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Laboratory Focus June/July 2016
news Backed by CIHR, Ontario team to study metabolic syndromes TORONTO, ON – Dr. Philip Awadalla, a senior investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and principal investigator for the Ontario Health Study has been awarded $2 million by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The award will fund the study of the role of both genes and the environment on the development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of medical conditions that are common in aging adults, including obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and insulin resistance. These conditions are considered to be both risk factors and causal factors in the development of cancer and chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A better understanding of how to prevent and treat the conditions of metabolic syndrome could also help in the design of new strategies to prevent these diseases before they develop. Awadalla and his team will use data and samples from the Ontario Health Study, which is part of the larger Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, to conduct their research. “There are currently no research projects at this scale looking at the genetic and environmental risk factors of metabolic syndrome or related aging-associated traits, which affects close to one quarter of Canada’s adult population,” said Dr. Awadalla. “This funding will allow us to tap into the vast data holdings of the Ontario Health Study to investigate the interplay among varying environmental exposures, aging, and epigenetic factors across Ontario and Canada. Ultimately we hope to find new ways to better manage these conditions and other linked diseases such as cancer.” The team has partnered with Illumina to assist with genome sequencing, as well as Environment Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus.ca/ backed-by-cihr-ontario-team-tostudy-metabolic-syndromes/
Chance finding from University of Guelph study could transform plant production The wild plant is on the left and the transgenic plant on the right. Photo credit: University of Guelph
GUELPH, ON – An almost entirely accidental discovery by University of Guelph researchers could transform food and biofuel production and increase carbon capture on farmland. By tweaking a plant’s genetic profile,
the researchers found a way to double the plant’s growth and increased seed production by more than 400 per cent. The findings were published in the March 2016 issue of Plant Biotechnology Journal. The team studied Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant often used in lab studies because of its ease of use and its similarity to some common farm crops. They found that inserting a particular corn enzyme caused the plant’s growth rate to skyrocket. “Even if the effects in a field-grown crop were less, such as only a tenth of what we’ve seen in the lab, that would still represent an increase in yield of 40 to 50 per cent, compared with the average one to two per cent a year that most breeding programs deliver,” said Prof. Michael Emes, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB). He said the team’s finding could boost yields of important oilseed crops such as canola and soybean, as well as crops such as camelina, increasingly grown for biofuels. Larger plants would capture more atmospheric carbon dioxide without increasing the amount of farmland, said Emes. “Farmers and consumers would benefit significantly in terms of food production, green
Canada and Japan usher in a new era of partnership in physics research
(L to R) Dr. Jonathan Bagger, Director of TRIUMF, Canada’s Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan and Dr. Masanori Yamauchi, Director General of KEK Photo Credit: TRIUMF (TSUKUBA, JAPAN/VANCOUVER, BC) – On May 15, Canada’s Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan welcomed a new era of world-class scientific partnership between Canada and Japan as she unveiled the new TRIUMF branch office located at Japan’s KEK. Minister Duncan was joined by dignitaries from both laboratories to perform the ribbon cutting, celebrating the research collaboration between these two hubs for subatomic physics research. The new branch office, which is also shared with CERN, follows the recent signing of a new partnership
agreement this past December by Dr. Jonathan Bagger, director of TRIUMF – Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics and acceleratorbased science – and Dr. Masanori Yamauchi, director general of KEK – a high energy accelerator research organization in Japan. The agreement enhances research collaborations between the two labs to answer questions on areas ranging from the breadth and composition of the universe to topics closer to home, such as the properties of advanced materials. “As world leaders in subatomic physics, TRIUMF and KEK have forged
energy and the environment. The ramifications are enormous.” The finding came almost by chance. Studying the enzyme’s effect on starch, the researchers noticed that their genetically engineered plants looked different and much larger in photos taken by lead author Fushan Liu, a former post-doctoral MCB researcher. “That’s when we realized that we were looking at something potentially much more important,” said Ian Tetlow, an MCB professor and study co-author. Although genetic engineering led to more flowers and pods containing seeds, it left the seed composition unchanged. “The seeds are where we would get the oil from, and consistent composition is important so that the function and use of the oil isn’t changed,” said Tetlow. The researchers plan to test canola and other crops. Field tests and analysis with industry and government will likely take several years. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus.ca/ chance-finding-could-transformplant-production-u-of-guelph-study/ an extraordinary collaboration that continues to unlock new opportunities to advance this important field,” said Duncan. “For decades, TRIUMF and KEK have been recognized internationally in the areas of subatomic physics, accelerator science and materials science,” said Yamauchi. “Through our growing partnership, we will continue to be global leaders in advancing these areas of research, as well acting as pillars of scientific co-operation.” “The opening of this new branch office represents not just a strengthening of the partnership between TRIUMF and KEK, but also the importance of collaboration on the global scale,” adds Dr. Jonathan Bagger, TRIUMF director. TRIUMF and KEK have numerous shared projects in the areas of subatomic physics, accelerator science, and materials science. Current efforts include the T2K and Belle II experiments in Japan, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and the proposed International Linear Collider The hope of this new office and indeed the new partnership agreement is to advance scientific discovery through enhanced bilateral collaboration. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus.ca/canada-and-japan-usher-in-a-new-era-ofpartnership-in-physics-research/
