Professional Documents
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ENTREPRENEUR
EDITION
What does it take to
launch a successful
bio venture?
HARNESSING INNOVATION
Canuck executives build Canada’s
bio-entrepreneurial culture…
one success at a time
Startup Checklist
Key criteria to launching
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Contents
Bio Business
CHAMPIONING THE BUSINESS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CANADA
30
“
Photos by Jason Hagerman very success
also inside
NBW 2008
12 standards
A look back at this year’s celebration
Harnessing Innovation
18 5 EDITOR’S NOTE
Canuck executives endeavor to
build Canada’s bio-entrepreneurial 7 NEWS
culture…one success at a time
36
Startup Checklist
NEW PRODUCTS
20
A quick list of key criteria you need
”
to know
22 Q&A
Q&A with Lorna Shaw-Lennox, Commercializing R&D is not for the faint of heart,
Start-Up Company Specialist the impatient or the poor. Turning an idea into a
28 The Initial Pitch successful company is very risky, complex and
The basic business principles of a expensive. It takes patience, specialized knowledge,
pitch to investors
superior management skills and lots of money.
30 Discoveries
Canadian scientists advance – Dr. Jacques Simoneau, Executive Vice President, Investments,
agri-food science and technologies
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), in a May 2008
38 In Person speech to the House of Commons Standing Committee on
McGill’s Professor Richard Gold seeks to Industry, Science and Technology
reform dated intellectual property laws
l 2 lockable presets
for one-touch
setting/run
Bruce Lee
Secretary/
Treasurer
Sales
Manager
Susan A. Browne
Beth Kukkonen
bkukkonen@jesmar.com
Business
Promotion Nancy Sim
I
Manager nsim@jesmar.com t comes as little surprise that the biggest and application for their product or
Promotion Jessica Forbes challenge for biotechs today is a lack of innovation, then build it; they create a
Co-ordinator jforbes@jesmar.com money. Our panel of entrepreneurs in distribution and sales strategy, and execute
Production Roberta Dick this issue’s cover story on page 18 has not it; they manage the basic business opera-
Manager robertad@jesmar.com been without its own set of financing tions of the company like HR; and all the
Production Sara Forget hurdles. However, they have been blessed while, they attempt to attract money to
Co-ordinator sforget@jesmar.com
in some respects. And with good reason. keep everything afloat.
Bio Business is published 5 times per year by Jesmar
If you’ve ever wondered whether or not But it does take two to raise money.
Communications Inc., 30 East Beaver Creek Rd., Suite
202, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1J2. 905.886.5040 your company would be eligible for ven- We know research commercialization
Fax: 905.886.6615 www.biobusinessmag.com One year ture capital, Jacques Simoneau, BDC definitely represents a higher degree of
subscription: Canada $35.00, US $35.00 and foreign $95.
Executive Vice President, Investments, risk than other types of businesses. Each
Single copies $9.00. Please add GST where applicable. Bio
Business subscription and circulation enquiries: Garth suggests you first ask yourself: “Is my of our examples in the story boasts back-
Atkinson, biondj16@publicationpartners.com Fax: business going to change the world?” In ers who were willing to take that risk —to
905.509.0735 Subscriptions to business address only. On
occasion, our list is made available to organizations whose
an article titled Entrepreneurship at the varying degrees—and stick with them for
products or services may be of interest to you. If you’d rather highest risk level, Simoneau writes: “That the long haul.
not receive information, write to us at the address above or may seem like a lofty goal but venture Axela’s Rocky Ganske believes a dedi-
call 905.509.3511 The contents of this publication may not
be reproduced either in part or in whole without the written
capital is reserved for a small percentage cated investor is critical to boosting the
consent of the publisher. GST Registration #R124380270. of entrepreneurs who are trailblazers success rates of life sciences companies in
in their fields. They often have very Canada, as well as growing entrepreneuri-
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. ambitious objectives.” alism among the sector. Without Ven-
40063567
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN If you take the panelists in our cover Growth’s support, he says “Axela would
ADDRESSES TO story this issue, that statement does not be where we are today.”
CIRCULATION DEPT.
