16 minute read
R&D News
www.bioscienceworld.ca
Protein LoBind
Advertisement
Influence of vessel surface on the recovery rate of proteins Page 8
The right analytical technique
to meet your biomolecule needs: A basic primer Page 12 JULY 2010 Volume 14, Number 4
R&D News ......................... 1 Appointments .................... 6 Pharma Notes.................... 7 New Products .................. 14 Calendar .......................... 17 Career Spotlight............... 18
TEAM ONTARIO WINS BEST IN FAIR AT CANADA-WIDE SCIENCE FAIR
Youth Science Ontario’s Executive Director, Carolyn Rayfield, with Canada-Wide Science Fair Platinum winners, Justin Whitaker, Sandro Young, and Mikaela Preston. Team Ontario led the pack, bringing home the Encana Platinum Awards for Best Junior, Intermediate and Senior Projects, 13 Golds , 19 Silvers, 20 Bronzes and 22 Honourable Mentions.
Nearly 500 students in grades seven to 12 from across the country, along with 250 chaperones, provincial and national organization representatives, and approximately 625 judges and volunteers converged on Trent University in Peterborough, ON for the 2010 Canada-Wide Science Fair.
The nine day annual event brought together winners from over 100 Regional Science Fairs across Canada to compete for national honours. More than 300 awards, scholarships and prizes totaling nearly $1 million was awarded to finalists competing in a field of young Canadian scientists.
Members of Team Ontario took many of the highest honours including Best in Fair, Platinum Awards in each of the Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels, along with 13 Gold Awards.
Honourary chair of the 2010 CWSF, renowned space scientist, neurologist, author, astronaut, photographer, and former Trent University chancellor, Dr. Roberta Bondar, along with local dignitaries including Trent University president Dr. Steven E. Franklin, Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro, MPP Jeff Leal, Mayor Paul Ayotte, and Curve Lake First Nations Chief Keith Knott, got things started with the Opening Ceremonies.
Platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards were handed out in nine divisions that included: Automotive, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Computing & Information Technology, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Innovation, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical & Mathematical Sciences.
An important goal of the event is to promote youth education as well as the passion and enthusiasm of science, and shine the spotlight on the next generation of innovators. This year marked the 49th anniversary for the event, the largest ever, organizers said.
NEWS
SOCIETY FOR BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES AND ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY AUTOMATION SET TO MERGE LATER THIS YEAR
For most of the past two years, the leaders of the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) and the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA) have been strategizing a merger to unite their scientific societies as one inclusive organization - the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS). As of Wednesday, May 5, both memberships officially authorized the merger with more than 95 per cent of the votes cast in favour.
SBS and ALA will now unite as individual sections of SLAS. The organizations say that each section will continue to pursue their current mission while collectively ad-
Continued on page 3
One source for certified clean containers
Fisher Scientific is proud to offer new Thermo Scientific Nalgene® certified clean PETG containers, suitable for pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications. Available in seven sterile sizes, Thermo Scientific Nalgene® containers are ideal for the processing and storage of critical reagents and bulk intermediates, such as vaccine and protein therapeutic preparations. Offering an excellent gas barrier with leakproof performance suitable for transport, these quality containers are also packaged for easy clean room access. Take the worry out of processing with Fisher Scientific - your one source for the more trusted names in science.
Contact your Fisher Scientific Sales Representative for more information. 1-800-234-7437 www.fishersci.ca
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Terri Pavelic
STAFF WRITER
Shawn Lawrence
INTERN
Tim Bryant
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Michael Hoffman Mona Raita Natascha Weiß Philip Müller Steven Jenkins Wolf Wente
NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
Patricia Bush
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Elena Pankova
CONTROLLER
John R. Jones
MARKETING MANAGER
Mary Malofy
SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
circulation@promotive.net Fax: 905-727-4428
OFFICE:
24-4 Vata Court Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 Phone: 905-727-3875 Fax: 905-727-4428 E-mail: laboratory_focus@ promotive.net
SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
circulation@promotive.net Fax: 905-727-4428
Laboratory Focus is published 6 times per year by Promotive Communications Inc. Legal Depository: National Library of Canada ISSN 40052410 Subscription rate in Canada $35/year; USA $60/year; other countries $100/year. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
Publications Mail Registration Number: 40052410 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept: 24-4 Vata Court Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 E-mail: circulation@promotive.net
If you would like to order hard copy or electronic reprints of articles, contact
Sandra Service 905-727-3875 x221 reprints@promotive.net
www.bioscienceworld.ca
ONE SOURCE. INFINITE SOLUTIONS.
