7th National Biotechnology Week
July 12, 2010 by admin
7ième semaine nationale des biotechnologies
July 12, 2010 by admin
Bioscience Education Canada Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 2
June 25, 2010 by admin
Volume 1 Issue 2
Welcome to the second newsletter of Bioscience Education Canada.
Bioscience Education Canada (BEC) is a national non-‐profit charitable organization with a mandate to improve the quality of bioscience education in Canadian schools and encourage more young Canadians to pursue studies and careers of Canada’s growing bioeconomy.
Become an Associate of BEC
For a donation of only $30, become a BEC associate and receive a charitable donation receipt. Associates have access to web casts of lectures; curriculum modules and field-testing opportunities for new resources as well as discounts to BEC hosted events.
Continue reading the Bioscience Education Canada Newsletter (pdf)
Bioscience Education Canada appoints Program Director
June 24, 2010 by admin
The Board of Directors of the Bioscience Education Canada (BEC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Legault as Program Director, effective June 21, 2010.
Mr. Legault has worked at BEC as the program coordinator for the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge in the greater Toronto area since 2003. He served as chair of the
2nd Annual National Bioscience Educators’ Conference (NBEC) is 2008 and as co-chair for NBEC 2009. He has also been responsible for organizing the annual lecture series
sponsored by The Biotechnology Initiative and Merck Frosst’s “Exploring Minds” workshops.
“We are delighted that Tony has agreed to take on additional responsibilities as program director at BEC,” said Mr. Jeff Graham, Chair of the Board. In his new role, Tony will be responsible for directing BEC’s current programs and developing new initiatives to interest more young Canadians in careers in biotechnology.
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BEC’s flagship program, the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, receives one of 12 honourable mention awards
May 13, 2010 by admin
BEC’s flagship program, the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, received one of 12 honourable mention awards in the 2010 Global Best Awards for the Americas region, presented by The Conference Board of Canada in collaboration with the International Partnership Network.
“The awards celebrate outstanding partnerships that have a significant impact on the communities in which they operate,” said Michael Bloom, Vice-President, Organizational Effectiveness and Learning.
The awards were announced on April 28 at the 10th International Education Business Partnership Conference in Toronto.
Saskatchewan Science Prodigy, 14, Astonishes Canada’s Scientific Elite with Research on Crop-Killing Disease, Wins National Biotech Competition
April 27, 2010 by admin
News Release – Contact: Mr. Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712; +1-416-538-8712; terrycollins@rogers.com
For release: 1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, April 27, 2010
At 1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday April 27, Canada’s top student projects in biotechnology research will be announced at National Research Council headquarters, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. Media are invited to attend the announcement in person or via teleconference (dial 1-303-664-6043, conference ID 8309014). Short, informal descriptions of each project are available online at http://sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca
- Youngest-ever finalist at national level event takes 1st Place Prize
- Students from Saskatoon, Guelph, Fort St. John, Ste-Foy, Winnipeg and Ottawa collect prizes in Canada-wide high school competition
- Judged by eminent experts at National Research Council, Ottawa
Research by a 14-year-old science prodigy from Saskatoon into the molecular fingerprint of a disease that has devastated lentil crops in Canada, Asia and Africa has earned the top national prize of the 2010 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC).
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Green tea extract offers new treatment for ovarian cancer
April 22, 2010 by admin
Ovarian cancer is the most serious of all gynecological cancers. Over 2500 Canadian women are diagnosed every year and every year 1,700 women succumb to this disease.
Like many cancers, ovarian cancer involves the inexplicable runaway growth of blood vessels and cells. Finding a way to slow or stop that runaway growth is something that fascinated and challenged Guelph’s Brian Krug.
After extensive review of scientific literature, Brian learned that catechin, a plant compound found in green tea, is known to inhibit cell growth and has had some positive results on other cancers.
Brian tested the effectiveness of various concentrations of catechin on rats with ovarian cancer. After careful measurements of the tumours, blood vessels and other indicators, he discovered the highest doses of catechin increased the growth of cancer cells, something which had not been seen before.
“I was very surprised to learn that high doses of catechin could have opposite effects from low doses in regards to blood vessel growth,” he says.
