Ag-West Biotech Inc. - AgBiotech Bulletin - November, 2000 - Page Agbiotech Bulletin Volume 8, Issue 10 November, 2000 Published by Ag-West Biotech Inc. In This Issue: Table of Contents VIDO develops in-utero immunization technique GM OK With GM Becker Underwood buys MicroBio Group How will we feed ourselves? It was October 16, World Food Day, a day to reflect on one of the most fundamental challenges facing humanity: how can everyone get enough to eat? In the debate over biotechnology, it was a day like any other, with both sides sparring over genetically modified foods as a potential solution to world hunger. On one side are the biotechnology researchers and businesses. They argue that a technology that promises new crops with built-in drought and salt tolerance, disease and pest resistance, and improved nutrient content cannot be abandoned. Indeed, some assert biotechnology will be an essential tool if we are to feed a population expected to grow to 8 billion people in the next 25 years. On the other side is an assortment of environmental groups, who argue that biotechnology is a threat to everything from Monarch butterflies to organic farming, the environment and the independence of small farmers. They brush off the altruistic assertions of biotech’s proponents as questionable at best. In the middle of the debate are hundreds of millions of people in the developing world who are only one bad harvest away from starvation. Their plight is often made worse by rapidly increasing urban populations, political instability, and degradation of arable land. To meet projected food demands, the average yield of all cereals must be 80 per cent higher than the average yield in 1990. China alone must increase yields by 60 per cent by the year 2030. These increases must come primarily from increasing biological yields, not from area expansion and more irrigation, because land and water are becoming increasingly scarce. It is hardly surprising that people in the poorest regions of Africa, Asia, and South America are becoming increasingly frustrated with the somewhat patronizing attitude of those countries with an abundance of food. “To deny desperate, hungry people the means to control their futures by presuming to know what is best for them is not only paternalistic, but morally wrong,” says Hassan Adamu, Nigeria’s minister of agricultural and rural development. Norman E. Borlaug, winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, echoes this sentiment in the October 2000 edition of Plant Physiology. “The affluent nations can afford to adopt elitist positions and pay more for food produced by the so called natural methods; the one billion chronically poor and hungry people of this world cannot.” As Borlaug points out, there has been no credible scientific evidence to suggest that GM foods are harmful to human health or the environment. One cannot say that GM foods are risk-free, but this is true of any food, whether it be conventionally grown or even organic. For example, nuts pose a danger to people with allergies. Borlaug says several prestigious national academies of science, and even the Vatican, have declared their support of genetic engineering to improve the quantity, quality, and availability of food supplies. “The more important matters of concern by civil societies should be equity issues related to genetic ownership, control, and access to transgenic agricultural products,” Borlaug says. Already, improvements have been made in such staple crops as rice, cassava, maize, and sweet potatoes to make them more nutritionally complete, disease-resistant, or able to thrive in poor soil or with little water. These developments are not trivial, according to Dr. C.S. Prakash, Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics and Director of the Centre for Plant Biotechnology Research at Tuskegee University. In an opinion piece to Toronto’s Globe and Mail, Prakash writes that in 1998, the people of Africa lost 60 per cent of the cassava crop to mosaic virus. Sweet-potato yields in many African nations have been dangerously low — in some cases losing up to 80 per cent of expected yields — due to the sweet-potato weevil and also the feathery mottle virus (SPFMV). “It disturbs me greatly that while many North Americans ruminate on what developing countries need or don’t need to address their problems of malnutrition and starvation, everyday, 800 million people go to bed hungry,” Prakash says. “There is no single solution to this very complex problem, which involves inequities in purchasing power, distribution of food and food production. However, advances in agriculture, in particular in food biotechnology, offers one tool to help the world’s malnourished and hungry people.” All that remains is to provide this technology to the people who most need it. Companies such as Monsanto have demonstrated their willingness to share their knowledge and expertise with farmers and research institutions in the Third World. More can be done. Agricultural biotechnology is not a panacea for world hunger, but the cost of withholding the technology from those who need it most could be incalculable. Table of Contents Table of Contents How will we feed ourselves? President's Column: Biobased industrial products The Month in Review GM OK with GM Cloned calf causes controversy Food poisoning bugs thrive in crop sprays CFIA accused of conflict of interest by biotech opponents Computer program tracks grain purity Research into multi-herbicide resistant canola In memoriam: Dr. Michael Smith A powerful new resource for wheat breeding Innovations VIDO develops in-utero immunization technique Testing the waters The sweet smell of methyl benzoate Cooling off the hothouse Saskatchewan Agbiotech Update Clear-Green Biotechnologies Inc. Philom Bios celebrates 20th anniversary with record sales Viritech comes to chew the fat Becker Underwood buys mbr SRC board, president fired A new source for venture capital SARAS Column: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: An Introduction SABIC Column: 5th Annual Scholarship Program Web Watch People Watch Holly Rask, Communications Manager, Ag-West Biotech Inc. BHRC searching for Executive Director Events Ag-West Board of Directors AgBiotech Bulletin Subscribe The AgBiotech Bulletin is produced by Ag-West Biotech Inc. Articles and announcements are welcome. Please Peter McCann, President send your comments to: bulletin@agwest.sk.ca Ag-West Biotech Inc. or fax (306) 975-1966 101-111 Research Dr. Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 3R2 Phone: (306) 975-1939 Funding assistance is provided by Fax: (306) 975-1966 Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Web site http://www.agwest.sk.ca [--- ??? Graphic Goes Here ---] President’s Column By Peter McCann, President Ag-West Biotech Inc. Biobased industrial products: new opportunities for agriculture? Agricultural biotechnology is commonly associated with the development of varieties of plants with novel traits that benefit the farmer, such as increased yield, resistance to insect or fungal pests, and tolerance to herbicides (input traits). Certain traits could also benefit the consumer; for example, healthier oil profiles, more digestible fibre, and increased nutritional value (output traits). These are important novel attributes that add value to crop based agricultural products. Most of these are designed for consumption by humans or domestic animals as food or feed. Many, particularly those developed with the assistance of gene technology, have generated considerable debate in the public forum. A completely different direction of research and development has been underway for several years in Saskatchewan, aimed at producing valuable non-food materials such as pharmaceuticals, energy sources (fuels), polymers, structural fibres, lubricants and other chemicals. The raw material comes from crops, crop and forestry residues, and other plant sources, collectively referred to as “biomass”. Animals can also produce valuable industrial products, such as drugs, protein fibres and medicinal products in their milk. These materials are by their nature renewable, sustainable, and are generally non-polluting. Together, these initiatives will form the basis of the new biobased economy of the early to mid 21st century. The impetus has begun already, by way of initiatives such as the United States Presidential Executive Order on Bio-based Products and Bio-Energy (August 1999). This document stipulates that biobased product use must triple in volume by 2010. Activity will increase in coming years, fueled by the growing public realization that non-renewable, carbon based resources are not limitless, that alternate sources of raw materials must be found to sustain global development into the future. At the present rate of consumption growth, known and estimated petroleum reserves will be exhausted within the lifetime of my children. In Canada there is interest in biobased products within the federal government. In particular, Natural Resources Canada from the biomass conversion standpoint, from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the use of plants and animals, and from Environment Canada who see opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance sequestration of CO2. Another initiative is BIOCAP, an organization based at Queen’s University, that brings together researchers at a number of universities and federal laboratories to tackle these issues in a multi-disciplinary way. They have made a formal proposal for funding to allow them to begin the work. When fully developed, the Canadian biobased products and bioenergy industry will have tremendous economic benefits for farmers, forest product industries, energy producers and chemical manufacturers. This will be of particular importance for rural areas as biobased manufacturing facilities will be set up close to the point of biomass supply, providing new revenue streams for farmers and cash flow for other rural development. In addition to the conversion of agricultural waste products such as straw into useful products like particle board and fuel alcohol, some crops such as hybrid poplar and switch grass will be specifically grown for biomass harvesting, concentrated in marginal agricultural areas and low grade forest regions. These will provide double duty as carbon sequesterants, pulling greenhouse gasses out of the air, as well as providing a renewable non-polluting source of industrial raw materials. Modern biotechnology has an important role to play in the coming bio-economy, as plants are engineered to produce components more suited to extraction and purification, to produce valuable chemical molecules such as polymers, and to develop varieties that will thrive in marginal conditions. The advent of large numbers of biobased products in the next few years will ensure continuity of supply of renewable raw materials and energy, while at the same time reducing the production of greenhouse gases and global warming. Peter McCann can be reached at peter.mccann@agwest.sk.ca Table of Contents The Month in Review GM OK with GM Last month, General Mills shareholders demonstrated their confidence in the company’s decision to use genetically modified ingredients in cereals and other products at their annual general meeting. A proposal asking the cereal and snack-food company not to use GM ingredients until long-term testing proves their safety was defeated by a margin of over 21 to 1. The proposal