Toronto, Ontario
April 8, 2002

$155 million invested across the country over the past week

Maurizio Bevilacqua, Secretary of State (Science, Research & Development) on behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry, Dr. Martin Godbout, President and CEO of Genome Canada, and Ronnie Gavsie, President of Ontario Genomics Institute, today announced the approval of thirteen new genomics research projects worth $118 million, $59 million of which will be provided by Genome Canada. The announcement was made at the Hospital for Sick Children where groundbreaking research on cystic
fibrosis and diabetes will take place as a result of today's announcement.

"Investment in genomics research is integral to Canada's Innovation Strategy," said Maurizio Bevilacqua. "By investing in the Ontario projects, Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute are helping to build Canada's research infrastructure, attract and retain world-class researchers in Canada and strengthen Canada's international research leadership. The knowledge gained will improve our quality of life in diverse areas, including health, nutrition and the environment."

"The research supported here in Ontario and across the country, will help place Canada among leading countries in the fields of genomics and boost the Ontario biotechnology industry," declared Dr. Godbout. "They will ensure that the region develops a critical mass of talent and activity which should lead to even more success in subsequent years."

Combined with the four other regional announcements made over the past week, Genome Canada has now approved thirty-four (34) new genomics research projects across the country, worth $311 million, half of which directly funded by Genome Canada.

"Today's announcement for Ontario, combined with those made over this past week for innovative, large scale genomics research in the Prairies, British Columbia, Atlantic Canada and Quebec, supports the Government of Canada's commitment to build a more innovative nation, and will help Canada rank among world leaders in research and development performance by 2010," said Allan Rock, Minister of Industry.

Under today's announcement, the Ontario Genomics Institute will receive from Genome Canada $800,000 for one agriculture project, $12.5 million for one bioinformatics project, $3 million for one environment project, $2.3 million for one forestry project, $1.4 million for one project related to the study of the ethical, environmental, legal and social aspects of genomics research, $33 million for six health projects and $6 million for two projects aimed at the development of new genomics technologies. In addition, Ontario Genomics Institute has also been awarded a joint health genomics research project with Genome Quebec, which was announced in Montreal last week. The research will lead to new ways to prevent diseases, more nutritious products and healthier animals and new informatics technologies and instruments that will be applicable in the world-wide genomics effort. A list of the newly funded projects in Ontario is attached.

In total, the projects are expected to provide employment to 180 researchers and technicians per year for the next 3 years, as well as training opportunities for 89 students and post-doctoral trainees for the same period.

"Ontario has an outstanding cadre of internationally respected genomics scientists," added Ronnie Gavsie, President of the Ontario Genomics Institute. "They are helping lay the foundations for new ways to prevent and treat disease and for new industries and knowledge-based jobs. The investments announced today will help give them the ability to conduct research at a scale and with an intensity that compares with the leading centres in the world", concluded Ms. Gavsie.

In April 2001, Genome Canada announced the approval of a first investment of $72 million to support genomics research in Ontario, half of which funded by Genome Canada. With today's announcement, Ontario Genomics Institute will have received, in less than a year, approval for over $190 million of genomics research projects, half of which is provided by Genome Canada.

Genome Canada is a not-for-profit organization, which has received $300 million from the Government of Canada in order to develop and implement a national strategy in genomics research for the benefit of all Canadians in key selected areas such as agriculture, bioinformatics, environment, fisheries, forestry, health and technology development. Ontario Genomics Institute, also a non-profit investment and management corporation, is dedicated to making Ontario a world leader in genomic research. The Institute works with the Ontario government, Genome Canada, research institutions and the private sector, to stimulate the discovery and commercialization of breakthroughs in this important field.

The science of genomics is, in essence, an effort to broaden our understanding of the genetic makeup of any living organism. Experts agree that, in the next 10 to 20 years, genomics will provide new methods for dealing with environmental concerns, disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and for managing natural resources and food supplies.

The projects announced today and over the past week were selected by the Board of Genome Canada on the recommendation of a panel of more than 150 international experts in genomics and ethics research. Each proposal was carefully assessed against a number of criteria, including: scientific excellence of the proposed research; quality and experience of the researchers involved; management and organizational effectiveness; and project financing.