202-30 EAST BEAVER CREEK RD indeed hold true—each was recruited
RICHMOND HILL, ON L4B 1J2 from far and wide because they had a host Cheers,
email: biond@publicationpartners.com of skills and experience to bring to the
table. You want ambition? Just over three
Bio Business is a proud member of years in and Natrix’s Lisa Crossley is
BIOTECanada and the Toronto already predicting her company will be Executive Editor
Biotechnology Initiative (TBI). worth half a billion dollars within five bjohnson@jesmar.com
years “at the outside”.
Entrepreneurs like this bunch do it all:
through market research, among other
things, they determine a commercial value
Publisher of
LAB BUSINESS Magazine
LAB BUSINESS Cards
BIO BUSINESS Magazine
Printed in Canada
new study released by an international coalition of experts blocking negotiations that could
A calls upon governments across the world to consider a
massive restructuring of intellectual property laws.
have benefited both sides, as well as
the larger public.”
The report was released in September by members of the Information was gathered through
International Expert Group on Biotechnology, Innovation and group sessions in which former indus-
IP, a group chaired by McGill University’s Prof. Richard Gold. try competitors were allowed to sit
Titled Toward a New Era of Intellectual Property: From and speak with each other, revealing
Confrontation to Negotiation, the report outlines a number of information that made clear to both
strategies for governments, universities and industry players to sides the reasons for their inability to
increase innovation, which Gold believes has long been stifled find common ground.
by IP laws. Among these is a call to governments to work with The report highlights recent
industry in creating respected and trusted entities whose mem- examples of patents and privately-
bers can be counted on to mediate disputes fairly and encourage controlled research limiting potential innovation—the $612
indigenous and local communities in policy development. For million patent suit that nearly shut down the
patent offices to collect standardized patent-related informa- World’s Blackberries; Myriad Genetics’ inability to introduce
tion, and for universities to develop measures of the success of its breast cancer screening test in Canada and Europe; a phar-
transfer of technology based on social returns rather than on the maceutical industry with an increasingly bare medicine cabinet;
sheer number of patents held. Industry entities are also encour- an ongoing failure to deliver life-saving medications to develop-
aged to participate actively in the creation of public-private ing countries.
partnerships and other collaborative mechanisms. As with any fringe technology, biotechnology suffers greatly
Based on seven years of research involving case studies from from vague, out-of-date and almost obstructive IP laws, accord-
Brazil, Canada, Kenya, the United States, the European Union, ing to Gold. The industry itself, he believes, must be the primary
Japan, Australia and India, as well as discussions with policy- agent of change.
makers, industry representatives, scientists and academics from “Law deals with technology that we had 5 to 10 years ago,”
around the world, the report found consistent roadblocks said Gold. “To get things to happen you really have to change
around the globe. the minds of the people actually doing the research. We’re in ruts
“We found the same stumbling blocks in the traditional of thinking. For any biotech to say ‘the old model doesn’t work,
communities of Brazil as we did in the boardroom of a corpora- we’re going to go out on a limb here and come up with some-
tion that holds the patent to a gene that can determine the thing new’, they’re afraid nobody’s going to back them. We all
chance a woman will develop breast cancer,” said Gold. “No know the model doesn’t work, nobody is taking the first step to
matter where we looked, the lack of trust played a vital role in move it forward.”
Appointments
Quebec’s Æterna BIOTECanada welcomed Toronto’s Biovail Corp.
The Alberta Medical Zentaris appoint- Jazmín Bolaños as Manager appointed Peggy Mulligan,
Association Edmonton, ed Prof. Jürgen of Marketing and Programs. FCA as Chief Financial Officer.
inducted its new president Engel, Ph.D. as its Among other things Bolaños Mulligan succeeds Adrian A. De
for 2008-09. Dr. Noel W. new President and will be responsible for defining Saldanha, who had been serving
Grisdale is a family physician. CEO. Engel was formerly and implementing the as Interim CFO. Mulligan was
He has been a member of the Executive Vice-president and association’s marketing most recently a Principal at Priiva
AMA Board of Directors Chief Scientific Officer of programs and strategies. Consulting Corp. Prior to that, she
since 2001. Æterna Zentaris. served as EVP, CFO and Treasurer
of Linamar Corporation.
