Four Saskatchewan organizations will receive $590,000 in funding from Ag-West Biotech Inc.
to further projects in human health, environmental remediation and cereal genetics, Ag-West
President Peter McCann announced today. The recipients of this funding reflect the scope of
endeavor in the agbiotech industry, McCann says. These organizations are pursuing opportunities that are redefining and expanding what we think of as agriculture.

Prairie Plant Systems of Saskatoon will use its $150,000 equity investment to develop specialized plants for mine site revegetation and to expand its program at its biosecure growing facility located deep in a mine at Flin Flon. This program will examine therapeutic plant proteins for their potential in treating cancer.

Also on the human health front, Termidor Corporation will receive $150,000 to further test its plant extract, Termidol V, and to isolate the extract’s active ingredients. Initial testing shows Termidol V is effective against Herpes Simplex A, the virus that causes cold sores. It also holds promise in treating Herpes Simplex B, which causes genital herpes.

In animal health, Ag-West is investing $240,000 in Saskatoon Colostrum Company to support the entry of HEADSTART, its colostrum-based product for the cattle and dairy industry, into the U.S. market. Colustrum is the milk produced just before and after calving. It contains high levels of antibodies that prime the calf’s immune system to fight off infections. HEADSTART is currently being marketed in Canada and Germany.

Ag-West is also providing $50,000 in strategic bridge funding to support a cereal genetics joint project between the NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute and the National Science and Technology Board of Singapore. This project is aimed at putting transposon gene constructs into wheat and barley and analyzing the resulting transgenic plants. Transposons are genes that easily insert themselves into chromosomes. A construct includes the transposon, plus a promoter that helps turn the gene on, and a marker to allow researchers to locate the gene after it is in the chromosome.

Ag-West Biotech Inc. offers direct funding and support programs aimed at fostering a strong and vibrant agbiotech industry in Saskatchewan. Investment funds are provided through Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, augmented with returns from previous investments.
Reliance on provincial government funds has been reduced from $400,000 annually to $300,000 annually due to returns on previous investments.

An example is Bioriginal Food & Science Corporation, who bought out Ag-West’s equity investment in December of 1998 for $200,000. Bioriginal is a manufacturer of nutraceutical products, most notably those derived from the borage plant. Its stated mission is to produce the world’s cleanest, highest quality essential fatty acid and plant-based health management products. The company recently outgrew its offices at Innovation Place and moved to larger facilities. It also owns two processing plants, at Asquith and Speers.

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