In February, the Government of Canada launched Canada's Innovation Strategy, two papers that lay out a plan to address skills and innovation challenges for the next decade. The paper released by Industry Minister Rock was entitled Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity. It proposes goals, targets and priorities for Canada over the next decade to: create knowledge and bring ideas to market more quickly; ensure a skilled workforce in the new economy; modernize business
and regulatory policies while protecting the public interest; and, strengthen communities by supporting innovation at the local level. Today's announcement supports this strategy.

For more information about Canada's Innovation Strategy or to obtain a copy of either Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians or Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity, please call 1-800CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or visit http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca 

For more information on Genome Canada funded projects and the membership of the International Review Panel, visit the Genome Canada Web site at: http://www.genomecanada.ca/ 

1. Proteomics and Functional Genomics: An Integrated Approach
Total Project Cost $15,000,000
Genome Canada Contribution $7,500,000
Project Leaders: Brenda Andrews and Cheryl Arrowsmith

Certain bacteria and yeast have long been used by researchers as "model organisms" to study the fundamental mechanisms that characterize all living cells. In this project the researchers' goal is to exploit insights from these model organisms to understand the biology of normal and diseased human cells.

In the first part of their study, the investigators will characterize the genes and proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They will document how mutations in each gene affect of the molecules (called metabolites), which provide the cell with signals, energy and building blocks for cellular structures and record the effect of mutations on the growth, appearance and viability of the organism.

Through the use of existing technologies and new ones to be developed by the investigators, they will purify proteins in yeast and other organisms, such as the bacteria E.coli. They will create high resolution, 3-D structures of the proteins, study how these proteins interact in order to reveal the function of the proteins. To provide a more complete picture of the function of these proteins, the investigators will study which metabolites or other molecules bind to each protein.

By understanding the basic biology of a model cell, we will gain unprecedented insight into the proteins of human cells. This project will be led by scientists at the University of Toronto and will involve collaboration with several centers and consortia in the United States, as well as with the RIKEN Genome Sciences Center in Japan.

2. Viral Proteomics
Total Project Cost $10,486,066
Genome Canada Contribution $5,243,033
Project Leaders: James Guohua Pan and Don Awrey

This project will study a number of human viruses for which there are currently no adequate treatments. Specifically, they will perform structural analysis of the viral proteins and examine the interactions between the proteins of these viruses and human proteins, leading to new targets for therapies and a better understanding of anti-viral treatments.

This project will be led by Drs. James Guohua Pan and Don Awrey and represents a collaboration between scientists at Affinium Pharmaceuticals, an Ontario biotechnology company, and researchers at the University of Toronto and the Ontario Genomics Institute's Proteomics Core Facility.

3. Functional Genomics of Arabidopsis
Total Project Cost $1,628,546
Genome Canada Contribution $814,273
Project Leader: John Coleman

In plant biology, Arabidopsis thaliana has become the model plant of choice. Its complete gene sequence has been mapped and catalogued. The next step is to assign specific roles or functions to each of the genes.

Employing innovative techniques, including the use of robotic and new imaging technology, this project will allow researchers to examine thousands of genes at a time and look for novel and unusual patterns. This will help identify new gene functions and facilitate the improvement of Canadian crop plants.

This project, will involve a collaboration between the University of Toronto and Performance Plants Inc., an Ontario biotechnology company.

4. Functional Genomics of Type 1 Diabetes
Total Project Cost $10,870,128
Genome Canada Contribution $5,435,064
Project Leader: Jayne Danska

Type 1 diabetes is a growing, world-wide health problem for which there is no known cure. This project is focused on understanding the root causes of Type 1 diabetes, in particular, the genetic basis, which makes people susceptible.

To date, the ability to understand Type 1 diabetes, or indeed, many other similar diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, has been hampered by our understanding of two variables: the genes contributing to the disease and the biological pathways which these genes control.

Ongoing research with rodent models of Type 1 diabetes have identified genetic regions involved in the early stages of Type 1 diabetes. The researchers believe that the genes involved in the disease pathways in rodents are likely to be similar in humans. Genes identified in the rodent studies will be used as candidate genes for study in humans with Type 1 diabetes.

