AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CANADIAN GENOMICS ENTERPRISE

CHRIS BARKER

CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

GENOME PRAIRIE

• Genome Canada incorporated in 2000.

• 6 regional centres including Genome Prairie.

Genome BC

Ontario Genomics

Institute

Genome Quebec

Genome

Atlantic

Genome Alberta

Canadian Genomics Enterprise

•10 Science and Technology Innovation Centres

•160+ Genomics Projects

•$2 Billion Investment

•7 Key Economic Sectors: Agriculture, Energy,

Environment, Fisheries, Forestry, Health and

Mining

Large-Scale Applied Research Program (LSARP)

• Annual or bi-annual competitions

• Sector specific

• 2014 Feeding the Future

• 2015 Natural Resources and the Environment

• 2017 Health

• Academic led research teams

• $2-10M over 4 years 1:2 co-funding

Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP)

• Semi-annual intake

• Non-Sector specific

• Partnership between an Industrial “User” and an Academic

Researcher

• Designed to “pull” technology from the lab bench to the store

shelf

• $300k - 6M

• 6 months to 3 years 1:2 co-funding

Genome PrairieOur goal is to support stakeholders across Manitoba and

Saskatchewan in capturing the benefits of advanced research in

genomics and related biosciences.

PROJECT

DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT

MANAGEMENT

STAKEHOLDER

ENGAGEMENT

Genome Prairie: By the numbers

Total

Projects 20

GP-led GC Projects 15

Non-GC Projects 5

Total project investment $197M

Person years of HQP employment +1,500

Publications +850

Increasing the benefits and

versatility of flax by developing

genomic-based tools to assist in

crop breeding, to improve field

performance and to enhance

seed and fibre traits.

TOTAL UTILIZATION OF FLAX GENOMICS

TUFGEN: BY THE NUMBERS• $11.8M investment in flax research

• 12 PI’s across Canada in 5 provinces

• 1 complete reference genome

• 407 re-sequenced varieties

• 45,000 genes identified including those responsible for many

fibre traits

MICROBIAL GENOMICS FOR BIOFUELS AND CO-PRODUCTS

FROM BIOREFINING PROCESSES

MGCB2 project researchers are

finding novel ways to turn waste into

renewable resources such as biofuels

and bioplastics.

MGCB2: BY THE NUMBERS• $10.6M Project

• 10 Canadian PI’s and 7 International Collaborators

• 20 microbial strains characterized

• Genomics

• Proteomics

• Metabolomics

• Identification of strains and the molecular pathways that result in the

production of PHA’s

Thank you

Questions?