Wang, Director of the Oil Crops Research Institute. He added that since Canada go beyond dealing with GHG emissions
Photo credit: National
is the proverbial birthplace of canola, the partnership is all the more fitting. and develop policy scenarios for meeting
The first project to be undertaken under this agreement is to complete these goals; stress energy conservation
genomics work on canola to identify genes that affect yield and adaptation to and market-based incentives; and coor-
various environmental stresses. dinate federal, provincial, territorial and
municipal energy policy initiatives.
The Canada Council for Markham’s Cytochroma appointed Healthscreen Solutions Topigen
the Arts appointed MaRS Steven I. Engel, M.S., Pharm.D., as Inc. appointed Ken Killin Chief Pharmaceuticals
Director Joseph L. Rotman Vice-president of Regulatory Affairs Financial Officer. Previously a Inc., Montreal,
Chair of the organization, and Quality Assurance. Engel company advisor, Killin replaces appointed Mark Parry-
which fosters and promotes brings over 20 years of experience Eugene Bomba, who will be Billings, Ph.D., as Chief
the study, enjoyment and in regulatory affairs and quality leaving his position to return Executive Officer. Parry-Billings
production of art. assurance. He will be based in to private practice. joined Topigen in 2007 as Chief
Cytochroma’s Illinois office. Development Officer.
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18 Bio Business October/November 2008
INNOVATION
Special Report
[team]…and my investors.”
came north specifically to launch Axela. “I make no bones about it.
I’m clearly here to create wealth—both for myself, my manage-
ment team, my employees and my investors.”
Startup Checklist
✔ ✔
A quick list of key rules you need to know prior to launching a product or company
• Build a good business plan. The single most important • Think commercially from the get-go. What is the commer-
thing you can do is to put together a good business plan, cial need for your product/technology? What else is out
says Natrix’s Crossley, not a research plan. “You need to there in this category? Your product has to be so com-
use real, concrete, measurable data—not something you pelling that people are willing to adopt yours over what’s
✔
just pulled out of a market research report. What is the already out there, says Ganske: “You want your product to
market size? How much of it can you address? And when be so good that it is unconscionable for anyone to say no.”
can you do that? Barriers to entry? You need to bring
investors references that they can contact—actual end • Get to know your potential customers and get them
users, or key thought leaders in the industry to validate engaged early. Says U of S’s Shaw-Lennox: “People are
your concept/product,” she says. “So many people give happy to give their opinion on something that you are
the formula that everybody learns in business school, but creating—and if you can’t get them involved in that
✔ ✔
that doesn’t translate into how you are going to penetrate creative process, you’re certainly not going to get them to
the market and when.” buy your gizmo.”
• Look early on at commercial partners. This world today is • Broaden your horizons and think globally. There is this
becoming more and more a game of partnerships, says local mindset that looks at the market opportunity within the
Ganske of Axela. “Sometimes you have to go to other peo- confines of the Canadian jurisdiction, says Therapure’s
ple for technology. The challenge that some of the less- Wellner. “You have to have a global mindset and under-
experienced entrepreneurs in Ontario have is that they feel stand not just the local politics, and the provincial and fed-
as though they have to invent everything themselves— eral shenanigans that go on but also European require-
there’s no need to do that.” Rather, says Ganske, develop ments and U.S./FDA drivers,” he says. “You have to be
relationships—either licensing or distribution partner- able to put yourself in a greater, global context to be able
ships—and you’ll be introduced to new people, often with to truly appreciate the opportunities that are out there. And
connections, that want to play with you. there are vast numbers of opportunities.”
Entrepreneurial Beginnings
President and CEO Rocky Ganske on Axela Inc.’s journey to success
“From a technology living on a bench in a university to understanding of the protein complexes involved in heart
being a commercially distributed product in the market on attacks, for example), and ultimately led to the creation of
a worldwide basis, it was a pretty rapid ride,” says Rocky the company’s commercial system.