However he did determine that lower doses — 20 mg of catechin per kg of body weight (one fifth of the highest doses tested) — do indeed have preventative effects for ovarian cancer and could be useful in the treatment of advanced tumors.
Destined for medical research, Brian says the competition has been an excellent preparation for university and a future career in research.
14-year-old looks to genetically fingerprint a lentil-killing fungus
April 22, 2010 by admin
At just 14, Rui Song has become a fixture on the winners’ list in the Saskatchewan regional SABC.
While still at Greystone Heights Public School, she won the Junior Division twice – in 2008 and 2009 – and the streak continued this year, Rui’s Grade 9 year at Walter Murray Collegiate Institute.
Her winning project was an effort to find molecular markers that can tell the difference between two closely related types of the fungus Colletotrichum truncate (Ct), that attacks lentil crops.
Though almost identical genetically, one race attacks lentils far more aggressively, causing 50% losses in some areas.
A genetic method of differentiating the two races will save time and money for agricultural researchers, allowing rapid evaluation of Saskatchewan lentil fields to warn farmers about the race of Ct in their area, while assisting efforts to develop resistant lentil varieties.
Rui said that while her project did not uncover the definitive identifier that solves the Ct riddle, her research into 50 of the 2,000 potential genetic markers provided a promising direction for more detailed research in future.
And for Rui Song, there’s always next year. “I love the field of molecular genetics and this competition provides a unique opportunity for someone like me to do high-level research guided by mentors who are some of the best minds in their field.”
Coffee extract offers new potential treatment for Alzheimer’s, Quebec teens show
April 22, 2010 by admin
Coffee extract offers new potential treatment for Alzheimer’s, Quebec teens show
The number of Canadians with Alzheimer’s disease may double to 1 million by 2025, according to predictions.
That’s motivation enough for two science prodigies from Ste. Foy to test a new treatment based on a coffee extract called SIG 1012.
One cause of Alzheimer’s is thought to be an excess of phosphate attached to a protein that forms an important part of brain and nerve tissue.
Through a series of complex tests, Reda Bensaidane and Alexandre Lemieux, both 16, determined that the coffee extract reduced the amount of phosphate attached to the proteins, opening the door to a potential new Alzheimer’s treatment.
Challenges were many: Alex and Reda attend different schools (Jean-Eudes and École Secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, respectively), and a 30-minute drive separates their homes.
One of the best parts of SABC was the judging process, they said, and the opportunity to discuss their projects with experts in the field. “The questions they ask are really interesting and sometimes lead to discussions where there is no good or bad answer,” says Reda.
Both teens say they are destined for careers in medicine or medical research. “This experience gave us a heads up to what is waiting for us. And we love it.”
Searching for medical uses of Arctic algae before they disappear
April 22, 2010 by admin
When most people think about the impact of climate change on Canada’s Arctic biodiversity they think about the plight of the polar bears. Adrian Howie thinks about the other end of the food chain – Arctic algae.
His interest began with an investigation into the effect of increased carbon dioxide levels on microalgae, a project that won 2nd place in last year’s Nova Scota regional SABC.
This year, the Grade 11 student at Citadel High School, Halifax, identified compounds in various Arctic algae species that can benefit human health, winning the chance to represent his province at the 2010 national finals.
“Climate change is having profound impacts on the Arctic environment,” said Adrian, 17. “We don’t really know what affect the warming oceans will have on Arctic algae so we should be moving quickly to identify species that can benefit humanity before the environment is permanently altered.”
Working with mentor Dr. Stephen Ewart of the NRC Institute for Marine Biosciences in Halifax, Adrian tested 10 Arctic algae species for compounds with health-promoting properties — antioxidants, anti-diabetics, immunomodulators, anti-inflammatories and anti-carcinogens.
The tests revealed four compounds with the potential for health benefits as well as one extract that affects both the nervous system and heart function. Experiments on cancer cells and zebra fish discovered two species of algae with the ability to kill cancer cells while not harming healthy cells.
Says Adrian: “With so many positive results from such a small number of species, I think this is an area that definitely deserves further study before we start to lose some of these potentially valuable resources.”