The investigators will study three well-characterized populations: 1) families from Newfoundland (where there is one of the highest rates of Type 1 diabetes in the world); 2) families of French origin in Quebec; and 3) families from a large North American clinical trial of Type 1 diabetics. This genome-wide integration of rodent and human Type 1 diabetes studies is aimed at identifying the genetic pathways that make people susceptible to this disease.

This project is a collaboration among the Hospital for Sick Children, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre, McGill University Health Center (Montreal Children's Hospital) and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

5. Genomic Analyses of Soil Microorganisms
Total Project Cost $5,862,145
Genome Canada Contribution $2,931,073
Project Leaders: Turlough Finan and Brian Golding

The soil bacteria, Sinorhizobium meliloti, attach to the roots of leguminous plants and reduce nitrogen gas to ammonia in a process called nitrogen fixation. The plants then use this ammonia to grow and so farmers often fertilize their crops with large quantities of nitrogen fertilizer to improve yields. However, excess fertilizer causes environmental problems once it contaminates fresh water sources. Since leguminous plants are of great importance to Canadian agriculture, the study of nitrogen fixation will
lead to ways to alleviate these environmental problems and reduce costs to farmers. While the genome for Sinorhizobium meliloti has been sequenced, the function of many of the bacterium's genes is unknown. This project will focus on these genes to determine their function and importance to the survival of the bacterium. Beyond the benefits for agriculture, this research will also contribute to our understanding of soil borne plant and animal diseases by allowing comparisons among the soil
microorganisms.

Led by researchers from McMaster University, the team will involve researchers at both McMaster and University and Waterloo, and will also benefit from associations with scientists at the University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, McGill University and at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec.

6. The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND)
Total Project Cost $25,000,000
Genome Canada Contribution $12,500,000
Project Leader: Christopher Hogue

The Human Genome Project has produced an unparalleled amount of data. However, it is recognized that proteomics - the study of proteins - will produce 1000 times the data generated by the Human Genome Project.

The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND) was created to manage this information. It contains information describing interactions between proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), fats, carbohydrates and other small molecules.

This project aims to enhance and manage BIND with a view to creating the world's most comprehensive and publicly accessible interaction database. This database will create a resource allowing researchers world wide to explore and investigate molecular mechanisms of life.

This project involves researchers from the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and the University of British Columbia.

7. Mapping and Isolation of Genes Influencing Severity of Disease in Cystic Fibrosis
Total Project Cost $6,728,404
Genome Canada Contribution $ 3,364,202
Project Leader: Lap-Chee Tsui

For the past 20 years, Canadians have been at the forefront of research into cystic fibrosis, by mapping and isolating the gene involved. While this disease is caused by a single gene, its severity cannot be explained simply by the mutation of that particular gene. Additional genetic factors (called modifier genes) and environmental factors are also thought to influence the symptoms and course of this disease.

In this project, the researchers will identify the modifier genes through a systematic analysis of the Canadian population with cystic fibrosis. This will involve collecting patient samples from across the country, updating and improving the cystic fibrosis patient registry, and mapping and analyzing genes thought to be linked to this disease.

A better understanding of the modifier genes will lead to new therapies for cystic fibrosis. The research findings may also help to explain molecular mechanisms in other diseases.

Led by scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, this project will also involve researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Montreal.

8. Fiber Optic Nucleic Acid Biosensor Based Gene Profiling: Proof of Principle by Screening for Drug Leads for Orphan Neurodegenerative Disorders and SNP Analysis
Total Project Cost $3,000,000
Genome Canada Contribution $1,500,000
Project Leader: Alex MacKenzie

Fiber Optic based Nucleic Acid (FONA) biosensor, a technology developed in Canada, allows for very detailed analysis of the structure and activity of complex genomes, including the human genome.

This technology is expected to be superior to other technologies because it is cheaper to use, may be reused hundreds of times and can detect low levels of nucleic acid. This project will establish a proof of principle for the FONA technology.

The use of the FONA technology will provide the ability to detect genetic abnormalities in newborns as well as cost effective screening for a number of inherited diseases and chromosomal anomalies. Once established, the technology has the potential for applications to a large number of other areas such as the assessment of water purity and food safety analysis.