Ganske, president and CEO of Axela Inc. The intent of the business is to continue to push into the
Recently named a 2008-2009 winner in the life sciences research space, he says. Participating in the research mar-
category of the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation ket provides a pipeline of novel discoveries that form the
(OCRI) / Borden Ladner Gervais Canada’s Top 10 basis for future multiplex diagnostic offerings. “In the
Competition, Axela has commercialized a pro- meantime, you still drive clinical-level or diag-
prietary technology for real-time protein detec- nostic-level margins off of those products with no
tion. The company’s products provide life sci- regulatory clearance needed to sell them into the
ences and clinical researchers with simple tools clinical research space. It makes for a very inter-
and reagents to study interactions, expand the esting business model.”
utility of traditional immunoassays and access And a valuable proposition for investors too.
unique categories of diagnostic markers. Since Axela is working through the clinician
Privately-held, Axela’s major investor is researchers, Ganske says, it has access to all the
VenGrowth Private Equity Partners Inc. IP from studies/trials without having to pay for it.
The ride began roughly 6 years ago, when Axela has always had unique history from an
Ganske—having found his entrepreneur legs fol- investment standpoint, he adds. “Founder
lowing years in “corporate America” with start- “It had reached Cynthia Goh will tell you the way Axela got
up-turned-public-success-story ThirdWave Tech- the same started in the first place was that she didn’t know
nologies—was approached about a Canadian chicken and egg that you couldn’t go ask a venture capitalist for
innovation that needed a business leader. point that all money to run an experiment.”
VenGrowth asked Ganske to look into the Prime Access Technology Ventures took a
companies do:
technology—born out of Dr. Cynthia Goh’s gamble, however, giving her a small cheque to
lab in the chemistry department of the You need a run the first experiment. “Axela was literally
University of Toronto—and assess whether is management incorporated on the day of the first experiment,”
was worthy of development capital. “I flew team, but you he says. Subsequently, Prime Access—and a sin-
into Toronto in November 2002—which if I don’t have any gle angel investor, Royal Bay Capital—stepped
wasn’t already in Wisconsin—was probably money; and you in to help steer company activities. The duo had
the wrong time to try and recruit CEOs for an need money, invested about $1 million by the time VenGrowth
entrepreneurial business.” but you can’t added its money to allow the company to move
Ganske asked VenGrowth to give him a get it without forward commercially.
chunk of cash (far less then they had initially “It had reached the same chicken and egg
a management
intended to put in) and six months to unearth point that all companies do: You need a man-
and prove the technology’s worth. “Within six
team.” agement team, but you don’t have any money;
months, I would either produce a business plan and you need money, but you can’t get it with-
with a product aiming and positioning document, as well out a management team,” says Ganske. And that’s where
as a budget for the next two or three steps, or I would tell it was when VenGrowth started looking for a CEO.
VenGrowth to put their money into something else.” Within “VenGrowth has been so supportive, and without them
four months, Ganske agreed to take the helm. Axela would not be where we are today. They are truly
He began by building a strategy for the business that brilliant investors and business people.”
allowed it play in the research space in parallel with the “We’ve built a company that we’re very excited about.
diagnostic space. It put its first beta instrument into the The technology risk is gone, the clinical proofs are there,
hands of researchers two and a half years ago. Feedback and it’s now all about commercial execution. We’re look-
from that ‘test’ brought several specific clinical applications ing forward to some significant revenue ramp as we go. It’s
to bear (John Hopkins University was able to gain an an exciting place to be.”
capacity—up to 85 L—with all of the GLP features you feature an 85 L chamber and easily accommodate
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...contined from page 25. Shaw-Lennox, Start-Up Company Specialist, Industry Liaison
people don’t know how to approach venture capitalists and Office (ILO), University of Saskatchewan (U of S) (see Q&A,
investors (see sidebars to this story for tips and tricks on starting page 22). U of S is involved in the 2nd annual BioVenture
up and pitching investors). Programs like MARS’s entrepreneur- Business Plan Challenge, which is similar to the sanofi pasteur
ial office and the efforts of university tech transfer offices, how- Healthcare and Biotechnology Venture Challenge. Both pro-
ever, will go a long way she expects. These networks can arm the grams assist scientists and students with launching their bio-
uninitiated with the necessary skills, offer access to like-minded, based business ideas.
