Genome Canada, together with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is selecting large-scale applied research projects which focus on the application of genomic approaches to address challenges and opportunities in Canada’s natural resources and environment sectors, including interactions between natural resources and the environment, thereby contributing to the Canadian bioeconomy, a healthy environment and the well-being of Canadians.

Active in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Genome³⁶⁰ initiative provides access to the latest in sequencing and bioinformatics services and equipment. The initiative is building a genomics community to disseminate knowledge, working with educators to nurture a skilled workforce and providing an educational outreach program for youth. Plus, with storage, transport and a workspace, the electric-powered MOBILE lab brings genomics to the field.

Canada, especially Saskatchewan, is a leader in lentil innovation but it’s not geographically close to the markets that consume the most lentils. Given this reality, how can Canadian lentil producers gain an advantage and capture market opportunities? With Enhancing the Value of Lentil Variation for Ecosystem Survival (EVOLVES), researcher Kirstin Bett and her team are addressing this very issue.

David Zhang is a marketing professor with the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan. Backed with funding from Genome Prairie’s Societal Implications of Genomics Research program, he is examining existing research and conducting targeted consumer surveys to shed light on how communications and advertising strategies can change people’s minds and influence their purchasing decisions regarding GMOs.

Researchers Cheryl Waldner and Simon Otto are harnessing genomics to help livestock producers quickly match diseases to the most effective drugs and, in the process, helping to combat a looming threat to animal and human health. “The primary result will be precision use of antibiotics – quick and accessible information for veterinarians to tailor antibiotic therapy for individual pens of calves,” says Waldner.

GEN-FISH harnesses environmental DNA to manage Canada’s freshwater fish. Canada is home to almost 200 species of freshwater fish spread out over more than two million lakes covering about 7.6 per cent of Canada’s nearly 10 million square kilometres. University of Manitoba fish biologist Margaret Docker and her research colleagues want to catalogue them all (the fish, that is).

Following an announcement in Ottawa by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on April 23, Genome Canada launched the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN), a newly formed initiative backed by $40 million in federal funding. Led by Genome Canada, in partnership with the six regional Genome Centres, national and provincial public health labs, genome sequencing centres through CGEn, hospitals, universities and the private sector, CanCOGeN will coordinate and scale up existing genomics-based COVID-19 research in Canada and internationally in order to accelerate public impact.

Wheat accounts for a staggering 20 percent of all calories consumed throughout the world. As global population grows, so too does its dependence on wheat. To meet future demands, wheat productivity needs to increase by 1.6 percent each year – at the same time as climate change is causing temperature and precipitation changes that challenge established patterns. In addition, there is a need to ensure that productivity increases are achieved sustainably to ensure the long-term stability of the wheat-growing industry.

Climate change has focused attention on Arctic oil exploration and attendant fears of an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. Significant oil reserves are estimated to exist in the Arctic, yet recent decisions by major oil producers including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron signal that drilling in the Canadian Arctic is at least a decade away. This hiatus in offshore petroleum exploration and production in the Canadian Arctic offers scientists an important window of opportunity to develop emergency preparedness plans, and this window of opportunity must not be squandered.

The ReVAMP project aims to develop vaccines against two important infectious diseases of cattle: Johne’s disease and bovine tuberculosis. 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.

Read all about Genome Prairie's large-scale research projects impacting livestock, lentil crops, freshwater fish and bears; explore how genomics plays a role everywhere from your supermarket’s produce aisle to Canada’s North; learn more about our Genome³⁶⁰ initiative and our exciting rapid response to COVID-19 in the Prairies. Plus, look back at 20 years of our organization.