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CANADIAN NEWS
Professor Monique Lacroix, the new research chair, will continue to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of natural extracts and silver nanoparticles. Photo: Christian Fleury (INRS)
NEW CHAIR ESTABLISHED FOR FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH
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Nearly half a million dollars will establish a new research chair directed by Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), funded by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
For the past 26 years, Professor Monique Lacroix’s laboratories have been evaluating the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of natural extracts including essential oils, fruits, spices and, more recently, silver nanoparticles. The financial assistance of $487,590, granted under the Partnership Program for Innovation in Agriculture, will allow these natural solutions to be further developed.
To date, the challenge in using natural antimicrobial extracts has been their instability. “Some of the extracts oxidize quickly or are volatile. There is also variability in their composition and their interactions with the different nutrients in foods,” explains Professor Lacroix. “This funding will make it possible to develop different stabilization methods, such as food coating via immobilization in edible polymers. We can also think of nanoemulsion, encapsulation in microbeads, liposomes or biodegradable nanocomposite packaging films developed from natural polymers.”
The project also is evaluating the possible interactions between food composition, processing and storage conditions, and the resulting antimicrobial activity. The fermentation of lactic bacteria also will be studied to optimize conditions for the production of antimicrobial bacteriocins.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne adds, “Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their food. They are looking for sustainably produced foods and environmentally friendly packaging. The research chair will allow a transfer of knowledge between the research community and industry, as well as attracting and retaining the next generation of bio-food industry professionals.”
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has issued a call for proposals for the 2023 Major Science Initiatives fund competition, which will award $660 million over six years (2023-29). CFI funding allows pan-Canadian research communities to undertake world-class research and technology development that leads to social, health, economic and environmental benefits; supports facility operations with specialized equipment, services, resources, and technical and scientific personnel; and promotes responsible stewardship through best practices in governance and management. For more information, contact MSI-ISM@innovation.ca.
OPIOID MORTALITY ON THE RISE
Health Canada reported almost 4,000 opioid-related deaths across the country in 2019, of which over 94 percent were accidental. Current evidence shows that during the pandemic lockdowns, opioid-related deaths increased dramatically. This spring, Ontario Public Health reported that death rates more than doubled in 15 of 34 Public Health Units; there was a 79.2 percent increase in the number of opioid-related deaths between February and December 2020. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), in collaboration with subject matter experts and medical regulatory authorities across Canada, recently released updated national clinical guidelines: Opioid Agonist Therapy: A Synthesis of Canadian Guidelines for Treating Opioid Use Disorder.
TRACKING COVID IN CANADA
Eight new research projects are launching in Canada to investigate COVID-19 variants of cncern (VOCs) and variants of interest (VOIs). All are being funded by CoVaRR-Net, or Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network, a network of interdisciplinary researchers from institutions across the country created to address the potential threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. CoVaRR-Net was created with a $9 million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); this first set of research projects represents an approximate investment of $1.2 million.
“CoVaRR-Net’s goal is to rapidly answer critical and immediate questions regarding variants, such as their increased transmissibility, likelihood to cause severe cases of COVID-19 and resistance to vaccines,” explains Dr. MarcAndré Langlois, professor at the University of Ottawa and CoVaRR-Net executive director. “The findings from the experts in our network and their teams will provide decision makers in Canada, but also abroad, with guidance regarding drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness and other public health strategies.”
Given that wastewater can act as a key early monitoring system for virus spread (the virus can be detected in human waste three to seven days before outbreaks are recognized), three of the newly funded projects involve wastewater and will: • Use cutting-edge technologies to enable intensive wastewater screening, including to test all positive
COVID-19 samples for variant signatures in Vancouver,
Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. The data will help to better understand the spread of the virus and its variants, and whether they evade vaccine protection; • Create a Canadian Wastewater Surveillance Database, which will, among other things, identify where case numbers may be fluctuating and communicate this information to decision makers so they can be proactive in minimizing outbreaks; and • Develop a unified framework for genome sequencing and data analysis across Canada and develop methods to track mutations and variants via wastewater.