NEWS
Continued from page 2
dressing the SLAS mission, which is to provide forums for education and information exchange to encourage the study of and improve the science and practice of laboratory automation and screening.
Under the SLAS umbrella, the SBS and ALA sections each will preserve SBS’s and ALA’s former identities and specialized educational pursuits. In addition, both will benefit from the expanded scope, international influence, and enhanced program and service offerings that the unified organization, SLAS, will provide.
Inaugural SLAS president Michelle Palmer, PhD, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard said, “SLAS will become the premier international community dedicated to advancing scientific research and discovery through laboratory automation and screening technology.”
TRENT PROFESSOR HONOURED BY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
In recognition of his pioneering research in chemical limnology, Dr. Peter Dillon, Chemistry and Environmental and Resource Studies professor at Trent University, has been awarded the prestigious G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).
Dr. Dillon has been a professor at Trent University since the early 1980s. A renowned researcher in the field of environmental biogeochemistry, he is also the director of the Worsfold Water Quality Center, a world-class analytical chemistry facility at the university. Previously, he held the position of Industrial Research Chair in Watershed Biogeochemistry at Trent. His research explores the chemistry of lakes, rivers and watersheds and how pollutants and stresses like acid rain and climate change affect the environment.
The ASLO award, named in honour of limnologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson, has been presented annually since 1982 to recognize excellence in the fields of limnology (the study of inland waters) or oceanography. Dr. Dillon was presented with the award at the 2010 ASLO Summer Meeting held from June 6 to 11 in Santa Fe, New Mexico for his innovative research on eutrophication in lakes (the response of lakes to excessive nutrient inputs, usually from sewage or agriculture) and for his long-term studies that have significantly
Dr. Peter Dillon advanced the understanding how of lakes and wetlands respond to acid deposition and climate change.
The G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award is the most recent in a long list of honours presented to Dr. Dillon over the years. In 2003, he was awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada for making significant contributions in the field of environmental science. Other awards and honours include: Trent University’s Distinguished Research Award, F. H. Rigler Memorial Award, Society of Canadian Limnologists, and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (First) Excellence in Research Award. Dr. Dillon is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Rawson Academy of Aquatic Science.
GENOME SEQUENCE BREAKTHROUGH TO IDENTIFY GENETIC DISORDERS IN LESSER TIME
A research team led by Dr. Nada Jabado at the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute (RI MUHC) and Dr Jacek Majewski at McGill University has proven that it is possible to identify any genetic disease in record time thanks to a powerful and reliable exome sequencing method.
The exome, a small part of the genome (< 2 per cent), is of crucial interest with regard to research on genetic diseases as it accounts for 85 per cent of mutations. The results of the team’s research have just been published in the journal Human Mutation.
“With this new approach, we no longer need to access patients who share the same altered gene pools to be able to identify the gene responsible for a disease. All we require are two persons affected by the disease not necessarily from the same family,” explains Dr. Jabado, associate professor of pediatrics at MUHC’s Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Jabado added that in the method all that is required is time of two weeks and two patients for identifying any particular gene, better than the previous six or seven months time in the earlier process.
This can be termed as a “positive breakthrough in genetic analysis,” he stated.
In their study, the researchers focused on isolating the mutation responsible for a rare and deadly genetic syndrome, Fowler’s Syndrome, which is involved in the anarchic proliferation of brain vessels that hinder the brain’s development. Their results have revealed - between two patients with no family ties - a rare case of four mutations in the same gene. This illustrates well the effectiveness of this sequencing technique, the goal of which is to isolate genetic alterations in cases of hereditary diseases among children, regardless of how prevalent they are in society (e.g. mucoviscidosis, sickle-cell anemia).
“These results are very promising. There is now hope that in the near future we can treat a patient presenting a rare, unknown genetic disease in our laboratory, and within a few days be able to sequence his or her DNA to find the mutation that caused the disease,” says Dr. Jacek Majewski, assistant professor at McGill University’s Department of Human Genetics.
Thanks to this new, rapid and effective genome sequencing process, within one or two years a ‘full catalogue’ of mutations that are responsible for most hereditary diseases are expected to be revealed, in addition to further advances in many other more complex diseases, such as cancer in children.
NEWS
OGI AWARDS SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS TO SIX ONTARIO STUDENTS
The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) has announced the recipients of its 2010 OGI Summer Research Fellowship Program.
The program offers undergraduate students at Ontario universities a unique opportunity to engage in leading-edge genomics and proteomics research, gain familiarity with associated enabling technologies, or explore the societal outcomes, impacts and issues associated with the research.
Through their fellowship experience, students acquire a deeper understanding of the impact genomics is having and will have across the spectrum of human and animal health, agriculture, biosurveillance, natural resource management and sustainable energy.
This year’s fellows include:
Tian Tian (Phoebe) Bao, from London, studying at the University of Toronto (U of T), will undertake research at St. Michael’s Hospital under the supervision of Dr. George Yousef. Her project is focused on microRNAs, which play an important role in regulating gene expression – turning specific genes on and off – and, thus, have the potential to increase the likelihood of developing diseases like cancer. Improved understanding of these mechanisms could prove useful for the development of novel biomarkers or drugs for improved diagnostics or therapies. Bao will be focusing on the role of microRNAs in kidney cancer development, exploring whether or not they could be useful as biomarkers for diagnosing kidney cancer.
Kevin Chen, from Markham, studying at The University of Western Ontario (Western), will work with Dr. Gregory Gloor at Western. Chen is carrying out research in the field of metagenomics, which involves analytically sampling the genomes of a community of organisms without isolating the organisms individually. He is examining the error rates associated with different sequencing technologies to improve detection of rare microbial species in metagenomic sampling experiments. There is great interest in identifying all, including rare, species in microbial communities for their reflection of the overall complexity of and complementarity within the community, but also for their potential as a source of new tools and products at the molecular, pathway or whole organism level.
Alan Jiao, also from Markham, studying at U of T, will work with Dr. Alberto Martin at U of T. He will be using genome-wide screening with interfering RNAs (RNAi) to identify novel factors involved in the human immune system’s adaptive response to infection, which shuffles parts of the genome to create new antibodies that might better contribute to the immune response. This could generalize to a deeper understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and other cellular processes involving cutting and putting back together the genome. This could, in turn, provide the basis for new drugs or other therapeutic approaches for treating defects in these mechanisms.
Sabrina Nurmohamed, from North York, studying at Western, will work with Dr. Philip Marsden at U of T. She will be focused on epigenetics and characterizing patterns of DNA methylation – which controls the expression of genes as cellular proteins in different cells at different times – of the genomes of endothelial cells. These cells provide the inner lining of the human vascular system. A better understanding of how DNA replication and methylation are timed and coordinated during cell division could lead to new approaches to prevent or treat blood vessel diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Nathan Putnam, from Kingston, studying at Queen’s University, will work with Dr. Sharon Regan at Queen’s University. His work will focus on identifying regions of the poplar tree genome that code for microRNAs that, in turn, control plant traits. He will take advantage of several unique genomics resources for poplar research that have been established by Dr. Regan and her colleagues. A better understanding of these control mechanisms could lead to new strains of poplar that are optimized for production in the context of creating biomass that can be used as a renewable energy source in the production of biofuels.
Lauren Wallace, from Hamilton, studying at the University of Guelph (U of G), will work with Dr. Mehrdad Hajibabaei at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at U of G. She will be using DNA barcoding – an approach originally conceived and validated at U of G – to create a genomics resource allowing researchers to rapidly identify and verify animal and plant species in natural health product ingredients. She will also use a combination of literature search and agency interviews to better understand how DNA barcoding can be used for quality control in the production of natural health products.
The program, in its eighth year, provides $5,000 to the students to assist them with living expenses while they conduct original research projects and benefit from an on-going exchange of ideas and insights with each other and OGI staff through peer-to-peer meetings, journal clubs and roundtable discussions. The Fellows will participate in a poster session at the program culmination event in late August where they present and discuss their research with other fellows, host research groups and other interested members of the research community.
Continuing Education for Chemical Professionals
Laboratory Safety course
2010 Schedule The Chemical Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical technology are presenting a two-day course designed October 4–5, 2010 to enhance the knowledge and working Calgary, AB experience of chemical technologists Registration fees and chemists. All course participants $550 CIC members receive the CIC’s Laboratory Health $750 non-members and Safety Guidelines, 4th edition. $150 students members This course is intended for those whose For more information about the course responsibilities include improving and locations, and the operational safety of chemical to access the registration form, laboratories, managing laboratories, visit: chemical plants or research facilities, www.cheminst.ca/ profdev conducting safety audits of laboratories and chemical plants. During the course, participants are provided with an integrated overview of current best practices in laboratory safety.
NEWS
MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL CANCER RESEARCHER NAMED ONE OF CANADA’S TOP 40 UNDER 40
Dr. Daniel Durocher
Dr. Daniel Durocher, Lunenfeld senior investigator and the Thomas Kierans Research chair in mechanisms of cancer development, has been named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, an award presented annually to young leaders of today and tomorrow.
The award is in recognition of Dr. Durocher’s research accomplishments, and his impact on Canada’s biomedical community.
An internationally renowned cancer researcher from Varennes, QC, Dr. Durocher has made a series of high-impact discoveries through his investigations into how normal cells become cancerous, and how healthy cells detect and repair damage to their DNA. Recent findings from his lab in understanding DNA damage and natural repair systems, has given scientists a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying cancer and other human illnesses.
“Since joining the Lunenfeld in 2001, Dr. Durocher has contributed immensely to the Institute’s success and impact on a global scale, and he represents Mount Sinai Hospital’s commitment to leading-edge research that improves the care and health of Canadians,” said Joseph Mapa, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital.
In 2007 Dr. Durocher and his team discovered that a gene known as RNF8 helps guide BRCA1, a protein that repairs DNA damage and, when mutated, is known to cause breast cancer. By guiding BRCA1 to the sites of damaged DNA, RNF8 helps ensure that the necessary repairs can be made. The finding, published in the top journal Science, will significantly advance breast cancer research and, in turn, potential treatments.
In February 2009, Dr. Durocher discovered that a gene known as RNF168 is mutated in RIDDLE syndrome, a rare and genetic immunodeficiency disorder characterized by developmental abnormalities and hypersensitivity to treatments such as radiation therapy. The findings were published in the prestigious journal Cell, and have given insight into the genetic changes that lead to immune disorders, as well as enabled more effective diagnoses of this disease.
More recently, Dr. Durocher found an enzyme that counteracts the RNF8 and RNF168 proteins, which gives researchers new targets for the treatment of RIDDLE syndrome and other diseases.
An acknowledged expert in his field, Dr. Durocher’s achievements have been recognized through many awards including the 2009 Lloyd S.D. Fogler QC Award of Excellence, an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the 2006 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Maud Menten New Principal Investigator Prize. Dr. Durocher holds a Canada Research chair in proteomics, bioinformatics and functional genomics, and he is an associate professor at the University of Toronto.
FIGHTING DISEASE, ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME
We are no longer making incremental progress; instead, we are implementing new approaches we weren’t even dreaming of before.”
Case in point: over the past six months, these theory-based biochemists have gained fundamental insight into the molecular mechanisms that underpin the elasticity of skin and blood vessels, the mode of action of a new Alzheimer’s drug candidate, and the battle between immune systems and the bacteria that make us sick.
Their findings were reported at the High Performance Computing Symposium (HPCS), Canada’s foremost supercomputing conference, by PhD students Grace Li, Chris Neale and Sarah Rauscher.
Scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children are working to improve your health -- and they’re doing it on a computer. The world-class computing power of SciNet, Canada’s newest supercomputer, has allowed Dr. Régis Pomés and his team to conduct fundamental health research.
“In order to study biological systems at the molecular level, we use SciNet to perform simulations on thousands of computers simultaneously,” says Dr. Pomés. “SciNet has completely changed our perspective on our own work.
Great People. Great Chemistry.
Reply card #4356
