Genome Alberta's Official Newsletter
Genome Alberta Newsletter GeneSnips - December 1, 2009
Genome Alberta News
New Features Coming to Genome Alberta website
We’re working on adding some new features to Genome Alberta’s website so you can make it your destination for more information related to the field of genetics. We update the home page regularly so you can find out the latest developments at Canada’s Genome Centres but have also added some new sources of information for you. On our home page at http://genomealberta.ca you can find feeds of the stories posted on our GenOmics news application and on Twitter. The information refreshes several times a day and you can click on the highlighted links to read more.
Over the next 2 weeks we will also be adding a bioinformatics section to our blog pages and adding more content and links related to our new projects and initiatives.
Alberta Innovates Board Members Announced
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology Minister Doug Horner has announced the board members who will be leading Alberta’s research and innovation system when five new Alberta Innovates agencies come into being on January 1, 2010.
The following leaders will guide the new agencies as chairs of the boards of directors:
- Alberta Innovates – Bio Solutions: Art Froehlich, Partner and Strategic Advisor, AdFarm
- Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions: Eric Newell, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Alberta
- Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions: Robert A. Seidel, Q.C., National Managing Partner, Davis LLP
- Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures: Ron Triffo, Chair, Stantec Inc.
- Alberta Research and Innovation Authority: Dr. Marvin Fritzler, Arthritis Society Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary
Genome Alberta Board member Marv Fritzler is heading up the new Alberta Research and Innovation Authority. A 60-second video of Dr. Fritzler with some brief comments on behalf of his colleagues, the complete news release for the new Boards, and biographies of the new chairs are all available from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology’s website.
CSG Prize for most relevant publication in society & genomics – call for submissions
In 2010, The Centre for Society and Genomics will present the first CSG Prize. The CSG prize will be awarded to a publication that has most successfully translated ‘society & genomics’ research to an audience of outsiders. Those can be professionals, users, patients, consumers, citizens, school pupils, scientists or others affected by genomics in any way – that is, the audience is potentially anyone except merely one’s own academic peers. Submissions will be judged on the relevance and usability for their readers, who are potential users of the presented work.
The author(s) of the winning publication will be awarded with a challenge trophy and a small cash prize during the conference dinner of the International Conference “Ten years after: mapping the societal landscape” (Amsterdam, May 27-28 2010). The winner(s) are expected to be present at the dinner.
For submissions and enquiries, please contact prize@society-genomics.nl or go to www.society-genomics.nl
BIOAccess Call for ApplicationsThe BIOAccess Program will support up to 3 companies to attend BIO 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.
Each of the selected companies will receive up to $6000.00 for:
- Registration expenses for the delegates to attend BIO 2010 (either as full conference registrants or as full business forum partnering and conference registrants)
- Travel expenses (economy flight, taxi, car rental)
- Accommodation and taxes
In addition to the awarded funds, companies will also receive shared booth space on the tradeshow floor within the Alberta Pavilion.
For more information contact aggie@bioalberta.com
Genome Canada, OGI, and DVS Sciences Unveils Mass Cytometer for Use in Understanding and Diagnosing Disease
Marking the culmination of six years of technology development research funded by Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) and others, a Toronto research team unveiled a first-in-class analytical instrument at the recent Great Lakes International Imaging and Flow Cytometry Association annual meeting in Pittsburgh. The CyTOF™ Mass Cytometer, being made and marketed by DVS Sciences (Toronto), was developed by a team led by Dr. Scott Tanner (University of Toronto, and co-founder and CEO of DVS Sciences). The instrument is capable of simultaneous quantitative and independent determination of up to 100 biomarkers in individual cells, not possible with existing technologies. In addition to many basic research applications, this has potential for early disease diagnoses and monitoring of treatment efficacy in individual patients through quicker and more effective tissue sample analysis.
To read the full press release visit Ontario Genomics media centre.
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24 hour GenOmics Newsroom
If you want to follow the latest genetics and genomics news you should visit our GenOmics application at http://facebook.genomealberta.
ca
We compile top stores from across the internet, from digests such as GenomeWeb Daily News and BIO SmartBrief, and from specialized sources such as the Woodrow Wilson Synthetic Biology Project, New Scientist, the DNA Network and Science Daily.