Other projects investigate a wide array of issues regarding variants and their consequences on the pandemic in Canada and around the world, including: • A “deep dive” into the immune response, looking at which genes are turned on and the relative strength of the responses from these cells based on the type of vaccine the person took, the combination (if there was one) and the dosing interval. • The effectiveness of vaccines against the variants, developing new technologies that can test hundreds, and then thousands, of potential variants to anticipate those that may evade the immune system and/or infect different types of cells in the body (e.g., lungs, gut, brain and lining of blood vessels). • A record keeping of the existing and emerging VOCs, as this will be an important part of public health practice for the foreseeable future. The study aims to help public health units across the country develop efficient and effective processes to detect and mitigate the spread of these variants. • Simplifying access to knowledge, helping Canadians quickly access the latest and most accurate information on VOCs to enable them to make well-informed decisions.
This study team will develop automated search tools for the general public and adapt a web application to communicate complex information regarding VOCs to the public.
For Canadian researchers, CoVaRR-Net aims to create mechanisms, such as a national biobank, a data sharing platform and material sharing agreements to allow them to share physical research resources, data and knowledge.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION: NATIONAL QUANTUM STRATEGY
The Government of Canada is welcoming public comment for the recently published “Developing a National Quantum Strategy” paper. Complete the online consultation survey or send comments to quantumquantique@isedisde.gc.ca.
Budget 2021 included $360 million to launch a National Quantum Strategy, to support the emerging field of quantum technologies and to help build the workforce needed to solidify Canada’s leadership in the sector. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is hosting a series of virtual roundtables this summer to gain vital insight from principal stakeholders in Canada’s quantum research and business communities. A National Quantum Strategy website also was launched to facilitate public consultations and to share updates.
The Government of Canada invested more than $1 billion in quantum research and science from 2009 to 2020, mainly through competitive granting agency programs, including Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada programs and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Additional investments have been made through Canada’s regional development agencies, the Strategic Innovation Fund and the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program.
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GAPP (Genomic Applications Partnership Program) funds downstream R&D projects for implementing genomic innovations into the market for either commercialization or public-good purposes. Past examples of funded GAPP projects and partnerships can be found in Genome Canada’s database of previously funded projects. Genome Canada will provide up to one-third of the funding for projects with budgets from $300,000 to $6 million; at least one-third of funding must be provided by the applicant, and project duration can range from six months to a maximum of three years. Expression of interest submissions are due this October; for more information, visit: genomecanada.ca.
Studying effects of nanoplastics in food and water
Nanoplastics may affect the nervous, immune and reproductive systems of humans. To further explore this issue, Professor Daniel G. Cyr of Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has received funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) “Plastics science for a cleaner future” funding opportunity. The study will be among the first to address this issue.
Previously, the health impacts of products used to make plastic, such as phthalates, bisphenol and polystyrene, have been studied; however, few toxicological studies have assessed the risk of exposure to nanoplastics. These tiny pieces of plastic can be found everywhere in the environment, including in food and drinking water.
This research will allow Professor Cyr and research teams from INRS, Canadian and Brazilian universities, Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada to assess how these contaminants affect the body’s inflammatory response. “Increased inflammation is linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, imbalanced immune responses and altered fertility,” said Professor Cyr. “Unlike chemicals emanating from plastics, which are rapidly metabolized, plastic fragments could have long-term consequences.” In addition to the effects of plastics, the research will provide a better understanding of the consequences of inflammation on various biological systems.
UPCYCLING FOOD WASTE INTO BIOPLASTICS
In 2019, Genecis Bioindustries was featured in BioLab Business. The Toronto-based startup has since grown considerably, with a recent announcement of a $6 million collaborative project with Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), to develop, scale and integrate a novel biotechnology platform. A demonstration-scale technology unit with an anaerobic digestion plant will convert organic waste feedstock into high-value PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) bioplastics, the world’s best alternative to petroleum plastics. Genecis’ platform leverages existing infrastructure to upcycle waste into high-value materials and chemicals, contributing to a circular and bio-based economy. The first product line of PHA resins will serve as plastic replacements for packaging, agricultural plastics, medical plastics and additive manufacturing filaments. The demonstration project will occur at the StormFisher Resource Recovery Centre in Drumbo, Ontario, which is designed to recycle discarded packaged food and municipal green bin waste. Commercialization of the technology will cement Canada’s position as a technology leader in biomanufacturing while reinforcing Canada’s commitment to long-term environmental sustainability.
This project is funded by NGen under Canada’s Innovation Supercluster Initiative. To date, NGen has approved 105 projects with 242 industry partners, investing $181.2 million of Supercluster funding and leveraging $437.5 million in total project investment. NGen investments have led to $32 million in new R&D investments by industry, created 15 new companies, supported 63 new products in development and enabled the creation of 177 new IP assets and subsequent licensing opportunities for NGen members.