had also requested General Mills to label and identify products that may contain genetically engineered ingredients in the interim. Supporters of the proposal cited legal and economic, as well as safety concerns. In response, chairman and CEO Steve Sanger argued biotechnology is a safe way to develop improved seeds for farmers and produce healthier and more nutritious foods. (Source: Agnet, Sept. 27, 2000) Table of Contents Cloned calf causes controversy Canada’s most famous bull has been cloned from frozen cellular tissue collected before its death in 1998. Scientists at the Artificial Insemination Centre and the University of Montreal created a cloned embryo of Starbuck, a near-perfect Holstein bull, which was transplanted into a cow in December 1999. The calf, born on September 7, is a perfect copy of its progenitor, according to the general manager of the centre, Michel Saint-Pierre. The original Starbuck was renowned for its physique and breeding qualities, and it sired almost 200,000 calves. However, Margaret Somerville, an ethicist at McGill University, says that the clone could have a negative impact on breeding stock diversity in the long term. “People want to have the best animal they can, but on the other hand there is a lot to be said for maintaining a certain degree of diversity. If there is any challenge to ecological systems, the less diverse they are, the more vulnerable they are.” (Source: Western Producer, Sep. 28, 2000) Table of Contents Food poisoning bugs thrive in crop sprays Some common pesticides could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria, according to University of Manitoba researcher Greg Blank. He and his colleagues had noticed an increase in the number of food poisoning cases caused by contaminated produce and wondered whether tainted pesticides might be the cause. To find out, they prepared formulations of several herbicides, fungicides and insecticides commonly sprayed on raw fruit or vegetables. Then the researchers added various strains of bacteria, including shigella, salmonella, listeria and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The bacteria thrived in a third of the pesticides, particularly in the fungicide chlorothalonil, the weedkiller linuron and the insecticides permethrin and chlorpyrifos. Salmonella, E. coli and shigella were the most prolific, said Blank, particularly in chlorothalonil. “Numbers could increase one-thousandfold.” Ross Dyer, technical manager of the Crop Protection Association in Britain, says the problem is caused by farmers using dirty water rather than by the pesticides. Blank acknowledges contaminated water may be part of the problem. However, with pesticides the bacteria multiply in tanks where the solution is stored and can reach far higher concentrations. He is now investigating whether the bugs survive to the point of consumption. (Source: New Scientist, Oct. 7, 2000 http://www.newscientist.com) Table of Contents CFIA accused of conflict of interest by biotech opponents A recent article in Canadian Living magazine commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has led to allegations by environmental groups that the federal government is preventing the public from hearing the full range of opinions on GM foods. Michael Khoo, a spokesman for Greenpeace, has complained that his organization’s criticisms and those of other scientists and public advocates, including The Council of Canadians and Dr. David Suzuki, were deleted from the feature story, entitled “What Am I Eating?”. Khoo said the article fails to mention the lack of long-term research into the health and environmental risks of growing and consuming genetically modified foods. He also claimed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is promoting products it is supposed to regulate. Bart Bilmer, spokesman for the CFIA’s office of biotechnology, said the decision was made to remove outside commentary because the focus of the article was meant to be how the agency and Health Canada regulate GM foods. “We just decided to take a different approach with it. We think it does an excellent job in answering questions Canadians have about foods from biotechnology.” In a related story, a group called the Government Ethics Coalition lodged a conflict-of-interest complaint with the federal Ethics Commissioner after discovering Industry Canada’s membership in BIOTECanada, an Ottawa-based lobby for biotechnology. Industry Canada insists its membership is merely a window on the industry. (Contact: Bart Bilmer, Biotech Regulations Officer, Office of Biotechnology, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 59 Camelot Drive, Nepean Ontario, K1A 0Y9 Ph: (613) 228-6696 Ext. 4151, e-mail: bbilmer@em.agr.ca) Table of Contents Computer program tracks grain purity A new computer program developed by researchers at Purdue University may help farmers, grain handlers, and food processors avoid another mishap like the Starlink corn incident in September. Rick Vierling, a professor of agronomy, and Bruce Craig, a statistics professor, designed the software to track the purity of genetic traits in loads of grain. Vierling, director of the Indiana Crop Improvement Association Genetics Lab, says the program will help breeders and producers develop varieties of grain with specific agronomic traits as well as track those traits through the processing stream. “With this system, we can track the purity of these products from seeds planted in the field to the grain used to make taco shells, and we can do it at a reasonable cost.” Farmers or processors must still gather data from field and bin inspections and have laboratory analyses performed on harvested samples in order to use the software, which estimates the purity of a