Category Archives: Transhuman News

Materials Genome Initiative
Project Description: The Materials Genome Initiative, announced by President Obama in June 2011, recognizes the importance of materials science to the well-being and advancement of society...

By: NanoBio Node

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Materials Genome Initiative - Video

UBC researcher helps decode turtle genome
A UBC researcher, John Abramyan, has discovered tooth-specific genes in the genome of the western painted turtle, even though turtles lost their teeth almost...

By: UBC

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UBC researcher helps decode turtle genome - Video

June 3, 2013

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

While sweets maker Mars Inc. isnt necessarily known for producing the worlds finest chocolate, scientists at the company may have opened the door to better tasting cocoa and a more productive plant.

According to a report in the open access journal Genome Biology, researchers from the candy bar maker in collaboration with several other research institutions have just sequenced the genome of the most commonly cultivatedcacaoplant in the world. Previous research had shown that one species of the cocoa tree has more than 28,000 protein-coding genes. By comparison, humans have around 23,000.

The new study describes the sequence of a more common variety known as CCN 51, and will likely lead to real changes in the industry. Grown in Latin America, CCN 51 accounts for massive parts of the Brazilian, Peruvian and Colombian economies.

Cocoa beans are harvested from red, purple, orange, yellow, and green colored pods. The Costa Rican Matina variety produces one of the worlds finest chocolates from its mature green pods.

While CCN 51 is known for its high yields and is robust disease resistance, its red pods create chocolate with a more acidic, less desirable flavor than other varieties. The discrepancy is a problem for farmers who grow the variety, especially for the small farms that provide over 90 percent of the worlds supply.

Some have tried to cross-breed CCN 51 with Matina trees, however, the quality of those hybrids remains inferior to the pure Matina, and crossbreeding often produces duds that dont yield any cocoa pods at all.

Because of its high yield and disease resistance, the most ubiquitous clone in large cacao plantations in Latin America is CCN 51, the researchers wrote in the study. Unfortunately, it has a rather undesirable flavor profile because of its high acidity and astringency, and also because it lacks desirable floral aromas.

In the study, the researchers sequenced the genome of the Matinavariety and then performed a genetic analysis to identify a gene on the fourth chromosome that is involved in pod color variation. They also found that a single DNA letter change in the gene can affect levels of the genes expression, resulting in the pods color change.

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Cocoa Tree Genome Opens Door For Better Tasting, More Productive Plants

Sequencing the genome of the most popular cacao plant in the world could lead to higher-yield plants and better-tasting chocolate.

The project, published in open access journal Genome Biology, was led by Juan C Motamayor who works for food company Mars Inc in the field of cacao sustainability and genome sequencing in order to improve the value of cacao crops.

By sequencing the genome of the Costa Rican Matina plant then comparing it with other varieties the research team was able to isolate the gene involved in pod colour variation. Further examination of that gene showed a single letter chance which affected the colour of the pod.

The team has since been seeking to identify further genetic markers associated with higher quality and better taste.

Analysing seedlings for particular genetic markers would mean that unsuitable or substandard crops could be picked out before farmers spend time and resources cultivating them, thus increasing the value of their produce.

Original post:
Cacao genome sequenced for tastier chocolate

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jun 3, 2013) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced the launch of a new Genome Canada program designed to move genomics-based solutions from laboratories to the marketplace. The Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) is also intended to stimulate investment from private and public partners to fund projects that address real world challenges and opportunities in the field of genomics.

"Our Government recognizes that genomics science is at the core of the economic activity of life sciences research," said Minister Goodyear. "More than ever before, the field of genomics is equipping Canadian businesses with cutting-edge science and technologies that are not only helping to address the challenges we face but are also driving economic growth and creating high quality jobs."

The GAPP is Genome Canada's newest flagship partnership program that will increase collaboration between genomics scientists and "users" of genomics research (industry, government, non-profit or other organizations). The Harper Government, through Genome Canada, is committing $30 million to the program, and through regional Genome Centres, will leverage additional funding from partners and industry, rendering this a $90 million investment in made-in-Canada genomics research and development.

"The program was designed based on extensive consultation both with the genomics research community and the community of users of genomics research to ensure it was meeting clearly defined needs," said Dr. Pierre Meulien, President and CEO of Genome Canada. "We expect the GAPP to result in early-stage products, tools and processes that will bring genomics research to application and market, thereby stimulating Canadian innovation."

To further bolster Canada's genomics research enterprise, Minister Goodyear also announced $29 million in renewed funding for five world-class genomics research facilities located across Canada. This funding renewal comes after a rigorous review of the Centres' operations by an International Review Committee. The Science and Technology Innovation Centres provide access to genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatics technologies not only for Genome Canada-funded projects, but also for the broader research community. In addition, the Centres assist scientists by advising on research study design and the appropriate technologies required to carry out their research proposals.

To help achieve important future genomics research breakthroughs, Economic Action Plan 2012 provided $60 million for Genome Canada to launch its new GAPP program, and to sustain the Science and Technology Centres until 2014-15. Of this total, $26 million is attributed to the GAPP, $29 million is provided to renew the operations of Genome Canada's five Science and Technology Innovation Centres and $5 million to support Canadian leadership on two international consortia, the Structural Genomics Consortium and International Barcode of Life Consortium. An additional $4 million from Genome Canada's ongoing budget will be allocated to the GAPP.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has provided more than $9 billion in new funding for initiatives to support science, technology and the growth of innovative firms. These investments have helped to foster a world-class research and innovation system. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes to build on this strong foundation, helping to position Canada for sustainable, long-term prosperity and a higher quality of life for Canadians. Among other things, Economic Action Plan 2013 provides $165 million to further support Genome Canada's multi-year strategic plan.

