A Genome Alberta-led project has received funding in the latest round of the Genomic Applications Partnership Program, or GAPP. This is the 8^th round of GAPP which funds downstream research and development projects which address real world opportunities and challenges identified by industry, government, not-for-profits and other end-users of genomics knowledge and technologies. GAPP projects are collaborations between academic researchers and the end-users, and are co-funded by Genome Canada, the end-user, and other stakeholders.

This new Alberta collaboration is between Calgary Lab Services as the end-user working with the academic partner, Ian Lewis from the University of Calgary. Together they will be developing a device to test for bloodstream infections. The current procedure can take 2 to 4 days to identify the pathogen and evaluate its susceptibility to antibiotics. The U of C and Calgary Lab Services have already developed a prototype which reduces the testing time to 24 hours, and with the new funding will reduce the time to less than six hours and move the product into clinical use.

Once in use the device will not only simplify the testing procedure, but reduce costs by more than 70 percent.

Read more about the GAPP 8 announcement and view the background information for the 5 new projects announced on December 1^st.