Blog - Genome BC

Health

BC Welcomes Canada’s First Nurse Practitioner Training in Precision Health and Genomics

HIGHLIGHTS • Advancements in genetic and genomic technologies allow for more customized health care called ‘precision health’. • For precision health technologies to be effective, health care providers and educ...

September 28, 2023

Genomics and Society

EDITORIAL: Unlocking Economic Growth Through Partnership

*The following is an excerpt of an article originally published in the Life Sciences Magazine by Life Sciences BC and Business in Vancouver. Click the link at the end for a copy of the full article. By Suzanne Gill, P...

September 27, 2023 | Suzanne Gill

Genomics and Society

Growing Awareness: Engaging with our audience

In our ever evolving world, the influence of science reaches far beyond laboratory walls. Science permeates every facet of our lives, revealing an infinite array of applications in the complex tapestry of the natural wor...

September 14, 2023

Health

Transforming Surgical Care: Genome BC expands support of Arbutus Medical as they unveil an innovative new product

Genome BC has expanded its initial investment of $1.13 million in BC based Arbutus Medical Inc., with an additional infusion of $368,000 through its Industry Innovation fund (I2). Arbutus Medical’s journey towards inn...

September 13, 2023

Tech Dev / Platforms

Growing Possibilities: Data driven expansion in genomics

Genomic research and innovation are rapidly advancing fields with enormous potential to revolutionize healthcare, agriculture, and environmental conservation. At the forefront of these advancements is the ability to harn...

September 07, 2023

Genomics and Society

Season 3 of the Nice Genes! podcast asks: What happens when you assume?

Vancouver, BC — Nice Genes!, an award winning podcast from Genome British Columbia, is back with a thought-provoking Season 3, exploring the many ways genomics impacts the world. Hosted by Dr. Kaylee Byers (she/her), t...

September 05, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Aspect Biosystems

Genomics and Society

Growing economic impact through strategic partnerships

BC’s life sciences ecosystem is a strong economic engine for our province, with genomics at its core. Not only have genomic technologies emerged as powerful tools with wide ranging applications revolutionizing sectors ...

August 31, 2023

Health

Researchers discover common origin behind major childhood allergies

Several major childhood allergies may share a common link to the community of bacteria living in our gut, according to a new study led by researchers at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia (UB...

August 29, 2023

Environment

Growing Sustainability: Harnessing biodiversity and One Health for the future

Healthy ecosystems feature abundant biodiversity and host an intricate network of interactions between organisms and their environment. Humanity is intertwined with our ecosystems; we rely on them for food production, fi...

August 25, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Government of British Columbia/Riel McGuire

Forestry Agrifood Fisheries/Aquaculture

Growing Resilience: Cultivating smart approaches for adapting to climate change

From merciless droughts that starve the land of precious water to erratic weather patterns that unleash violent storms upon fragile crops, the impacts of climate change on agriculture have become an undeniable reality. T...

August 17, 2023

Education

Announcing the Recipient of the Genome BC Scholarship Award: Keanu Chan

Every year, Genome BC finds ways to support youth in their pursuit of genomic literacy through scholarship. The Genome British Columbia Scholarship, holds a value of $1000 and is designed to recognize the exceptional ach...

August 16, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Tai's Captures

Health

Your Genes Could Be Protecting You from COVID

Your Genes Could Be Protecting You from COVID If you've managed to escape COVID's clutches so far, your genes might be the reason. A recent study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco reveals that...

August 10, 2023

Health

Growing Capacity: Delivering the promise of personalized healthcare

Working in partnership with federal and provincial governments, health authorities, research institutions and the private sector, Genome BC is committed to advancing the clinical implementation of precision health in the...

August 10, 2023

Genomics and Society

Growing Genomics

“The more we know, the more we realize there is to know.” —Thomas S. Kuhn" Thomas Kuhn is best known for his influential book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” published in 1962. In this book,...

August 03, 2023

Fisheries/Aquaculture Genomics and Society

Combining Genomic Insights and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge for the Conservation of Pacific Salmon

Vancouver, BC — Pacific salmon populations have been in significant decline for the past four decades. A new research project is investigating whether the solution to the sinking salmon numbers may come from combining ...

August 02, 2023

Agrifood

Eight new projects empower BC researchers to solve climate change challenges in food and fisheries

Vancouver, BC — From kelp to hops, bees to berries, BC researchers are harnessing the power of genomics to solve challenges facing the province’s agriculture and aquaculture sectors that stem from climate change. Ei...