You can read any of the stories online, subscribe to the RSS feed to make it even easier to keep up-to-date or have highlights sent to your smartphone. You don’t have to register to read the material but if you register you can post your own stories, comment on items, or write your own blog. The application was launched in September and has been drawing great reviews for the content and for what one web expert called its “slick interface”. We’ve been asked to show it off at several social media conferences and are continually adding new features. We think it is worth you taking a look at http://facebook.genomealberta.ca . Be sure to send an e-mail to tell us what you think about the site.
If you have any news you’d like us to publish on the site let us know, and in the meantime here is a sampling of some of the GenOmics stories from the last 2 weeks:
- Genetic
Diversity in Han Chinese : HUGO Matters
This is from HUGO Matters, the Official Blog of the Human Genome Organisation. It reviews two recent papers published in the American … more
- Knockouts
in human cells point to pathogenic targets
Researchers have developed a new approach for genetics in human cells and used this technique to identify specific genes and proteins … more
- Darwin
vs. Genesis, a literary smackdown - thestar.com
Next week will mark one of the greatest anniversaries in the history of ideas – 150 years since the publication of Charles Darwin … more
- Genetics
Commission attacks police DNA database
The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) has called for more control to be exerted over the controversial police DNA database. … more
- Americans
would participate in genetic research despite privacy concerns, new GPPC survey
finds
Although nine in ten Americans would be concerned about their privacy if they took part in a nationwide study of genes, environment … more
- 'Mental
illness gene' discovered by Scots scientists
Scientists have discovered a gene which may help explain the causes of mental illness.rnThe ABCA13 gene is partially inactive in … more
- Genome-wide
association studies in developing countries raise important new ethical issues
Typically conducted in richer, developed countries but now increasingly done in the developing world, genome wide association … more
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Upcoming Events
8th Annual LifeScience Alley Conference & Expo
December 9, 2009
Minneapolis, Minnesota Convention Center
BioAlberta is working with the Life Science Association of Manitoba (LSAM) and the Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis to support Alberta companies active in the biomedical technology industry who wish to attend the event. For more information on the support available please contact Jonathan Frate at LSAM: (204) 272-5094 or by e-mail at jfrate@lsam.ca
Visit the event website for more information on the LifeScience Alley Conference.
Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference
January 9-13, 2010
San Diego, California, Town & Country Convention CenterCanada’s Genome Centres will be represented at the Annual PAG conference and we look forward to seeing you there.
For more information about PAG go to http://www.intl-pag.org/
Social Media for Government Conference
March 1-4, 2010
Ottawa, OntarioHow to Engage Your Employees and Citizens by Using the Latest Web 2.0 Technologies
Genome Alberta’s Communications Director Mike Spear will be speaking at the Social Media for Government Conference in Edmonton this coming January and if you mention his name when registering you’ll get a 50% discount on the registration rate. For more information go to http://www.aliconferences.com/conf/social_media_govt_ canada0110/index.htm Agenda details: http://www.aliconferences.com/
conf/social_media_govt_ canada0310/index.htm
2nd Banff Conference on Plant Metabolism
June 24th – 28th
Banff, Albertawww.ucalgary.ca/
plantmetabolism2010 This conference is supported by Genome Alberta and our Synthetic Biology Project
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GE3LS Digest
Breakthroughs in genetics leave families facing agonising choices – October 31, 2009
Medical advances mean those at high risk of passing on some diseases can have their embryos screened, to prevent the inheritance of some deadly genes. But doing so has meant receiving shattering information about whether they carry the same gene, which means their own life is destined to be cut short. Now, a new test case could result in people being shielded from such news – but experts say it will open the door to even more complex ethical dilemmas. Regulators are considering whether those with a family history of rare genetic diseases should be given permission to have their embryos screened, and healthy specimens selected for implantation, while being protected from findings which would reveal their own fate. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is considering a hospital's application to carry out such screening for patients with a family history of the cruel degenerative condition Huntington's disease, which has a 50 per cent chance of being passed from parent to child.
