Agriculture & Agri-food

The Visual Genomics Centre (VGC) at the University of Calgary has provided bioinformatics support for three Genome Canada Applied Genomics in Bioproducts or Crops (ABC) projects. As the main products of the bioinformatics support, the Centre has developed and hosted four bioinformatics analysis pipelines for these projects, each of which has been used heavily by […]

Large-scale and ultra-high throughput DNA sequencing provides a means to accelerate the discovery of unique enzymes for the biosynthesis of complex plant metabolites, enabling their production in microbial hosts under controlled conditions. The key deliverables of this project are: (1) a public resource of genomic and metabolomic information for 75 plants producing bioactive natural products,

Development of sustainable, renewable, and clean sources of energy, chemicals and materials is a major challenge for the world, Canada is rich in biomass which could be converted into a broad suite of fuels, fine chemicals, and materials (bioproducts). However, a major technical challenge is that biomass is made of lignocellulose, a material that must

Genomics research is fundamental to all biosciences and plays a critical role in diversifying the economy and improving the well-being of Canadians. The research themes include the role of regulation, knowledge and intellectual property management, democratic engagement, and technology transfer. Key findings from this research could provide evidence for decision makers in government, industry, and

The popularity of flax as a healthy food ingredient continues to increase as does the interest in the industrial uses of its seed and fibre. This project will develop genomic resources, in a short period of time to position flax among all other important crop species. The increased knowledge of flax genetics, genes and markers

The goal of this proposal is to develop cost-effective and rapid methodologies that allow enhanced screening for specific Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) genomic sequences associated with increased virulence potential and/or the ability to survive in food processing environments in a manner that can be done by any trained laboratory personnel. Currently, there are no adequate existing

This project focuses on studying regulatory networks and molecular events in the developing embryo, endosperm, and seed coat affecting seed oil accumulation in canola and related crops. The outputs of the project will provide a better understanding of the overall metabolic events and their contributions to the process of oil accumulation. Since meal quality traits

The Canadian beef industry contributes more than $20B annually to the national economy, yet is challenged to remain globally competitive, use resources efficiently, and address human health concerns, climate change and environmental sustainability. This project will drive the adoption of genomic tools in the Canadian beef industry by generating more accurate breeding values in order

Pathogen contamination in meat has a very significant economic impact on the meat industry and a serious health impact for the public. Current testing protocols involve culture of material from meat products with serological or molecular confirmation. Since there continues to be recalls of beef after the product has been moved to the retail or

The consumption of food infected with diseases can lead to serious human health problems, violent gastrointestinal disease and potentially death, and to disastrous economic consequences to the agri-food industry due to food recalls. This project contains a research and development consortium composed of experts from academia, federal government agencies, food testing industry (PBR Laboratories Inc.),