experienced, business people, and even provide warm introduc- “Our universities do an incredible job of developing tech-
tions, she says. “When you’re starting up, you really need some- nologies that are commercializable. It’s an entrepreneur’s
one with business savvy on your side.” dream,” says Ganske. “The foundation is there, but you need the
Academia does indeed have a role to play, according to Lorna cash to enable it.” BB
• Define why your product is important. What problem listening what your ‘solution’ is and why it’s important.
does it solve? How ‘painful’ is the problem to potential buyers. • Have a strategy in place before you approach potential
An interesting product with little or no market potential has no investors. Investors want to know you understand how to build
monetary or business value. Make sure you know specifically the business (eg who will buy your product, why, how long will
who would buy it, why they would buy it and how much they each sale take, etc).
would pay for it. Test your theory with people you don’t know • Have a good understanding of the strengths you and
before presenting it to investors. your management team have demonstrated, where you’d like
• Be able to quickly describe your sustainable competitive to fill gaps and how you would work with new complementa-
advantage. The wheel and other mobility solutions were ry executives and advisors.
invented in many different parts of the world at the same time. • Put together a group of experienced advisors with
Similarly, every company has known and unknown direct and compatible functional and industry expertise.
indirect competitors that solve the same problem. Why would The board can provide: validation of your business (the
someone buy your product rather than another brand or a product, the market opportunity, and management), guidance
substitute product? in growing the business, introductions to potential buyers, and
• Develop a crisp solution-focused pitch that your grand- introductions to potential investors or business partners.
mother can understand. Have a 10 second pitch to pique • Are you ‘coachable’? Early-stage investors bring money,
curiosity and one that is 60 seconds long (the elevator pitch) to but as important is their industry- and high-growth expertise
stimulate interest. Test your pitch on people you don’t know—do and their rolodex. If you can work as a team and demon-
they respond constructively to you? To demonstrate that you can strate your ability to learn, you can leverage the full value the
‘sell’ your product and your business—to potential customers, to investor brings. The investors are also crucial to your future
business partners, to investors, you should be able to tell anyone fundraising.
The above excerpt was pulled from The Entrepreneur’s not for profit business advisory hub created to help accelerate
Investment Preparation Toolkit (v1), created by the Innovation the growth and development of SMEs. For more information,
Synergy Centre in Markham’s (ISCM) Investment Network and please visit www.iscm.ca, or contact Catarina von Maydell at
its Director, Catarina von Maydell. The Investment Network c.vonmaydell@iscm.ca.
was launched under the ISCM umbrella in January 2007, to
help early-stage, potentially high-growth companies seeking The above excerpt is provided as a guideline and introduction only.
their first rounds of financing (up to ~$500,000). Supported Companies seeking financing must do their own research and seek
by the Town of Markham, The National Research Council and qualified advisors to help them find appropriate financing suitable
the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, ISCM is a and appropriate to their specific needs and circumstances.
Set yourself free - with one purification system for any application.
W
hen life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
Unfortunately, in North America, nobody is giving
anybody lemons, and no lemonade can be found.
This is, of course, a small and insignificant effect
of the food crisis that is gripping countries all over
the world in a much more profound way—but an effect that is
being felt at home nonetheless.
Manish Raizada
Soybean oil is the most widely used oil in food products in the world. By breeding algae, which causes fish to carry such high levels
of Omega-3, with the soybeans, researchers are hoping to increase worldwide intake of the heart-healthy oil.
Mike McGuire
Countries that never had the luxury of The Why
lemons in the first place are now finding it Experts argue about specific long-term causes of rising food
increasingly hard to get their collective prices, but two that are universally agreed upon are ever-increas-
hands on any food at all. Staple foods like ing oil prices, and global climate change. Gas is so massively
rice and corn are failing in supply, and have interlinked with almost every aspect of food—production and
nearly doubled in price in the last six cultivation, transportation, etc—that it may be the single largest
months. The result of this cost increase is factor in the world food shortage, both through direct as well as
that more than 800 million people will bed some secondary correlation.