Genomics: No Longer A Failure – November 2, 2009
Shares of Human Genome Sciences and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, tiny drug developers that first gained during the hype fest that followed the mapping of the human genetic code a decade ago, are soaring Monday morning after positive clinical trial results. Human Genome, of Rockville, Md., rose 39% to $26 in early trading after releasing positive results from a second study of its drug Benlysta, a treatment for lupus, an immune disease. The company and Wall Street analysts who follow it say the result should be enough to secure marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company hopes to get an expedited regulatory review that could lead to approval by late next year. It would be the first really new lupus drug in decades.
Green Light for Gene Patent Lawsuit – November 3, 2009
A U.S. District Court judge ruled Monday that a gene patent lawsuit filed against the Patent and Trademark Office could move forward. At issue are patents exclusively licensed by Myriad Genetics for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations of the genes are strongly linked to significant risks of breast cancer. The suit, lead by the Association for Molecular Pathology and including plaintiffs such as the American Civil Liberties Union, is the first of its kind, claiming that the patents violate free speech by inhibiting research. Myriad, along with the USPTO and the University of Utah Research Foundation, requested that the suit be dismissed, but the court denied the motion.
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Found on Twitter
Here are some interesting posts from Twitter over the last week or so. You can join Genome Alberta’s 366 followers by looking for us on Twitter as @mikesgene Check the http:// links below and you’ll find out how only 140 characters can lead you to so much information!
@genomicslawyer Searchable database of patient records to go commercial; #privacy questions raised: http://bit.ly/4xmwL0 (via @danielg280 @amednews)
@kejames RT @joergheber To celebrate 350 years of publishing, Royal Society makes...historic papers available. Great stuff...! http://bit.ly/7d6cky
@crossborderbio New Post: Biotech Trends Update Synthetic Biology: Smallest Genome May Not Provide the Best Roadmap http://ow.ly/164LZW
@biophase Principal Scientist - Technical Leader needed in San Diego County! Please visit http://bit.ly/6wWr0g for more details and to apply
@APStylebook When attributing a tweet as a quote, is it he tweeted or he twittered? Ask the Editor's answer: http://bit.ly/g8TRC #APStyle
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Genome Alberta Researchers
As part of our ongoing profiles of Genome Alberta’s researchers and staff we feature two new members of the Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics.
Abudy Charanek is a computer scientist new to the world of genetics research and will be working on the 4D project. His main focus will be developing software that uses MRI imaging to display changes in multiple sclerosis lesions over time. He is sequencing the MRI data and will eventually be able to take different slices and view them comparatively with other MRI sessions from the same individual to better understand the nature of the lesion. Abudy is a native Calgarian who credits his Junior High School science teacher, Mr. Rai with managing to get him over an aversion to school. Abudy started a pre-law program, and quickly left it after taking a couple of classes in Legal Studies to switch to computer science and hasn’t looked back. He likes the graphics, learning about genetics, and learning about the brain and if he hadn’t ended up in the research field, feels that he would likely still be working with web applications, probably for an oil company. He loves sports, such as soccer and hockey, goes to the gym frequently for cardio and weight lifting.
One piece of advice that Abudy would give to someone considering a career in science is that science is a lot more fun than law!
Thao Do, also working on the 4-D project, has her Masters in Mathematics and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. She is working with the Functional MRI of the Brain Software Library (FSL), which is a set of tools used to analyze MRIs, with a focus on different ways to display the atlases of the brain according to the subcortical and cortical regions of the brain. Unlike Abudy, she is not developing software, but is specifically looking at atlases and providing color coded imaging. Eventually, Thao is going to be in the position to quantify the lesion volume of the brain per region, so performing the detailed analysis assists with this goal.
Thao’s says her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hills was a strong educational influence because of her patience in helping Thao navigate the culture and language when Thao first arrived into Canada. If Thao were to select a career outside of research, she would have become a software developer. Thao also likes to listen to Canadian singer, Michael Buble, enjoys reading (she is current reading the Twenties Girl by Sophia Kinsella ) and playing ultimate frisbee.
Thao believes that science is about exploration, so if you’re interested in looking at different aspects of the world you might want to consider following Thao’s lead.
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