Current Projects
Improving Crop Yield and Stress Resilience
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization forecasts that world food production will have to increase by 70 per cent by 2050 to meet the needs of a growing global population. This challenge is exacerbated by such factors as diminishing… Learn More >
Innovating the growth of lentils
Lentils may be tiny, but they are an outsized source of opportunity for Canadian farmers. Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of lentils, exporting more than $14 billion worth of lentils since 1997. Lentils are eaten around the world, easy-to-cook, and high in protein and micronutrients, thus contributing to global food security. Learn More >
Improving sustainability of wheat
Wheat accounts for a staggering 20 per cent of all calories consumed throughout the world. As global population grows, so too does its dependence on wheat. To meet future demands, productivity for wheat needs to increase by 1.6 per cent each year – at the same time as climate change is causing temperature and precipitation changes that challenge established patterns. There is, in addition, a need to ensure that productivity increases are achieved sustainably to ensure the long-term stability of the wheat-growing industry. Learn More >
New vaccines to fight disease in cattle
Infections are a leading cause of sickness and death in cattle, causing direct economic losses to producers and even more serious losses associated with international trade restrictions (as seen with mad cow disease) and decreased public confidence in food quality. This project aims to develop vaccines against two important infectious diseases of cattle, Johne’s disease and bovine tuberculosis. Learn More >
Canola is more than big agribusiness — it’s huge. It is Canada’s fastest growing crop and generates one-quarter of all farm cash receipts. Canola oil has high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids making it a favorite among health-conscious consumers. The oil is also light and tasty making it the oil of choice for many chefs and food processors. Once crushed for its oil the remaining seed provides a high protein feed supplement for animals. The sector contributes $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy annually; it also supports some 250,000 jobs and $12.5 billion in wages. Learn More >
One of the most promising uses of biofibres is in combining them with a resin to make a biocomposite. These biocomposites are particularly valuable in the automotive industry, where their light weight, recyclability and sound insulation offer advantages over other materials. The market for biofibre composites is expected to grow by more than 10 per cent per year during 2014-19. Learn More >
EcoToxChip 2016-2019
EcoToxChip: A toxicogenomics tool for chemical prioritization and environmental management
Drs. Niladri Basu of McGill University, Markus Hecker of University of Saskatchewan, and Doug Crump at Environment and Climate Change Canada are leading a team to develop, test, validate and commercialize EcoToxChip, a technology that provides an accessible, affordable, consistent, and reliable platform for chemical evaluation. A user-friendly bioinformatics portal (EcoToxXplorer.ca) and an end user-validated technical guidance document will help ensure its uptake. The EcoToxChip will speed testing activities by seven-fold, and reduce the number of animals used for testing by 90 per cent. Together, the EcoToxChip and EcoToxXplorer.ca will make ecological and chemical risk assessment more cost-effective, timely, informative, and ethical. Learn More >
Thanks to reduced sea ice cover and ice-free summers, the Northwest Passage has never been so busy, leading to greater risk of accidental releases of diesel or bunker fuel or other transportation-related contaminants. In addition, Arctic oil exploration is leading to fears of an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. Marine microbial communities can help clean up, or bioremediate, oil spills in the south, where it is warmer. Drs. Casey Hubert of the University of Calgary and Gary Stern of the University of Manitoba are leading a team that will use microbial genomics to generate credible, science-based evidence on the role and potential of bioremediation to deal with oil spills in the cold, ice-laden Arctic Ocean. Learn More >
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus that can cause infections and clinical diseases in humans. Of particular concern are transplacental infections in pregnant women resulting in significant medical disorders including microcephaly (incomplete… Learn More >