More Comments regarding funding from Genome Canda

An interesting article by Kevin Hall, VP of Research at the University of Guelph, bolsters the arguements I have made below for a greater amount of funding for Genome Canada. The DNA barcode project which I believe was stated here in Canada by Dr. Paul Hebert at the University of Guelph has now expanded around the world. Canada is still the leader, but for how long if funding from Genome Canada is cut?

Canadians lead in Groundbreaking Stem-Cell Research from Skin Cells

The two teams involved, led by Dr Keisuke Kaji from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Regenerative Medicine, at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr Andras Nagy from the University of Toronto, are the first to get human skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells without needing to use viruses in the process.

This new method avoids using these potentially harmful viruses. It also allows for four genes inserted to affect cell reprogramming to be removed once this is complete. This should help avoid any abnormalities in how the cells develop.

Dr Nagy's group had developed a reprogramming system that allowed the removal of inserted genes without a trace - but because their method delivered the four genes into different parts of the genome they had not yet managed to remove all of them.

Dr Nagy is a Senior Investigator at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Stem Cells and Regeneration

Bio-Rad Life Science Sales Disappoint

Bio-Rad Laboratories reported after the close of the market on Thursday that its fourth-quarter revenues decreased 2.6 percent as sales for its life science business segment slumped nearly 8 percent. Leading the slump were disappointing sales from its North American Division, although Canada managed to eek out a gain for Q4.
The multi-national generated revenues of $448 million for the three-month period ended Dec. 31, compared to revenues of $459.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. The life science segment had revenues of $170.3 million for the quarter, while the clinical diagnostics segment had sales of $274 million, up 1 percent year over year.
Bio-Rad said that the life science business was "negatively impacted during the quarter by a drop in capital instrument sales, reflecting cutbacks by both academic and biopharmaceutical customers." In particular, sales of Chromatography and BSE products dragged on earnings.

Canada's Genomics advantage over the U.S.

At the Pacific Biosystems panel discussion at the AGBT conference, the participants talked about the new age of genomics, which we are in. Within the next few years, and certainly within the lifetime of school-aged children, we will be able to sequence the entire genome of individuals.

Why is this important? Diseases are controlled by pathways that involve multiple proteins, signalling molecules as well as environmental factors (such as obesity). By having the ability to sequence and analyze the entire genome of an individual, we will (in a few years) be able to look at a person at let them know they have certain risks. They will then have the ability to take preventative actions, such as drugs, but also lifestyle changes.

As an example, we know that brain diseases such as ALS, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease can start early in life (say in your 20's or 30's), but doesn't manifest itself (or get diagnosed) until you hit your 40's, 50's or higher. By understanding someone has a genetic pre-disposition to these diseases, AND by also understanding what pathways are involed for that person, we can start a treatment early in life. It may not cure or reverse the condition, however, it may delay it. So instead of showing Parkinson's-like conditions when you are 60, early intervention may delay that until you are 90 or 120...if you live that long.

Let's look at AIDS. Twenty years ago before anti-viral therapy was available, a person diagnosed with AIDS had a very short time to live. With the various cocktails of drugs now available, a new acquired AIDS patient is projected to live a full life...the difference is that we understand the mechanism of HIV infection, and we also have specific drugs to target those mechanisms, but most importantly we have the ability to Diagnose HIV and the patient at the genetic level.

So how is this Canada's advantage over the U.S.? Simply put, paranoia. The whole idea of subjecting your DNA for whole DNA sequencing and genotyping and to match that to your phenotype (ie. what symptoms you display) can be performed in a country with universal health care such as Canada. It's being performed in the U.K., and some Scandanavian countries. In the U.S., where insurance companies rule the the healthcare system, it would be very unlikely to ever happen. The fear that your DNA can be used against you in the U.S. is too strong to ever let that process begin.

In Canada, the cut in funding to Genome Canada is not simply a cut to research, but is a cut to the health and well-being of every person living here, and for our children. Canada has the ability to be leaders in bench to bedside healthcare that would save this country Trillions of dollars. In addition the technologies we develop here could then be exported around the world to improve the lives of the global population. Restore and increase Genomics funding. Our lives and the lives of our children depend on it.

Canada is a world leader in Sequencing--but not for long

The worlds most exclusive and sought-after genomics meeting was held last week in Marco Island. The pace of discovery was astounding, as whole genomes can now be sequenced using existing technology in a day. Instruments from Illumina, Roche, and Applied Biosystems are leading the way. The Keynote address was given by Eric Lander of the Broad Institute. As many of you know, Dr. Lander is one of three scientists picked to advise President Obama on Scientific Policy

How did Canada's scientist fare? Very well is the answer. On the opening day, Canadian scientists were invited to give three of the first ten talks. In addition, Tom Hudson gave the first talk in the Plenary Session on Cancer and Comparative Genomics. Two of the three Concurrent Sessions were chaired by Canadians Andre Marziali and Steven Jones, and Marco Marra was invited to give a talk in the plenary session on the final day.

