Genome Canada, together with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is seeking proposals for 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.

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.

This 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.

Bast fibres such as hemp, linseed flax and kenaf are grown in North America for their oil seeds, used in foods, cosmetics and lubricants. The crops need minimal herbicides, pesticides or irrigation, making them both affordable and environmentally friendly – but until now, there has been little demand for the fibres left over after the oil seeds are extracted. Increasingly, however, these fibres are being used in industrial markets, providing a secondary income stream for farmers.

Chemical contamination of our ecosystems is regarded as one of the planet’s greatest threats. Regulatory agencies and businesses are tasked with managing these chemicals but face significant challenges due to the sheer number of chemicals for which toxicity data are required. In fact, over 100,000 chemicals require evaluation worldwide. It has become increasingly apparent that current risk assessment strategies that rely heavily on animal testing, and are prohibitively time-consuming and expensive, are not able to address these regulatory mandates. EcoToxChip proposes to develop, test, validate and commercialize quantitative PCR-based arrays (EcoToxChips) to address an urgent need for advanced toxicity testing tools that are accessible, affordable, consistent and reliable.

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.