July 31, 2023

Genomics and Society

Genome BC Welcomes Candice Loring as Director, Indigenous Relations and Initiatives

Genome British Columbia is excited to announce the hiring of Candice Loring K’wiloo’km N’kwala as Director, Indigenous Relations and Initiatives. Candice is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Management at t...

July 27, 2023

Genomics and Society

Is There a Participation Gene? Solving the puzzle of participation bias

Research relies on people willing to participate in studies for the betterment of society. Some studies require time consuming surveys or testing with no immediate advantage to the participants. It raises questions about...

July 20, 2023

Health

The Coffee Conundrum: How Genes Influence our Relationship with Coffee

Coffee: friend or foe? It's a never-ending debate. While caffeine can perk us up, its impact on our health remains a puzzle. Conflicting studies add to the confusion, leaving us wondering what's the truth. However, one k...

June 29, 2023

Genomics and Society

Breaking Genetic Boundaries: Scientists Unveil a New DNA Map for Global Research

Although the human genome was completely mapped in 2022, marking a major milestone for science and medicine, the original reference genome lacked representation of the global human population. Scientists have develo...

June 21, 2023

Health

New Study Raises Concerns about Sucralose’s Impact on Health 

Diet drinks have become a popular alternative to sugary sodas. In recent years, scientists have sought to understand how sweeteners affect the human microbiome with several studies bubbling up on the potential effects of...

June 14, 2023

Health

The Personalization of Medication

Have you ever wondered why the same medication can affect people differently? The reason is in our genes. Each person’s genetic makeup affects how they respond to drugs. The study of these interactions is called pharma...

June 06, 2023

Health

Finding the Pathway Forward

Helping Healthcare Professionals Embrace the use of Genetics Through Education The power of genomics to deliver better health outcomes for patients is a reality today. However, health professionals in Canada, ...

June 05, 2023

Health

Emerging Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Funding Opportunity Now Open

Vancouver, BC — The window of opportunity to participate in a new initiative tackling major threats posed by emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance is now open and BC researchers interested in applying should ...

May 18, 2023

Health

BC researchers receive $9.6M in funding to support cutting-edge work on genomics research for hereditary cancers and genetic disease diagnosis

Vancouver, BC — A pair of late-stage Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) research and development projects tackling major public health challenges through genomics are receiving federal support through Genome Canada. ...

May 08, 2023

Education

2023 Volunteer Service Award Winner Announced

Congratulations to the incredible winner of the 2023 Geneskool Volunteer Service Award, Sally Ou! The Geneskool Volunteer Service Award is given annually during National Volunteer Week (find out more about the week here)...

April 17, 2023

Health

Genome BC announces $1M in funding to support the advancement of medical research and patient care for British Columbians

Vancouver, BC — Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) has announced $1M in funding to support four unique projects aimed at enabling discoveries to address unmet clinical healthcare needs through its Data Access, Integra...

April 12, 2023

DNA from Beethoven’s Hair Points to Cause of Death

Beethoven is a name famous the world over, a child prodigy piano player, and prolific music writer who tragically began going deaf in his twenties. His 722 musical works (including 9 symphonies) live on, cementing his le...

March 29, 2023

‘Severe Allergy’ Gene Found!

Millions of people worldwide live with allergies, for many these allergies are mild, but for some, the allergies are severe and debilitating. One particular group of people live with a condition called 'severe allergic d...

March 17, 2023

Cuteness is in the eye (and brain) of the beholder

Ever seen a puppy so cute you just want to squish it? This phenomenon of ‘cute aggression’ stems from our biologically hardwired cuteness response. But why do we care about cuteness? Over thousands of years of evolut...

March 15, 2023

Genomics and Society

Genome BC’s Strategic Plan 2023–2026

Executive Summary The following Executive Summary is from Genome BC's 2023-2026 Strategic plan. A copy of the complete plan is available here on our website. Since its inception in 2000, Genome British Columbia (Geno...

March 13, 2023

Environment

Q&A with Mae Whyte, Restoration Program Manager, Blueberry River First Nations

Combined, genomics and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) are powerful tools to help us tackle some of today’s biggest challenges, including biodiversity loss. We asked Mae Whyte, Restoration Program Manager for...

February 24, 2023

Health

Hope for New Endometriosis Treatment

Endometriosis is a painful condition that can severely impact the lives of people who menstruate. It causes tissue that normally grows within the uterus to grow elsewhere in the body, resulting in inflammation, pain and ...

February 24, 2023

Health

Genome BC Invests $1.13 Million in Innovative Solution to Improve Surgical Care for Skeletal Traction

Vancouver, BC – Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) has invested $1.13 million into Arbutus Medical Inc., a BC-based medical device company developing innovative surgical drill technology and procedure kits that improv...