Further details related to this announcement are available on Genome Canada's website at http://www.genomecanada.ca.

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Harper Government and Genome Canada Launch New Program to Accelerate Genomics Discovery to Market

Public release date: 3-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrea Matyas 613-790-0106 Genome Canada

This news release is available in French.

Ottawa, June 3, 2013The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced the launch of a new Genome Canada program designed to move genomics-based solutions from laboratories to the marketplace. The Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) is also intended to stimulate investment from private and public partners to fund projects that address real world challenges and opportunities in the field of genomics.

"Our Government recognizes that genomics science is at the core of the economic activity of life sciences research," said Minister Goodyear. "More than ever before, the field of genomics is equipping Canadian businesses with cutting-edge science and technologies that are not only helping to address the challenges we face but are also driving economic growth and creating high quality jobs."

The GAPP is Genome Canada's newest flagship partnership program that will increase collaboration between genomics scientists and "users" of genomics research (industry, government, non-profit or other organizations). The Harper Government, through Genome Canada, is committing $30 million to the program, and through regional Genome Centres, will leverage additional funding from partners and industry, rendering this a $90 million investment in made-in-Canada genomics research and development.

"The program was designed based on extensive consultation both with the genomics research community and the community of users of genomics research to ensure it was meeting clearly defined needs," said Dr. Pierre Meulien, President and CEO of Genome Canada. "We expect the GAPP to result in early-stage products, tools and processes that will bring genomics research to application and market, thereby stimulating Canadian innovation."

To further bolster Canada's genomics research enterprise, Minister Goodyear also announced $29 million in renewed funding for five world-class genomics research facilities located across Canada. This funding renewal comes after a rigorous review of the Centres' operations by an International Review Committee. The Science and Technology Innovation Centres provide access to genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatics technologies not only for Genome Canada-funded projects, but also for the broader research community. In addition, the Centres assist scientists by advising on research study design and the appropriate technologies required to carry out their research proposals.

To help achieve important future genomics research breakthroughs, Economic Action Plan 2012 provided $60 million for Genome Canada to launch its new GAPP program, and to sustain the Science and Technology Centres until 2014-2015. Of this total, $26 million is attributed to the GAPP, $29 million is provided to renew the operations of Genome Canada's five Science and Technology Innovation Centres and $5 million to support Canadian leadership on two international consortia, the Structural Genomics Consortium and International Barcode of Life Consortium. An additional $4 million from Genome Canada's ongoing budget will be allocated to the GAPP.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has provided more than $9 billion in new funding for initiatives to support science, technology and the growth of innovative firms. These investments have helped to foster a world-class research and innovation system. Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes to build on this strong foundation, helping to position Canada for sustainable, long-term prosperity and a higher quality of life for Canadians. Among other things, Economic Action Plan 2013 provides $165 million to further support Genome Canada's multi-year strategic plan.

Excerpt from:
Harper Government and Genome Canada launch new program

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jun 3, 2013) - Genome British Columbia supported research and technology platforms will receive renewed funding from the federal government through Genome Canada's 2012 Science & Technology Innovation Centre Operations Support Competition. The platforms that will receive funding are:

These world renowned technology platforms provide local, national and international researchers access to cutting edge high-throughput genomics and proteomics technologies, such as DNA sequencing, protein identification and quantitation, as well as data analysis and bioinformatics. The platforms also work with scientists in the planning and execution of research plans and help determine which technology fits best with their project.

"Re-funding for these three platforms is key to continuing the genomics enterprise across Canada," says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. "Genomics research is continuing to produce huge amounts of information for analysis and without the support of technology platforms it would be impossible to maximize the research productivity into tangible outcomes."

With this funding the BC Cancer Agency's GSC will continue to enable ground-breaking large-scale genomics research in BC; sustain and expand IT capacity and capabilities to meet the growing requirements of the field; and develop methods and technologies to address specific challenges of the field, such as handling and analysis of biopsy materials for research.

"The GSC is proud to continue its role as a centre for innovation, supporting large scale genomics and bioinformatics work funded by Genome Canada and Genome BC since 2001," says Dr. Marco Marra, director of the BC Cancer Agency's GSC. "This funding helps sustain our position as one of the largest genome research centres in the world and allows us to support large-scale initiatives."

The UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, led by Dr. Christoph Borchers, will continue to offer expertise in quantitative proteomics, structural proteomics, "top-down" and "bottom-up" proteomics for protein characterization, metabolomics and technology development. The addition of bioinformatics as a technology development area will help to ensure the Proteomics Centre remains cutting-edge and will allow the Centre to feed new bioinformatics resources back to the research community. Funding for new equipment will also ensure that they will be able to meet the demand for services and deliver quick turnaround times for client projects.

"Re-funding of the UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre is certainly an acknowledgement of the achievements of the Centre over the past two years and our contribution to, and engagement in, the research community," says Dr. Borchers. "As a service provider we can now maintain the excellent quality of our research in three key technology development areas -structural proteomics, quantitative proteomics and protein characterization - for the betterment of the entire research community."

The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC) is operated jointly by the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria. This emerging field will now be able to carry-on work in the advancing and important field of metabolomics which will enable understanding of many important biological processes.

"Metabolomics is proving to be a foundational tool in molecular biology," says Dr. Borchers, co-leader of TMIC. "Renewed funding means that we can meet the growing need within Canada, and around the world, to perform large numbers of rapid, accurate and robust metabolomic assays."

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Genome BC: BC Science & Technology Platforms Attract $14.7 Million in Federal Funding