Scientists at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario will lead this project in collaboration with researchers from the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, the University of Manitoba and FONA Research Labs of Virtek Vision International.

9. Genomics of the Spruce Budworm and its Viral Pathogens
Total Project Cost $4,653,298
Genome Canada Contribution $2,326,649
Project Leader: Arthur Retnakaran

Over the past few decades, the spruce budworm has become one of the most devastating insect pests afflicting Canadian forest industry, which contributes 20 billion to the Canadian GNP and represents 10% of all jobs in Canada. With the adverse environmental affects of chemical pesticides, research has turned to biological agents such as viruses and bacteria as a potentially environmentally safe control mechanism.

In order to enhance the activity of a virus, it is essential to understand the biology and genomics of the virus as well as its insect host. This project will examine the genomics of the spruce budworm and its viruses as well as the genomics of their interaction with a view to developing pest control strategies that are environmentally benign. Such research will impact not only the forest but also the pharmaceutical, veterinary and agricultural sectors.

The project will be led by scientists at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre of the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada located in Sault Ste. Marie.

10. The Stem Cell Genomics Project
Total Project Cost $11,133,406
Genome Canada Contribution $5,566,703
Project Leader: Michael Rudnicki

Stem cells provide the starting material for every organ and tissue in the body. In order to make most effective use of these cells researchers need to understand the factors that determine stem cell identity and that regulate their ability to form cells that make up different types of tissue.

This project proposes to identify the genes in mice and in humans that determine the identity of stem cells and their ability to replace other tissues. The findings will be disseminated to the research community on a website that will serve as a database of information on stem cells research and provide tools for data analysis.

This project will be led by researchers at the Ottawa Health Research Institute and the National Research Council of Canada and will be fully integrated with the Stem Cell Network, which is made up of 55 leading stem cell investigators across Canada. The project will also work closely with the Genome Quebec Montreal Genomics Centre and Genome British Columbia.

11. Genetic Determinants of Human Health and Disease
Total Project Cost $11,697,564
Genome Canada Contribution $5,848,782
Project Leader: Katherine Siminovitch

Lack of knowledge about the fundamental causes of most common diseases has greatly limited progress in developing better treatments and strategies for the prevention cure of such conditions. To address this problem, it is essential to identify the genetic factors, which predispose to disease.

This project is aimed at developing new research tools to expedite the disease gene discovery process. The research specifically targets Alzheimer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, malignant melanoma, hormone-dependent cancers and osteoporosis. The discoveries emanating from this research will lay the groundwork for identifying the genes responsible for other equally complex diseases and will accelerate efforts to translate genetic discoveries into improved diagnostic tools and therapies.

This project brings together university and hospital-based scientists from Canada, the United States and Europe. Canadian participation includes: Mount Sinai Hospital, the Toronto University Health Network, the University of Toronto, and Sunnybrook and Women's College Hospital.

12. Bridging the Emerging Genomics Divide
Total Project Cost $2,830,006
Genome Canada Contribution $1,415,003
Project Leader: Peter Singer

The purpose of this project is twofold: first, to conduct research that will ensure developing countries share the benefits of the genomics revolution (and thus prevent a "genomics divide" from developing similar to the "digital divide" in information technology) and second, to bring ethical, environmental, legal and social research to bear on the convergence of health and agricultural genomics.

The investigators will study the ethical strategies in multi-national pharmaceutical and biotech companies and make recommendations for good practices; create an ethical framework for genomics as applied to nutrition (nutrigenomics); conduct a case study of the "Enviro-Pig"; conduct courses on genomics and global health and develop a Commission on Genomics and Global Health.

This project is led by scientists at the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph.

13. Development and Applications of Functional Genomics Technologies
Total Project Cost $8,171,670
Genome Canada Contribution $4,435,835
Project Leader: James Woodgett

Microarray technology allows scientists to measure the activity of tens of thousands of genes, simultaneously. This information provides a highly detailed picture of the complex patterns of gene expression. Information from microarrays is being used to define new classes of cancers and other diseases, with the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment.

The University Health Network Microarray Centre, established in 1997, is Canada's first microarray laboratory, with the largest capacity in Canada. This project will expand the research program at the UHN Microarray Centre with emphasis on developing the next generation of microarray-based technologies.