February 13, 2023

Health

The not-so-sweet side of artificial sweeteners

Like most people, you probably enjoy a few diet pops or snacks with artificial sweeteners every week. Sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin have long been believed to have no significant effect on the human body, making...

February 08, 2023

Health

UV dryers for gel nails can harm DNA, study says. Should I use them?

It's hard to imagine life before gel manicures. No drying time, a glossy finish, and two-week staying power is the stuff nail dreams are made of, especially for those about to say "I do." However, are these manicures saf...

January 26, 2023

Health

“To live with hope instead of despair” — Could a simple DNA test help improve the lives of people with depression?

For people with mental health conditions, finding a medication that works without causing severe side effects is often a matter of trial-and-error. This difficult process can cause people to abandon their treatment, lead...

January 25, 2023

Genomics and Society

Genome BC Welcomes Ron Gill to its Board of Directors

Genome British Columbia is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Gill to its Board of Directors [caption id="attachment_21259" align="alignright" width="200"] Ron Gill, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, appoin...

January 23, 2023

space Health

3, 2, 1: Houston, we have liftoff

"Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars" - while this is the start of a Frank Sinatra song, it's also how University of British Columbia pharmaceutical sciences professor Dr. Corey Nislow may be feeling as he be...

January 20, 2023

Health

New research points to how asthma can develop in kids

Breathing is the essence of life. However, this simple act can be challenging for kids with asthma. Asthma is the leading cause of pediatric emergency room visits in Canada. Newly published research in Med reveals how br...

January 13, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Joseph

Health

BC sea sponge has COVID-blocking powers

UBC researchers have identified three compounds that prevent COVID-19 infection in human cells, derived from natural sources including a B.C. sea sponge. [caption id="attachment_21195" align="alignright" width="297"] ...

January 10, 2023

Environment

To Protect Endangered Species, Canada Needs to Create a World-Leading Biodiversity Genomics Hub

As leaders gather in Montreal for the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), lesser-known sibling to the UN’s Climate Change COPs, there is some sobering news from their host county: The federal governmen...

December 11, 2022 | Federica Di Palma

PHOTO CREDIT: iTrackDNA.ca

Environment

New Video Shows How Genomics is Pushing the Frontiers of Environmental Science

For decades, the only way to see what was in an ecosystem was to go into that ecosystem and SEE it. This painstaking method of observation was expensive and time-consuming and it was difficult to know what was happening ...

December 09, 2022

Health

Why Chris Hemsworth may be worried about Alzheimer’s: meet the APOE4 gene

Chris Hemsworth, the 39-year-old actor, best known for his portrayal of Thor, the God of Thunder (and his luscious golden hair), has discovered he is at a higher-than-average risk for Alzheimer's disease. While filming ...

December 02, 2022

Health

Accelerating our understanding of autism

About 2% of Canadian children are diagnosed yearly with autism making it the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder in Canada. Yet there is no genetic or blood test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and trea...

November 28, 2022

Environment Genomics and Society

How genomics is saving the Tasmanian Devil and Koala with Dr. Carolyn Hogg

For the past 12 years, Dr. Carolyn Hogg has been working with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, utilizing genomics as a vital tool to save this endangered marsupial. Dr. Hogg is a conservation biologist who has been ...

November 28, 2022

Technology

Genome BC Becomes First in Canada to Adopt protocols.io

“It’s like a Recipe for Other Researchers” Vancouver, BC – One of the principles of science is replicability – for a discovery to be considered valid, other researchers must be able to redo the experim...

November 28, 2022

Genomics and Society

Reconnecting and Renewal

A message from Genome BC’s President and CEO As we get ready to turn the calendar page to 2023, I'm feeling optimistic about the new year and the opportunity to 'restart'. For three years, the pandemic has fo...

November 27, 2022 | Suzanne Gill

Health Genomics and Society

Life cycle health technology assessment: real-world evidence for precision oncology

By Dean A. Regier, Samantha Pollard, Melanie McPhail, Tania Bubela, Timothy P. Hanna, Cheryl Ho, Howard J. Lim, Kelvin Chan, Stuart J. Peacock & Deirdre Weymann Healthcare decision-makers use evidence of effectiv...

November 23, 2022

Technology

Cats on the case

Cats have unfettered access to our homes, making them the newest unlikely heroes for solving crimes. Their secret crime-fighting superpower? Their fur. Newly published Australian research suggests that trace DNA evide...

November 17, 2022