Genome Alberta Newsletter GeneSnips - November 17, 2009
Genome Alberta News
Electronic Health Information and Privacy
Electronic health information is here to stay. Canadians are visiting doctors’ offices 322 million times and most of the resulting records are still on paper. In some other countries records are more often in the digital domain. That is changing as Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia in particular are leading the way down a digital record path for all those doctor visits. Even Google is taking aim at the consumer part of the market through Google Health (www.google.com/health).
The question on everyone’s mind though is what information is stored, who has access to it, what safeguards are built in and does the patient have access to their own records.
On November 19th in Ottawa, some of North America’s top experts will gather to discuss the problems and the potential. The 2009 EHIP includes a keynote address by Dr. Mark Rothstein of University of Louisville, on the major privacy governance challenges in the genomic era. Other topics include data linkage and de-identification of DNA, and public release of genomic research data. Genome Canada’s Patricia Kosseim is on the conference organizing committee and will chair some of the sessions.
Genome Alberta’s Communications Director Mike Spear will also address the conference to talk about the emerging phenomenon of direct-to-consumer genetic testing over the internet. His genome has been tested by several commercial companies and the results posted in a variety of locations including http://genomealberta.ca/
PersonalGenotyping/default. aspx There is still time to register for the conference at http://www.ehip.ca/
registration/
Mountain Pine Beetle Science Workshop
The second annual Tria Project International Scientific Workshop takes place November 19 in Edmonton.
This is an invitation only event but if you would like more information please contact Project Manager Matt Bryman at mbryman@ualberta.ca or call (780) 492-1990
Student Bursary Program
The 2010 Technology Vision Group LLC / BIOTECanada Student Bursary program is now open and accepting applications. Now in its sixth year; the bursary is designed to fund graduate and post-graduate students in a biotechnology-related program in Canada to attend the BioPartnering North America (BPN) conference in Vancouver, January 24-26, 2010.
BPN is supported by leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, financial and service companies from around the world. The bursary program is an opportunity for students to learn about the global biotech industry by attending information sessions and participating in networking events with peers and potential employers. The bursary provides full registration to the conference, travel costs (for students residing outside the Greater Vancouver Area), and accommodation for 2 nights close to the conference venue.
Additional details and the registration form are available for download at www.biotech.ca/en/what-we-do/events.aspx The deadline for receipt of applications is December 1, 2009 and successful applicants will be informed by email notification by December 8, 2009.
BioAlberta AGM and Celebration to feature Premier Stelmach
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, BioAlberta will host their 10th Annual General Meeting at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton. It will be an extra special evening as it is their 10th Anniversary. The evening will be a gathering of the key players and industry stakeholders in the Alberta life science community and to celebrate Alberta's life science founders, researchers and entrepreneurs.
For full details, view the AGM & Gala Invitation.
The Medical Product Development Program now accepting applications for project funding
BioAlberta is pleased to announce the launch of the Medical Product Development Program (MPDP). Supported by the Governments of Canada and Alberta through the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement, the MPDP will fund early-stage product development projects and helps Alberta companies develop and commercialize new medical devices and applications.
This round of MPDP has approximately $200,000 of total project funding available. Applications are being accepted until December 15, 2009.
For more information on the program, including eligibility criteria, the application and selection process and project timelines, please visit www.bioalberta.com/mpdp or contact Charlene Navarra at charlene@bioalberta.com or 780.938.3804.
Facebook GenOmics
Our Facebook GenOmics news site is picking up users and gaining in popularity but there is always room for more and we always are looking for new contributions.
The concept is simple. We all look for the latest news about genetics, genomics, and other related fields and probably subscribe to several newsletters and look at other science news or blog sites on a regular basis. GenOmics can save you a lot of work by pulling the information into one site at http://facebook.genomealberta.
ca For instance we add all the news from Genome Web Daily News, the Woodrow Wilson Synthetic Biology project, and selected news from New Scientist and the BioSmartbrief. We are able to bring you all the blog postings from the DNA Network, Genetic Future, Genomics Law Report and of course our own Genome Alberta blogs. In addition to this ongoing collection of news GenOmics users and editors also add selected stories as they find them on the web. There is also ample opportunity to comment on stories, upload your own stories or write your own blog, ask questions or subscribe to the material as an RSS feed.
Here is a selection of the stories that appearing this week. You don’t have to be a Facebook user to read the stories so feel free to click on the links below to check them out.
DTC Genomic Research: Revolution or Minor Uprising?
The Open Secret of DTC Medical Genetic Testing
A Fundamental Right to Genetic Information (Now More Expensive Than Before)
23andMe’s New Game Plan: What it Means for the Company and for DTC Genetic Testing
Genetic discrimination legal Kansas
Low-Emission Transportation Needs Assist From Policymakers -- Report
Biotech Roundup: Friday, November 13th
Early life stress has effects at the molecular level
Will the US Continue to Lead in Biotech Innovation?
Guelph Teacher Awarded Third Annual OGI Genomics Teaching Prize
The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) has announced the recipient of its 2009 Genomics Teaching Prize, Mr. Doug Gajic from Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute (CVI) in Guelph, Ontario. The annual prize recognizes the Ontario secondary school teacher whose teaching best exemplifies OGI’s commitment to preparing Ontario’s students for their future roles – for which understanding genomics and proteomics research and its outcomes and impacts will be advantageous or even crucial – specifically as life sciences researchers or entrepreneurs, but also generally as individuals making decisions about themselves, their families and their businesses.