As one invited speaker, Ken Dewar of McGill University, pointed out in an interview with CTV news, the organizing committee for the AGBT conference were arguing about the fact that so many Canadians were amongst the invitees to speak at this meeting. Again, this is the most prestigious Genomics meeting on the planet. This conference turned away 40% of all applicants who wanted to attend because the meeting was too full. It was the place to be for Genomics, and Canada had a huge impact.

Now I hope our Canadian Government will see fit to reverse their earlier decision to take away funding for Genome Canada, and allow Canada to prosper in the new age of genomics.

Genome Canada shut out in latest budget

On Wednesday, the elite of the Genome Scientists from around the world will be gathering at a very exclusive meeting in Marco Island Florida. The AGBT meeting, for the past 8 years has hosted the likes of Craig Venter, and the heads of every major sequencing group from around the world as they discuss advances in sequencing technologies. This has included Canada's own elite, such as Marco Marra and John McPherson, who was lured by Tom Hudson away from the large Baylor Genome Sciences Center in Houston.

In the early years, Canada's participation in the AGBT conference was quite slim, with just a few attendees from British Columbia's Genome Sciences Centre. At that time, Steve Scherer's goups was most likely the largest contributor to the Genome project. This year, a number of elite from across Canada will attend, and give talks. This will be their first chance to gather and talk about the impact of the latest budget from the Harper Government.

The absence of any mention of Genome Canada in the budget has come as a huge shock to Canadian Scientists. With centres across Canada looking as human health, fisheries, agriculture, and forestry, Genome Canada has made huge strides in pushing Canada to the front of Biological Sciences in the past 8 years.

With the potential loss of $140 million in funding, the loss of jobs could be huge in an area where the U.S. is looking to add positions. We could see as mass migration of the some of the most influential scientists of our generation.

New Canadian Budget not good for Scientists

The latest budget announced by the Canadian goverment has put billions of dollars towards infrastructure costs. Although a large amount of this money is going towards universities to fix up crumbling buildings, little if anything will provide Canada with better scientists.

Funding for the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, which provides capital equipment money and building money has gone up. This is great and is a good step forward to building better labs for scientists. However, once the labs are built, they require money to actually run them...to pay the researchers and buy the consumables and reagents that actually run them.

Grant money is actually going down in the budget. It means that for those researchers who rely on federal grants, they will need to look harder for lower cost alternatives, or new ways of doing their research.

In the fields of Molecular Biology, this may mean re-tooling their experiments to cut out wasted steps....ie. don't buy a DNA extraction kit...use the old fashion ways of extracting DNA yourself. Another possibility is to use new technologies that by-pass old steps. An example would be the new Kapa Blood kit that amplifies DNA straight out of blood.

Another way is to look for lower cost tubes, gloves, or pipette tips. Whatever it takes to keep your lab running.

We should keep in mind that while the new President Obama has decided to pour more money to scientists in the U.S., we could see our best scientists leave Canada for greener pastures.

Pfizer takes over Wyeth...how many lost jobs in Canada?

For a mere $68 billion, Pfizer will take over its rival Wyeth. Both have multiple facilities in Canada. Some have suggested that nearly 10% of the workforce will be let go over the coming months as synergies are found between the two giants. Clearly Canadians won't be left out of the downsizing mania that has hit all industries, with the exception of Bio-tech. If we in the biotech industry thought we were safe from the global recession, we see this as a wake-up call. We need to keep sharp, and have our resumes up to date just in case.

Strong Canadian Dollar hits Canadian Scientists

I was shocked recently to find that simple gloves have gone up by more than 25% from my preferred supplier of gloves (ie from $6.95 per box to $8.95 per box). This supplier (who won't be named here) used to be the least expensive ones I could find. I prefer the powder free nitrile or powder free latex. Apparently the Canadian dollar's dive from over 1.10 USD in November 2007 to about $0.83 cents today has meant those companies who are used to margins of 25% are now under water. I used to be at a large multinational who enjoyed gross margins nearing 60% in Canada on products like protein gels, DNA markers, Taq....all high turnover products. I can see my lab bills going up by 25% this year, and I can't say I'm enjoying it. I only wish I had taken advantage of those year-end sales...my loss

Funding for biotechs in Canada

Lost in the financial turmoil is the impact on basic health research. Even though the Bush administration has essentially frozen NIH spending, there has been no word from the Conservative government here about the future funding levels.

Because of the relative strength of the U.S. dollar, supply companies who report in U.S. dollars are seeing a squeeze on their international sales in terms of margins and sales.

My friends at the new Life Technologies are particularly hurting, given the overall weakness in some of the equipment sales. Also, as Life starts to focus more on instrumentation, it seems to lose it core reagent market. Gibco, I think is still strong, but it is hard to say where enzymes will end up.

The consumer here in Canada is making out quite well because of all this turmoil. The year-end sales have been very much welcomed. I don't know if we will see a big jump in our prices next year since the U.S. dollar is still 20-30% stronger than this time last year. We'll see....