down with empty stomachs. Directly, fuel is needed for farm equipment, irrigation systems
Neil Arbuckle If ever there has been a global event to and the like. The price of oil has become prohibitive to farmers in
show just how interconnected the world is, developing countries, who can no longer afford to maintain their
this may be it. The weight of the crisis is own land, resulting in a high demand for outside agricultural
being felt—and debated—the world over imports. Food being brought in from places like Canada or
by parties with various stakes, not least of Australia has become increasingly expensive because of the sheer
which is the research community. Indeed cost of transportation. And, of course, there is the force of eco-
scientists—who shoulder much of this nomics. As supply goes down and demand rises, so must prices. A
weight—are collectively focusing a great kilogram bag of rice, for example, cost just .41 cents six months ago
deal of energy on setting things right. in the Philippine capital of Manila; today that bag costs .76 cents.
And Canadian researchers are playing Indirectly, a careless approach to biofuels is causing corn
Reno Pontarollo their part. Among other things, they are shortages and massive increases in cost. It is estimated that
creating new breeds of hardier crops; look- between 25 and 30 per cent of all corn grown in the U.S goes to
ing at growing corn and wheat in urban ethanol production—roughly 130 million tons. In searching for
environments; and balancing the produc- more environmentally friendly, cost effective and renewable fuel
tion of food and biofuels. sources, we are wasting huge stores of edible grains. Further,
Ongoing Discovery
days of food stores, according to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), versus 116 days
In order to cope with our increasingly harsh and unpredictable in 1999, increasingly scarce grain, for instance, becomes a
climate, Canadian researchers are putting significant resources commodity that can not be wasted.
into increasing crops’ resistance to yield reducing elements. The David Suzuki Foundation recently released a num-
According to Mike McGuire, the Director of Eastern Canada ber of staggering statistics surrounding food waste in
Business with Monsanto, the best approach to the food vs. fuel Europe and North America. According to the report, close
debate is to address them both in the same action. to half of all food produced worldwide is wasted. Up to 30
“In corn, for example, our focus is really about increasing per cent of food is thrown away in the U.S every year, result-
yield,” McGuire says. “We see that as a real way to address the ing in $48 billion of waste, or $600 per household—
food or fuel debate. We shape it up as the food and fuel debate. enough to feed a large family in the Philippines for two
years or more.
If we increase yields, we can do a lot to address both of these
Families in Toronto are even worse, throwing out about
things, and it isn’t necessarily a choice between one or the other.”
275 kilos of food, versus the 215 kilos wasted in American
Neil Arbuckle, the team lead for Monsanto’s canola research,
homes, according to the foundation. Edible food which is
is looking at ways to increase water use efficiency to increase yield not aesthetically pleasing, suffering from slight growth
in both corn and soy, and eventually to transplant the genes that deformities or similar superficial ailments, accounts for 30
produce this result to canola. This will help to both alleviate the per cent of all grown food, and is discarded without a sec-
strain on corn and soy supplies, as well as to lower prices of ond thought by growers.
healthy, low saturated and trans fat oils. Further, the western diet, which is growing in popularity
Monsanto is also currently looking at addressing three distinct in places like China, consists of some of the most inefficient
yield reducing factors, not limited to specifically Canada. First, sources of sustenance in the world. According to the FAO it
and likely most important to farmers in the developing world, is takes 14 kilos of grain to produce two kilos of beef, and
drought tolerant corn: corn that can survive, and even thrive, in eight kilos of grain to produce two kilos of pork.
areas never considered viable, but also does not require an arid
landscape to grow. Secondly, they are looking for ways to increase
the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers. With the price of nitrogen
fertilizers doubling in the last year, and environmental concerns ditions are fit that they could plant the corn crop maybe mid-
surrounding the effects of high levels of nitrogen in soil, April,” says McGuire. “The problem with planting that early is
McGuire’s researchers are looking at ways to either reduce the that it’s cold enough that the seeds don’t germinate—they sit in
amount of nitrogen used while maintaining a healthy yield, or the soil a long time and they aren’t vigorous when they
maintaining our current use of nitrogen fertilizers, but increasing emerge…so we’ve actually discovered genes that, when we use
the yield. Finally, they are looking at cold tolerance, since a longer them in a corn plant, let you plant the corn into cooler, wetter
growing season could greatly increase the food supply. soils—which tends to be more like our April weather—and the
“In Ontario and Quebec, growers typically plant their corn corn will emerge and be more vigorous under cold conditions.”
around the first of May, but quite often the weather and soil con- Reno Pontarollo, Chief Scientific Officer of Genome Prairie
Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, the father of the Green Revolution which saved
India from starvation 50 years ago, believes that an “evergreen revolution”, which
combines science, economics and sociology to boost food production in a sustainable
way, is likely to be the most successful approach to solving the world’s food crisis.
