Genome Canada’s Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) competition seeks to support research projects that focus on disruptive innovations with the potential to advance the field of genomics and eventually lead to social and/or economic benefits to Canada. For the purposes of this competition, a disruptive innovation is defined as either a new genomics technology or the application of an existing technology from another field, applied to the field of genomics. These Innovations must be truly transformative in that they have the potential to either displace an existing technology, disrupt an existing market, or create a new market.
Launched on June 11, 2015, the DIG initiative exists to capture true disruptive innovation and translate it to improve human health, agriculture, and natural resources.
Funded Ontario DIG Projects
On February 4, 2019, The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced the funding recipients from Genome Canada’s Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) Phase 2 competition to improve human health, agriculture, natural resources. Ontario Genomics led five (5) of the seven (7) awarded projects – driving $4.4 million of federal funding into the province and an additional $9.5 million in investments by industry, the Ontario government and other funding partners, for a total of $13.9 million. This investment will support the development of prototypes of the disruptive innovations developed in Phase 1 of the program.
- RapidAIM: A technology to rapidly assess the effects of compounds on individual microbiomes
- AbSyn Technology for Identification of Synergistic Cancer Targets
- Beyond the Genome: Transcriptome Based Diagnostics for Rare Diseases and Cancer
- Interactome mapping of disease-related proteins using split intein-mediated protein ligation (SIMPL)
- Development of a digital microfluidic platform to identify and target single cells from a heterogeneous cell population for lysis in an ultra-low volume for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis
On December 09, 2016, the Government of Canada announced the investment of $9.1 million in Disruptive Innovation in Genomics to improve human health, agriculture, natural resources. Ontario Genomics led twelve (12) of the awarded early-stage feasibility (Phase 1) projects:
- AbSyn technology for identification of synergistic cancer therapeutics genomics
- RNA-seq in patient derived ex-vivo models: Genetic diagnostics beyond whole exomes
- Massively parallel single molecule protein sequencing in situ
- RapidAIM: A high-throughput assay of individual microbiome
- Development of advanced genetic toolbox for Sinorhizobium meliloti to enable genome scale engineering
- Cell biosensors for rapid screening of insect attractants
- Economical high throughput de novo whole genome assembly
- Development of SIMPL, a novel protein-protein interaction assay based on split intein for biomedical research
- Solid-state nanopore-based quantification of low-abundance biomarkers
- Functional genomics in human cells for drivers of lethal metastatic human cancers
- Development of a digital microfluidic platform to identify and target single cells from a heterogeneous cell population for lyses in an ultra-low volume
- SANGRE-seq (systematic analysis of blood gene regulation by sequencing) – bringing RNA-seq to clinical diagnostics
Ontario Genomics led two (2) of the awarded prototype development (Phase 2) projects: