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Major Funding Awarded for Genomics Research


03 September 2015

Two proposals for projects involving FSAA researchers have been retained by Genome Canada and Genome Quebec as part of the “Genomics and Feeding the Future” project competition.

François Belzile, Richard Bélanger and their team at the Department of Plant Science have obtained $8.3 million in funding for the SoyaGen project. Soy is the third most largest crop in Canada, with production reaching 2.5 billion dollars per year. To improve crop yields, cultivars are needed that are both adapted to the Canadian climate and disease-resistant. The researchers will be analyzing the soy genome to identify the markers associated with the plant’s growth speed and disease resistance. Plant breeders will then be able to analyze these markers to develop varieties that produce greater yields. The Western Grains Research Foundation is also helping to fund the research. Claude Robert from the Department of Animal Sciences is participating in a project that aims to improve swine genetics. The purpose of the work, supervised by researchers from the University of Alberta and the University of Saskatchewan, is to develop swine lineages that simultaneously resist multiple diseases in order to reduce dependency on antibiotics. A total of $9.8 million has been awarded to the researchers. Source: Le Fil, septembrer 3, 2015