• Inexpensive sensors
• Easy operation
Innovations in Interactions
www.axela.com
says one of its main focuses is increasing cold tolerance in wheat.
Wheat, like corn, falls under the category of cereal, but unlike
corn, wheat has managed to produce strong yields in recent years.
But with increased incidences of episodic frost (frost which shows
up earlier in fall or later in spring) maintaining bountiful yields
becomes dependant on the crops ability to weather the storm.
Working with Dr. Brian Fowler of the University of
Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (CDC)—who has
been researching frost tolerance for the majority of his career—
Genome Prairie is “trying to develop new varieties [of wheat]
with value-added traits that don’t affect yield under normal con-
ditions, or perhaps slightly enhance it, but under these conditions
of stress,” says Pontarollo, “they will thrive, and increase food
security.” This is a project with global reaching effects when you
consider countries like Norway and Australia also deal with cold
conditions at both ends of the growing season. Much of the fund-
ing for the cold tolerance research comes through Genome University of Guelph undergrade Swati Saxeena working at one of nine
Prairie’s big brother, Genome Canada, as well as the province of single plant hypobaric plant growth chambers
Saskatchewan and some smaller international bodies.
“When we have international partners, this shows that we’re
really attacking or addressing these issues with the best people places like Africa, where the climate is tropical and the roots real-
available from all over the world,” says Pontarollo. ly have no reason to die. Raizada points out that 30 per cent of a
University of Guelph assistant professor Manish Raizada is plant’s mass is contained in the roots, meaning 30 per cent of the
working on a slightly different approach. “We’re trying to devel- work that is put into every growing season is knowingly destroyed
op corn plants that will regenerate from root stock for the next so that growing can begin anew. Maintaining and reusing this
growing season,” he says. This would vastly increase the yield in root system would vastly increase yield.
Unfortunately, the majority of technologies focused on deal-
ing with the food crisis are not yet ready to be used. Monsanto’s
nitrogen utilization genes will not be widely available for at least
another six years, and Arbuckle’s canola research is ongoing for
another decade.
Moon Food?
A more unique approach to resolving the food crisis is taking place
in the work of Mike Dixon, a Professor and Director of the
Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) at
the University of Guelph. In the early 90’s, Dixon began research
on plant production requirements in controlled environments—
greenhouses. His focus was, and largely remains, on growing a sus-
tainable food supply in space. With funding from Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC), the Ontario centers of excellence, and an industry con-
sortium that includes the greenhouse industry and allied signal
aerospace, Dixon’s funding has grown from a modest $150,000 to
more than $8 million annually, with $10 million in equipment.
The goal is not to grow food in space and return it to earth,
but rather, Dixon’s primary goal is to establish a permanent food
supply for space travelers. “I can’t throw anything away when I go
to the moon, I must recycle everything. There’s no such thing as
garbage when you get off this planet,” he says. The aim of his
greenhouses is that they will one day be able to sustain life on
space missions lasting longer than 15 years. Current space vehi-
University of Guelph PhD candidate Renee Cloutier
cles are limited in the amount of food, air, and water they are able
ABB108
Automated Sample Management for Small Libraries Individual Cell Isolation in Rodents
RTS Life Science launched its RTS A2 small-scale automated sample storage unit. Hugo Sachs Elektronik – Harvard
The A2 is the smallest and most versatile unit in RTS Life Science’s extensive Apparatus released its advanced research
automated sample management portfolio. It is a modular system that allows for PSCI perfusion system for cell isolation.
storage of samples in a controlled temperature environment, and can be Specifically tailored toward research with
expanded with up to two additional units due to the linear design. isolated organs of rats, mice and guinea
With a 76,800 microtube (1000 plate) capacity, the A2 is designed to maxi- pigs, it features dual perfusion pathways.
mize sample integrity, as well as longevity, by cherry picking samples directly One circuit delivers perfusate to flush out
from the controlled environment—eliminating freeze/thaw cycles completely. blood cells while a second circuit delivers
an enzyme solution to disintegrate tissue
and release individual cells.
