Ontario, feed the world. However, in order to continue to be the leader that we are, we must address the yield gap. Indeed, there is a disparity between population growth and food production prediction for the next 30 years. To address such gap, 4DWheat is exploring the potential to improve wheat by accessing genetic diversity from wild relatives. 4DWheat is a ‘thinking outside the box’ project that aims to harness Diversity, advance Domestication, enable Discovery and expedite Delivery.” – Dr. Sylvie Cloutier, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Co-lead of the 4DWheat project.

The dairy cattle resilience project led by Dr. Christine Baes is making strides in the agri-food industry. “The Resilient Dairy Genome Project addresses a number of important issues related to human and animal health, environmental impacts, sustainability and social acceptability, while responding to the growing need for safe, affordable, nutritious and high-quality protein. The genetic selection index for resilience under development will allow more accurate selection for fertile, disease resilient and environmental efficient animals. This approach will result in wider benefits to Canadian society, like reduced reliance on antibiotics, better animal welfare, reduced methane emissions and reduced land required for feed production. The strong partnership between academia and industry, including over 40 national and international partners, will ensure the collection of new data, and broad application of project outputs for the benefit of Canadian and global food security and sustainability.” – Dr. Christine Baes, Project Lead & Associate Profession, University of Guelph.

Learn more about these five funded LSARP projects:

Major Investment in Genomics Research and Industry to Improve Ontario Healthcare and Environment

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May 3, 2021 – The Government of Ontario is investing nearly $3 million in three Ontario Genomics-led projects as part of the Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP). This program funds industry-partnered projects that use genomics tools and technologies to address real-world challenges and opportunities with the intent to create numerous downstream impacts for Ontario, such as job creation and revenue generation. Additional funding from Genome Canada ($4.2 million), industry and research partners brings the total investment into these projects to $13 million.

Ontario is a world leader in genomics research, producing breakthroughs in science and transforming our understanding of the world around us. Genomics technologies and applied research are already being used to tackle important challenges and develop innovative solutions across diverse sectors of the economy, including human health and the environment.

Ontario Genomics plays a vital role in advancing these projects by supporting the development of their proposals, helping them access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception in 2000, Ontario Genomics has raised more than $1.27 billion for genomics applied research in Ontario and directly supported more than 9,100 trainees and jobs. We have 110+ active projects, 500+ impactful partnerships and have secured $1.34 billion in follow-on investments.

This investment will support researchers at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children. In collaboration with industry partners, including Bright Angel Therapeutics and Nanostring, these genomics-based projects will have real, positive impacts on our healthcare system, as well as the environment and well-being of Canadians.

“Partnerships between the researchers and industry are the cornerstone of Ontario’s thriving innovation community. By supporting the development and uptake of new technologies that provide game-changing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, Ontario Genomics is helping to nurture healthy people, a healthy economy, and a healthy planet for generations to come.” – Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO, Ontario Genomics

“Our government is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Ontarians. By investing in Ontario Genomics, we’re supporting significant advancements in research and innovation in the healthcare sector to ensure Ontarians have access to state-of-the-art healthcare services and technologies. These projects aren’t only aimed at improving the healthcare and wellbeing of Ontarians, but also putting Ontario on the map as a global leader in research and innovation in the healthcare sector. ”- Ross Romano, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities.

“With GAPP funding, in partnership with NanoString and SickKids, we are excited to be developing a novel diagnostic test that will allow us to uncover the molecular pathways that are driving each patient’s cancer. This test is the first of its kind and will help us to optimize targeted therapy for cancer patients from across Ontario,” said Dr. Cynthia Hawkins, Project Lead & Neuropathologist, The Hospital for Sick Children.

“SickKids is pioneering the development of diagnostics that utilize both protein and mRNA biomarkers to identify patients who will respond to targeted therapies. Their selection of nCounter® as the platform of choice for this effort shows its unique potential to gather meaningful, high-quality multi-modal data to advance precision medicine for kids with cancer,” said Sean Ferree, Vice President of Customer Experience, NanoString. “It\’s an honour to receive GAPP support and to work together to better understand the characteristics that make treatments effective.”

“Bright Angel Therapeutics is very grateful for the support from Ontario Genomics in securing the GAPP investment.   The partnership with the University of Toronto gives the company access to state-of-the-art genomic tools, expertise and resources to assist us in advancing our lead antifungal drug development program from the bench to the bedside.  Government investments, such as this one, provide vital resources to early-stage companies that enable them to build out their technology platforms, position themselves for subsequent private investment rounds and build out the innovation ecosystem.” – Dr. Dominic Jaikaran, President & CEO Bright Angel Therapeutics

“This investment will catalyze the translation of genomics-driven fundamental science focused on discovery of vulnerabilities in fungal pathogens into new strategies to overcome drug resistance and treat life-threatening fungal infectious disease.” – Dr. Leah Cowen, Associate Vice President, Research, University of Toronto.

Learn more about the three funded GAPP projects:

  • Targeting fungal stress responses to provide first-in-class treatment for drug-resistant fungal pathogens (Receptor – Bright Angel Therapeutics): This project will develop a novel anti-fungal drug that will tackle drug resistance at its root. This new treatment option would help fill an urgent, unmet clinical need, reduce morbidity and mortality caused by fungal infections, and provide significant savings to the Canadian healthcare system, which currently spends $345 million on treating invasive fungal infections.
  • Field Validation of Technologies for Anaerobic Benzene and Alkylbenzene Bioremediation (Receptor – SiREM): This project aims to demonstrate the efficacy of a broad set of novel and specialized anaerobic bioaugmentation cultures in pilot trials at three different benzene contaminated sites. The team will use metagenome-enabled analysis, groundwater modelling, and tracking of the microbial populations and functional genes to improve overall remediation outcomes and restore ecosystem health.
  • NanoString nCounter® Vantage 3D platform-based complementary diagnostic tests for precision medicine in pediatric cancers (Receptors – The Hospital for Sick Children and Nanostring): To best guide therapeutic choices, this project aims to amalgamate proteomic data with genomic and transcriptomic information to create laboratory-developed (LDT)-complementary diagnostics for the most common pediatric cancers. Additionally, this project has international (NanoString) and Ontario-based (SickKids) co-receptors deriving benefits from this diagnostic technology.