batch of harvested grain based on the information provided. However, the program is considered more reliable and cheaper than existing methods for analyzing grain purity, according to Vierling. “If you relied solely on lab testing, the cost would be higher than the value of the product. We’re combining field purity data and laboratory results in a compromise that keeps costs down.” (For more information, contact Rick Vierling mailto: vierling@purdue.edu) Table of Contents Research into multi-herbicide resistant canola Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is investigating the first confirmed case of multiple herbicide-resistant canola after plants resistant to three types of herbicide were discovered in a field in Alberta last year. The year before, canola resistant to two kinds of herbicide had been reported, prompting the department to accelerate an already-planned project to determine the extent of multiple resistance due to outcrossing or pollen drift. The Canadian Biotechnology Strategy Fund has also contributed $750,000 to the three-person research team, whose initial findings should be available by the end of the year. “It sort of brought it to the forefront in terms of research priorities,” says Hugh Beckie, a scientist at AAFC’s Saskatoon Research Centre. Beckie and his colleagues have collected seed samples from 11 Saskatchewan test sites where fields of Roundup Ready™ canola adjoin fields of Liberty Link™ canola. So far, estimates of canola outcrossing rates range from 20 to 30 per cent, with up to 10 per cent of canola pollen being picked up by wind and dispersed more widely. Seventy-five percent of the 7.4 million acres of canola planted in Canada last year was herbicide resistant. (For more information contact Judy Hume at: humej@em.agr.ca) Table of Contents In memoriam: Dr. Michael Smith It is with regret that we have learned of the passing of Dr. Michael Smith on Wednesday October 4, 2000 after a two-year battle with leukemia. Dr. Smith was a bright light in Canadian genetics research. He won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1993 for a major technique in genetic engineering known as site-directed mutagenesis. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1995. He is also remembered for how he used the $500,000 prize money, donating it to such causes as the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, and a program for elementary school teachers provided by Science World BC. The University of British Columbia has announced that a new two-storey building will bear his name and house the biotechnology laboratory he founded in 1987. (For more information on the remarkable contributions of Dr. Smith please go to: www.bccancer.bc.ca) Table of Contents A powerful new resource for wheat breeding The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Western Regional Research Centre (WWRC) in Albany, California has sequenced over 40,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the wheat genome. The ESTs for about 44,000 wheat genes and 6,000 barley genes were released to the public in mid-July, prior to which only 8 wheat ESTs were publicly available. The information provided by the Wheat Genome Project will make the enhancement and modification of existing strains much easier and faster in the future. The WWRC has been working with the International Triticeae (wheat and barley) EST Cooperative (ITEC). Several universities have also been involved in the project, including the University of California, Cornell University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Nebraska. At the end of September, the University of Nebraska announced in a related press release that a group of agronomists had discovered a single gene responsible for nearly 14 to 16 per cent of wheat yield. The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources team, including wheat breeder Steve Baenziger, molecular geneticist Kullvinder Gill, biometrician Ken Eskridge, and statistician Dan Nettleton, have already narrowed the gene’s location to a small segment on the tip of one of wheat’s 21 chromosomes. (For more information, see http://ard.unl.edu/main.shtml, or http://agronomy.unl.edu/, or http://www.pw.usda.gov) Table of Contents Innovations VIDO develops in-utero immunization technique Dr. Philip Griebel and colleagues of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan have developed a method for inoculating livestock in utero. The same method could also be used to vaccinate human babies against viral diseases such as herpes simplex, hepatitis B, human cytomegalovirus, and group B streptococcus, all of which are most frequently contracted from the mother during or shortly after birth. The researchers injected fetal lambs with a DNA vaccine for bovine herpesvirus-1. The vaccine caused the lambs to produce mucosal antibodies to the virus, but otherwise they developed normally during gestation and after birth. Unlike traditional vaccines, which use a weakened or killed version of a virus to stimulate the immune system, DNA vaccination uses only a single, unique genetic component of the virus. This eliminates the risk of inadvertent infection. (Source: Canadian Biotech News, Sep 11, 2000 http://www.canadianbiotechnews.com) Table of Contents Testing the waters A test for E. coli 0157 has been developed by scientists at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) and will be marketed with the aid of a $1.45 million grant from France’s Altran Foundation. The testing kit is easy to use, inexpensive, and fast. It can detect salmonella, shigella, and campylobacter infections. “The current method of detecting E. coli depends on the trained eyes of highly skilled technicians resulting in different interpretations in