A single manual switch is used to alter-
nate between the pathways, which utilize
engineering limiting dead/mixing volume
in the perfusion pathway to less than 100
micro litres. Positive pressure is main-
tained in the heart chamber, in order to
eliminate contamination, via a dedicated
extension for cardiomyocyte isolation.
Optional for in-situ and in-vitro profu-
sions are also available.
Tool to Determine Solubility of
Compounds in Fluids
Supercritical Fluid Technologies introduced a
new data acquisition package (DAP) for the
SFT Phase Monitor II instrument, which pro-
vides real-time data capture directly to a
desktop PC.
The DAP is compatible with Microsoft
Windows 2000, ME, NT or XP, and comes
with the required PXI video card for data cap-
ture. Based on the LabView software, the
video image and temperature and pressure
data are displayed on the PC monitor and
Customizable Portable Sanitary Mixers may be archived directly to the hard drive.
A new line of portable sanitary mixers has Users also have the ability to enter a limited
been released by Sharpe Mixers. Designed size text comment, along with date and time.
for pilot plant and small-scale production, The Phase Monitor II
R
ichard Gold is a troublemaker. Though perhaps a bit of an overstatement,
what else do you call a person who dedicates a great deal of his time to
challenging people?
Professor, for one thing. Gold is a seven-year veteran of McGill University’s Faculty
of Law, specializing in innovation and intellectual property. He is also currently the
President of The Innovation Partnership—the driving force behind a report calling for
large-scale reform in intellectual property law.
“I enjoy thinking about things, particularly in challenging the way things are seen.
Being a professor allows one to do that and to engage others—researchers, students
and the community outside academia. The position allows me to actually think and
say what I believe, something that most people do not get to do on a day-to-day
basis,” says Gold.
After practicing law for nearly a decade, moving between the Ontario Court of
Appeals, Toronto-based Tory’s Law Firm and the Supreme Court of Canada under
Justice Peter Cory, Gold made the official switch to teaching in 1997—a move that
was seven years in the making. Gold’s journey to teaching began in 1990, with the
conclusion of an important legal battle in the U.S. The outcome provided the basis for
Gold’s grad school studies whereby he could combine his background in law with his
degree in science—he began to study the legislation surrounding property in body
parts. The U.S Supreme Court’s decision also served as the centerpiece for his 1996
book, Body Parts: Property Rights and the Ownership of Human Biological Material.
“Over time,” Gold says, “I was asked more and more about gene patents and
biotechnology and so grew, over the years, more and more into an expert.”
While Gold no longer ‘practices’ law, he holds the experience in his mind at
all times, as it provides him with a valuable perspective on educating: “I never
abandoned…the very practical experience of being a lawyer, which is great training
for helping understand how things work on the ground.”
Approaching academic matters with a practical point of view led Gold to found
the Center for Intellectual Property at McGill, as well as the aforementioned
Innovation Partnership (TIP). TIP is a non-profit corporation focused on helping public
and private actors in both developing and developed countries to better manage their
innovation systems. Gold provides ongoing recommendations to UNITAID, an
international governmental organization dedicated to making medicines accessible to
the world’s poor.
Gold also acted as Senior Advisor, Intellectual Property, to the Canadian
Biotechnology Advisory Committee, Legal Policy Consultant to the Ontario Ministry of
Read the results of Gold’s
Health and Long-Term Care and a consultant to the Organization for Economic
recent study of worldwide Cooperation and Development on biotechnology intellectual property issues. His
IP laws on page 7. studies have been used by the World Health Organization, as well as the World
Intellectual Property Organization. BB
Call 1-877-676-3639
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C011.A1.0130.A © 2008 Eppendorf AG
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