Science plays a central role in the Government of Canada's commitment to producing health, environmental and economic outcomes that improve the lives of Canadians and build a healthy middle class. That's why David McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, on behalf of The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced $4 million in funding for two new research projects under the Genomics Research and Development Initiative (GRDI).
GRDI is a unique federal initiative that fosters integrated research cooperation among eight federal science departments and agencies. The results of these research endeavours provide the evidence needed to inform the public policy, regulatory, and operational mandates of government.
Of the two new projects funded, the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) project will make food production safer by developing strategies that reduce bacterial and microbial resistance, the result of bacteria and microbes becoming immune to drugs. This project aims to gain a greater understanding of the contributing factors to AMR, and to discover how resistant bacteria reach humans through the food production systems.
The second project funded, EcoBiomics, will explore how genomics can be used to sustain and enhance the health of soil and water systems. Unlike harmful microbes that develop resistance to antibiotics, microbes found in soil and water are essential to providing crops and wild vegetation with the building blocks they need to grow. This work will study how genomics research tools can be used to enhance soil and water monitoring, assessment and rehabilitation.
Through investments like these, the Government of Canada continues to support the full spectrum of fundamental and applied sciences in ways that will improve food production safety and enhance soil and water quality for all Canadians. The results from these scientific studies will contribute to new technologies to protect human health and the environment, and to support key industry sectors like agriculture, fisheries and forestry. These projects will also play a key role in positioning Canada's public sector scientists as leaders in genomics innovation.