hospitals,” according to Dr. Ian Toth, head of bacteriology at SCRI. Results from the new test are analyzed by computer, so they are standardized and can be put into a database for national or worldwide access. The test was developed in association with Aberdeen’s Grampian Hospitals Trust and was initially used to track an outbreak of E. coli which killed 21 people in Scotland. The kit won second prize in Altran’s Innovation Prix 2000 competition, which provides winners with funding and management consulting to help commercialize their ideas. (Source: Science and Technology News, Oct. 2000 http://ww.britain-in-canada.org) Table of Contents The sweet smell of methyl benzoate Sweet-smelling flowers aren’t just nice to have around the house; scent attracts bees, birds, and other pollen carriers so that the plants can breed. Because flowering plants are typically selected for the size and colour of their blossoms, though, their originally robust scents can be lost through successive generations of inbreeding. Fortunately, a researcher at Purdue University has discovered the gene for methyl benzoate, a major component of scent in 30 to 40 agriculturally important plants. Natalia Dudareva says inbreeding can inactivate the gene, but additional copies of the gene could restore the original scent or even enhance it, which could make scent-impaired plants with desirable agricultural traits more appealing to pollinators. (Source: Discover, Oct. 2000 http://www.discover.com) Table of Contents Cooling off the hothouse A new infrared-blocking polymer film made by 3M of St. Paul, Minnesota, could cause plants to grow faster and produce bigger fruit by keeping them cool. Surprisingly, the warm temperatures in greenhouses often make it too hot for the plants, which means that the gardener has to open a window to cool the place down. Unfortunately, this also lets out the CO2 and moisture that the plants need. The film reflects back certain wavelengths of infrared light, which keeps greenhouses cooler. It also promotes plant growth, according to Dr. Paul Hadley at Reading University’s School of Plant Sciences. Plants use a specific range of infrared light between 730 and 740 nanometres to detect other plants in their vicinity. If they don’t sense light in this range, they grow faster and taller as well as producing bigger fruit in order to outgrow the competition. The film is made of hundreds of very thin layers of perspex and polyethylene terephthalate pressed together. The layers, depending on their thickness and how many sheets there are in the film, determine which specific frequencies are affected and how much infrared light is reflected in total. (Source: New Scientist, Oct. 7, 2000 http://www.newscientist.com/nlh/1007/juicy.html) Table of Contents Saskatchewan Agbiotech Update Clear-Green Biotechnologies Inc. On October 5, BDI Research Inc. announced the launch of a new joint venture with Bioscan A/S of Denmark, Clear-Green Biotechnologies, Inc. The new company will produce and market Bioscan’s Biorek® waste processing plants in Western Canada. So far, the plants have been exported to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, and the U.S. In August, Bioscan also signed an agreement with two Quebec companies to market the Biorek® technology in Quebec and the Maritimes. The Biorek® plant uses a system of filters and a “digester” to reduce hog slurry to dry compost, methane gas (biogas), nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus concentrates, and water. Because bacteria and viruses are too large to pass through the plant’s membrane filters, all of the end products are sterile. The plant relies on a contained organic digester, as opposed to conventional hog farms which break down manure in massive lagoons. The process is continuous and takes much less time than conventional waste treatment. It also subjects the neighbours to lower levels of objectionable odours. Clear-Green President Ben Voss says,“Our main interest is in integrating machines and living systems to develop a more sustainable kind of high-intensity livestock production.” (For more information, see: http://www.clear-green.com) Table of Contents Philom Bios celebrates 20th anniversary with record sales Philom Bios Inc. recently reported that their fiscal year ending June 30, 2000 was their most successful in the 20-year history of the company. Sales revenues increased 40 per cent over 1999. Philom Bios Inc. is a Saskatoon-based company that produces the microbial and fungal inoculants JumpStart, TagTeam, and N-Prove which allow crops, particularly pulses, to take up nitrogen and phosphates in the soil. President John Cross said, “We have been able to respond to the strong demand for our inoculants by building on the relationships that we have established with our customers over the last four years.” The success of Philom Bios has also benefited Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Over the past decade, cumulative royalty payments on products such as JumpStart have grown to $1.098 million. (For more information, check out the Philom Bios web site at http://www.philombios.ca) Table of Contents Viritech comes to chew the fat Viritech Inc., a spinoff of Lyondell Chemical Company, is looking at Saskatchewan as a possible location for producing esterified propoxylated glycerine (EPG), a reduced-calorie fat substitute which can also be used for cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Because the crucial raw materials are canola and rapeseed oils, Saskatchewan would be an ideal location for a manufacturing plant, according to Dr. Harry Mazurek, Director of Viritech. EPG was developed by ARCO Chemicals in the 1980s. It is made by adding propylene glycol spacers to fatty