Organization: Univ of Alberta

CSA awards $6.2 million for space weather research

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded $6.2 million for 10 projects at five universities to study how space weather affects the ionosphere and its impacts on technology. The awards were made to the Univ of Alberta, Univ of Saskatchewan, Univ of New Brunswick, Univ of Calgary and Athabasca Univ. Funding comes from the CSA’s…

Funding pooled to combat listeria bacteria in food

A group of federal, provincial and industry players have banded together to provide $1.4 million for a genomics research project to combat the listeria bacteria in food. The project is led by Dr Linda Chui, a researcher at the Univ of Alberta and will sequence and map the genomes of many listeria strains to identify…

Helmholtz centre pulls out of U of A initiative

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig Germany, has pulled out of the Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative, a collaborative venture with the Univ of Alberta launched in 2011 with $25 million in provincial funding. The upcoming German election, controversy over Canada’s environmental record and its withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol led to the decision to declare a…

iNovia invests $8.6 million in Mitre Media

Edmonton-based Mitre Media has raised $8.6-million from a group of investors led by iNovia Capital. The firm — formed in January/12 — will use the proceeds to establish an on-line financial service for high net worth investors financial advisors, and financial decision makers. The company will grow through acquisitions, with two already completed earlier this…

WD supports U of A-developed lipid-to-hydrocarbon technology

Western Economic Diversification Canada is providing $970,000 to a pilot project at the Univ of Alberta for converting waste agricultural materials into fuels and other chemicals. The funding will be combined with an $892,000 commitment from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, with the intention of seeking private investment within two years and establishing a…

Partners invest $20M in livestock genomics research

Genome Alberta is leading a group of funding partners on two large-scale livestock genomics projects. A $12.4-million project led by researchers at the Univ of Alberta, Univ of Saskatchewan and PigGen Canada will use genomics to help reduce the impact of two of the most common diseases in commercial pig production — Porcine Circovirus Associated…

CSA awards six space exploration contracts

The Canadian Space Agency has awarded six contracts, valued at $250,000 each, to four organizations to develop concept studies related to future space exploration ventures. The studies are part of the CSA’s strategy to invest in emerging technology areas, such as: a high resolution Canadian-led space telescope; robots to remove space debris and tune-up ailing…

GreenCentre Canada licenses pharma catalyst

GreenCentre Canada (GCC) has licensed a chemical process developed at the Univ of Alberta that addresses one of the key research priorities of the pharmaceutical industry. The process — developed by U of A chemist Dr Dennis Hall — uses a novel, heavy-metal-free catalyst to create amide bonds at room temperature without creating toxic by-products.…

Alberta oil seed and livestock R&D receives $4.5 million

Two agricultural research centres at the Univ of Alberta will receive $4.5 million over two years from Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions to produce new oil and livestock products. Phytola will use biotechnological processes to develop new strategies for improving the quantity and quality of oil in oilseed plants such as canola and flax for nutraceutical…

BCKDF provides UVic with $13.3M for ocean research

The Government of British Columbia is providing $13.3 million for ocean research at the Univ of Victoria for the refitting of and the research vessel Tsekoa II and an expansion of the VENUS undersea sensor network. The BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) will provide $8.9 million towards the refitting of the former Coast Guard vessel,…