To read the full press release visit: http://www.ontariogenomics.ca/
media-centre/news/2009-11-10/ 427
Exploding stars, dark energy and other cosmic mysteries
This month’s Science Café will feature Dr. Chris Pritchet, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria, to talk about his research, the evidence for dark energy, and current ideas about what it might be. He’ll field questions about the Big Bang, the fate of the universe, and other cosmic conundrums posed by dark energy.
Where:
Ironwood Stage and Grill, 1429 - 9th Avenue SE When: Tuesday, November 24, 6:30 p.m Cost: Free. Open to ages 18 and over. Canadian Bioinformatics Help Desk Newsletter
http://www.gchelpdesk.
ualberta.ca/news/13nov09/cbhd_ news_13nov09.htm
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Upcoming Events
November 19
Gijs van Rooijen will be attending the International Scientific Workshop on mountain pine beetle and associated research being held in Edmonton on November 19, 2009.
November 20 & 24
Genome Alberta’s Education consultant Gerry Ward will present to the Alberta Teachers' Association: Science Council Conference November 20 Red Deer and to the Calgary Knights of the Round Table on November 24 in Calgary
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GE3LS Digest
Two research teams funded through the Innovative Partnership Program between Canada and California to advance Cancer Stem Cell Research – October 28th, 2009
http://genomecanada.ca/en/about/news.aspx?i=338 The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) is pleased to announce that two multi-disciplinary research teams co-led by Canadian and Californian scientists have been awarded funding through a Collaborative Partnership Program with The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The program supports research that will result in a cancer stem cell based therapy with the specific aim of improving cancer treatment.
Survey of Academic Life Scientists Suggests 10-Year Drop in Industry Funding – November 5, 2009
http://www.genomeweb.com/print/927189?emc=el&m=541951& l=5&v=42c8152690 Direct industry funding for academic life science research appears to have decreased in the last decade, according to the results of a 2007 survey published this week.The survey also found that academic life scientists with industry support withheld data or delayed publication due to commercial prospects more frequently than those with no industry support during that time. The research, which appears in the November/December issue of Health Affairs, was supported by a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute. It followed similar surveys conducted in 1995 and 1985 by the same research group at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Policy, allowing them to examine trends in industry-academia partnerships over the past 20 years. For the most recent study, in late 2006 and 2007 the researchers mailed surveys to a randomly selected group of life science faculty members at the 50 US universities receiving the most NIH support in 2004. The survey asked a range of questions about respondents' relationships and activities in the preceding three years.
Editing Scientists: Science and Policy at the White House – October 22, 2009
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=white- house-editing-scientists
When Nancy Sutley moved in to her new office as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)—a 40-year-old White House environmental policy advisory office created by Congress—she found a lot of red pens. Immediately, she removed the pens from her desk and asked her staff to remove any red pens from their desks, as well. "The White House should not be in the business of editing science," Sutley says. "Let the scientists do the science. It's a really easy bright line for me."
Her predecessor, Jim Connaughton, now executive vice president for corporate public affairs and environmental policy at Constellation Energy, disputes the anecdote: "If anything, I used a blue pen, because I wanted to make sure our documents were quite clear," he says. "Think of all the economists, scientists, lawyers involved [in policymaking]. I was constantly trying to make sure things came out in plain English."
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Found on Twitter
@dgmacarthur This excerpt from @RebeccaSkloot's new book is a useful reminder about lay understanding of genetics: http://bit.ly/2ml0zW
@humangenomeorg Linda Avey starts a blog and mentions the HUGO Symposium on Genomics and Ethics, Law, and Society. http://bit.ly/1hjjEw HT @dgmacarthur
@kejames Barcode of Life gets web2.0 this week: in addition to #barcode09 tweets, a new Facebook-like BoL Community Network will be launched
@IAmBiotech FDA holds hearings on social media http://tinyurl.com/yldg53h
@sourceinnovate A case study for non-profit news: http://bit.ly/IrG0I
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Researchers R’ Us
We’re going to bring you regular profile of the researchers and staff associated with Genome Alberta’s projects. We’ll start with the quick look at Paul Gordon:
Paul Gordon has been a bioinformatician with the Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics since 2002. Paul, a talented Ph.D. Candidate studying at the University of Calgary, is not just about science however and likes to use his camera to capture the world around him. His photography includes photos of The Great Wall of China and the Canals of Venice. Paul is also an avid cook, preparing delicious meals based as much on intuition as on what can be found in a cookbook. He also surprises the research team by sharing foods from his travels, bringing home some delights common to the cultural background of the location he visits, such as purple yam donuts from Okinawa.
On the science side of his life Paul has helped prepare the coding and/or design for a number of bioinformatics tools offered through the Sun Center of Excellence for Visual Genomics, which includes Magpie, Bluejay, Osprey, and Seahawk, and has co-authored 37 peer-reviewed publications, accumulating over 1000 citations.
His website can be accessed by visiting http://www.visualgenomics.ca/
gordonp .
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Genome Alberta in Pictures
As noted in the least edition of Gene Snips, Dr. Oscar Meruvia-Pastor from the 4D Project went to the XXII National Congress & VIII International Congress of Informatics and Computing (CNCIIC-ANIEI-2009) at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Ensenada, Baja California where delivered a keynote address.
Here is a shot from one of the sessions, and while conferences can take up a lot of time and effort – location is everything!
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