acids, resulting in a molecule that has the same taste, texture, and cooking properties as the original fat, except it is indigestible. It forms stable emulsions, remains stable at high temperatures (e.g. for deep-frying), can be hydrogenated, and has increased oxygen content, making it suitable for use in biodiesel. In addition, unlike other fat substitutes on the market, EPG is less likely to cause gastrointestinal problems. If Viritech constructed a manufacturing facility in Saskatchewan, it could provide up to 500 jobs and generate $500 million in annual revenues in addition to providing a local market for canola and other oilseed crops. (For more information on fat substitutes, see http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1992/0492DE.html or Lyondell’s web site at http://www.lyondell.com/) Table of Contents Becker Underwood buys mbr Becker Underwood Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of bio-agronomic products based in Ames, Iowa, has purchased MicroBio Group Inc., the parent company of MicroBio RhizoGen (mbr) of Saskatoon. mbr manufactures and markets Rhizobium inoculants, which help provide nitrogen to pulse crops. Becker Underwood produces a variety of specialty colorants and bio-agronomic products for use in the agriculture, forestry, recycling, aquaculture, and pest management industries. Dr. Peter Innes, Group Managing Director of MicroBio, says the companies are a good match. “Our strong technical base, current products and focus on North America are a perfect fit with Becker Underwood’s current business and future plans.” Becker Underwood has no plans to change mbr’s internal structure, personnel, or distribution policy. Dealers, customers, and distributors can expect the same quality of service from mbr. (For more information, contact mbr President Murray Trapp, at (306) 373-3060) Table of Contents SRC board, president fired On October 5, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) lost its senior management after Energy Minister Eldon Lautermilch fired the entire board of directors and appointed an interim board. The new board promptly fired SRC president Jim Hutchinson. The shakeup was the result of the board’s refusal to give control of its petroleum division to the newly-formed Petroleum Technology Research Centre while continuing to fund research done by the division. After the board refused twice, they were replaced by Dan McFadyen, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines; Mike Monea, the president of Flatland Exploration (a Saskatchewan-based oil company); and Doug Kelln, Vice-President of SaskEnergy. “This will streamline the day-to-day administration and management of petroleum research in Saskatchewan and improve the effectiveness of the PTRC,” Lautermilch said in a press release. Former board members Pat Trask and Jim Hawkins worry that the SRC’s other research areas, such as agriculture and small business, will be neglected as a result of the government’s focus on the more lucrative oil and gas industry. (Sources, Saskatoon StarPhoenix Oct. 7, Oct. 11, and http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/2000/10/05-613.html. For more information on SRC, see http://www.src.sk.ca) Table of Contents A new source for venture capital The launch of Foragen Technology Ventures Inc., a new venture capital fund for agbiotech, was announced at a media conference at Innovation Place on October 19. The initiative is headed by Dr. Murray McLaughlin, former president of Ag-West Biotech Inc. and a prominent figure in Canada’s scientific and business communities. Royal Bank Ventures Inc., the Government of Quebec, Saskatchewan’s Crown Investments Corporation (CIC), and the Saskatchewan Opportunities Corporation (SOCO) contributed $42 million in initial funding. Foragen has offices in Saskatoon, Guelph, and Montreal. It will focus on working with research and development organizations to commercialize new technologies, particularly in the agbiotech sector. They have already approved funding for several projects, including a vaccine that prevents E. coli infection in cattle developed by the National Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa and the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon. Foragen offers a variety of services such as seed capital, administrative and management expertise, assistance with business development and intellectual property protection. For investors, they provide access to the cream of the crop in Canadian ag biotech ventures. “We know it is the first [fund] in North America to be involved at that very earliest seed stage,” says Susan Smith, president and CEO of Royal Bank Ventures Inc. “We believe it’s the first in the world for agriculture biotechnology at that stage.” (For more information, see http://www.foragen.com) Table of Contents Regulatory Column [--- ??? Graphic Goes Here ---] Brian K. Treacy, PhD Regulatory Affairs Manager, Ag-West Biotech Inc. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: An Introduction The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (a.k.a. the Biosafety Protocol) is an environmental agreement. The Working Group on Biosafety initiated this agreement in 1995 under the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Drafting of the protocol was prompted largely by a concern about the lack of regulatory capacity of developing countries to assess the impact of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) on their biological diversity. These countries sought to strengthen international trade of biotechnology derived organisms with rules focused on protecting their biodiversity. Developed countries shared this vision. The Working Group held six meetings between July 1996 and February 1999, culminating in negotiations on a final draft text at a Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the Convention in February 1999 in Cartagena, Colombia. Following further consultations at COP2 and COP3, a final text was adopted by consensus at COP4 in Montreal on January 29th, 2000. The official objective of the protocol is “to contribute to ensuring an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health and specifically focusing on transboundary movements.” Other issues, such as food safety, labelling and products derived from LMOs, are outside the scope of the protocol and are to be governed by domestic (country-specific) regulatory policy. The protocol was opened for signature on May 24th, 2000 at COP5 in Nairobi and would enter into force 90 days after the 50th country has ratified. To date, 77 countries have signed it. Among those who did not sign include the USA, Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Africa and Canada. Canada is committed to undergo public consultation prior to signing and ratifying. Signing only indicates that a country “agrees with the intent” of the protocol; it is not legally binding. Only those who have ratified will be legally bound to implement the regulatory mechanisms included in the protocol. However, non-ratified/signed countries must follow the Biosafety Protocol when exporting to a country that has ratified. It is estimated that the protocol may be ratified and come into force within the next 3 to 4 years. This will allow signatory countries the time to reach a common interpretation of each clause. Canada intends to be a signatory before Christmas this year with hopes of having more weight at the bargaining table with all 130 other countries. At minimum, the Biosafety Protocol calls for additional documentation in the form of an Advanced Informed Agreement (AIA) for LMOs destined for import/export, although additional regulations may also be required. This information along with decision documents made under the umbrella of the Biosafety Protocol will be posted on the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH), an electronic network of national focal points designed to facilitate international exchange. For more information on the Biosafety Protocol and the opportunity to voice your opinion please go to the Canadian Federal web site at: http://www.bco.ec.gc.ca/protocol/en/protocol.cfm Brian Treacy can be reached at brian.treacy@agwest.sk.ca Table of Contents SABIC Column [--- ??? Graphic Goes Here ---] Krista Broten, M.Sc., Coordinator Saskatchewan Agricultural Biotechnology Information Centre (SABIC) 5th Annual Scholarship Program The Impacts of Agricultural Genomics in Saskatchewan It is the usual time of year for our annual scholarship program and you may be wondering why you have not heard anything about it yet. Not to worry, the program is still offering $4,000 in scholarships for the best essays; it has just moved dates. To coincide with the Saskatchewan school curriculum, the date for entry has moved to the spring. The application deadline for the 5th Annual Ag-West Biotech Scholarship Program is April 16, 2001. Saskatchewan students enrolled in Grade 12 and students attending a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution are invited to submit essays entitled “The Impacts of Agricultural Genomics in Saskatchewan”. There will be four $1000 scholarships awarded to the winning essays. Winners will be announced May 15th, 2001. The essays should be approximately 750 words, typewritten and double-spaced. Post secondary student essays should be approximately 1000 words, typewritten and double-spaced. Scholarship program rules can be obtained at http://www.agwest.sk.ca (Education Connection/Annual Essay Scholarship) or phone (306) 668-2660 for more information. Two winners will be chosen from Grade 12 as well as two winners at the post secondary level, in both categories. One winner each will be chosen from southern Saskatchewan and northern Saskatchewan. Each scholarship must be used for post-secondary education. Judging will be conducted by volunteers from the agbiotech industry. Essays will be graded for originality, understanding of the subject, organization of material and grammar. All entries become the property of Ag-West Biotech Inc. and may be published, reprinted or distributed at Ag-West Biotech’s discretion. Krista Broten can be reached at krista.broten@agwest.sk.ca Table of Contents Web Watch http://www.agbios.com/default.asp Agriculture and Biotechnology Strategies (Canada) Inc. got an excellent rating for this site from GE News: “Site is a low-key, yet impressive source of information on biotechnology in agriculture. High points include news, scientific papers, links, and a superb database of information.” http://www.cpma.ca/english/english.html The Canadian Produce Marketing Association bills itself as “the voice of Canada’s produce industry”. It packs in quite a lot of useful information including technical documents and regulations, nutrition information for consumers, and a decent links page. Definitely a good site to bookmark if you’re in the grocery business. http://www.westerngrains.com/ This is the home page of the Western Grains Research Foundation, Western Canada’s largest farmer funded, farmer directed cereal research funding organization. The Web site is aimed at grain producers in Western Canada and provides information about the Foundation and its current projects. http://www.ejb.org/ Home of the Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. The site is nicely laid out, very clean and modern looking. Articles are somewhat baffling for the interested layman, but the site bears mentioning just for the value of its subject matter. http://www.britannica.com Surprise! The people who brought you the Encyclopedia Britannica have gone modern with an amazing online reference site. If this site doesn’t have an entry for something, it can invariably give you a few suggestions on where else to look Table of Contents People Watch Holly Rask, Communications Manager, Ag-West Biotech Inc. Ag-West would like to welcome Holly Rask, our new Manager-Communications. Originally from a mixed farm near Shellbrook, Holly took a BSA in Agronomy at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture. She later took a Ph.D. in Soil Science and did post-doctoral research with the University on the BOREAS project, which looked at the carbon cycle as it relates to northern boreal forests. Following her stint at the University, Holly worked for the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association, editing the SCGA’s newsletter among other duties as their Executive Director. She then moved on to MicroBio RhizoGen (mbr) as Research and Development Coordinator before joining our organization. Holly can be reached at holly.rask@agwest.sk.ca. BHRC searching for Executive Director Executive Director. Responsibilities include: • Developing and implementing skills training strategies for companies of all sizes • Marketing HR products and services in the industry • Developing programs to increase Canada’s human resource infrastructure in biotech R&D, intellectual property, regulatory and clinical affairs, commercialization and management • Promoting stronger relationships within the industry and the research/academic community • Promoting awareness of the career opportunities in the biotech sector The successful applicant must be an outstanding communicator with a degree in an appropriate field and several years of experience in senior positions. Expertise may include industry experience, human resource management, biotech knowledge, and familiarity with government programs. Must be fluently bilingual in French and English. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Send resume in confidence by e-mail before Nov. 15th to Carmen Lo Dico, carmen@bhrc.ca. For additional information about BHRC, see http://www.bhrc.ca/. Table of Contents Events [--- ??? Graphic Goes Here ---] Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference and BioExpo 2000 November 12-16, 2000 Vancouver, British Columbia BIOTECanada and the British Columbia Biotechnology Alliance have joined forces to present a program to address the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Over 1,000 business executives and leading scientists are expected to attend, from Canada, USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, China, Hong Kong and others. The program is set up in tracks to accommodate varied interests. Delegates can choose among Finance, Communications, Human Resources, Intellectual Property/Regulatory, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Pharma, and Environment. A social program is also offered. For more information or to register, see the conference Web site at www.biotech.bc.ca/biotechconference, or call the registration line at (604-514-3270). Dec. 4-6 7th Annual Ottawa Life Sciences National Conference and Exhibition http://www.olsc.ca/ Dec. 6-8 ASTA Corn, Soybean and Sorghum Conference and Seed Expo, Chicago, IL contact Angela Dansby at (202) 638-3128 Dec 6-8 IBC Presents Agricultural Genomics, Coral Gables, FL http://www.ibcusa.com/2562 Dec. 8-9 Annual Nutraceutical Alliance Symposium: Advancements in Natural Products, Guelph contact Wendy Pearson at (519) 837-0061 or mailto:info@nutraceuticalalliance.com Jan. 31-Feb. 3 Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 76th Annual Convention & Trade Show, Vancouver http://www.cpma.ca/english/conven.html Mar. 2001 Regulatory Affairs and International Trade Conference, Saskatoon contact Brian Treacy at: brian.treacy@agwest.sk.ca Apr. 18-20, 2001 Global Agriculture 2020: Which Way Forward? Norwich, U.K. http://www.jic.bbsrc.ac.uk/events/agric2020 July 8-12, 2001 10th European Congress on Biotechnology: Biotechnological Challenges in the New Millenium, Madrid, Spain mailto:sebiot@orgc.csic.es Ag-West Board of Directors Chair: Dr. Pete Desai, Director, Biotechnology Strategic Research, Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. Secretary-Treasurer: Ms. Shelley Brown, Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Dr. Ernie Barber, Dean, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan Mr. Doug Billett, Manager, Production Technology, Director, Sustainable Production Branch, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Dr. Kutty Kartha, Director General, NRC-Plant Biotechnology Institute Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan, Director, AAFC Saskatoon Research Centre Dr. John Patience, President, Prairie Swine Centre Inc. Dr. Carolyn Weeks-Levy, Vice-President, Research and Development, Alviva BioPharmaceuticals Mr. Ian McPhadden, Producer, Milden SK Dr. Jim Russell, Partner, Gauley & Co. Mr. Murray Trapp, President, MBR Inc. Dr. Malcolm Devine, Manager, Biotech Research, Aventis AgBiotech Bulletin Subscribe To receive a free electronic subscription: Please E-mail: subscriptions@agwest.sk.ca and specify if you prefer to receive the Bulletin in: – Adobe pdf format – Text-only format Other Ag-West publications are also available at no cost: Please e-mail the above address or fax your selections to (306) 975-1966. • AgBiotech Infosource - an information newsletter for schools. Available electronically in: – Adobe pdf format – Text-only format • Food Biotech Resource News - a quarterly newsletter oriented to the food industry • Current Research and Development - a booklet outlining current R&D in Saskatchewan Table of Contents