Dr. Peter Schubert is a Principal Investigator with the UBC Centre for Blood Research (CBR) and a Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. As the principal manager of the Blood4Research Facility, a part of the Centre for Innovation of the Canadian Blood Services, he is also responsible for facilitating the provision of blood to researchers, in order to advance the fields of transfusion and…
Targeting the epigenome to modulate gene expression programs driving cancer development has emerged as an exciting avenue for therapeutic intervention. Pharmacological inhibition of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of chromatin adapter proteins has proven effective in this regard, suppressing growth of diverse cancer types mainly through downregulation of the c-MYC oncogene, and its downstream transcriptional program. While initially effective,…
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan explains how increased investment will greatly benefit Canada’s prospects for a future bioeconomy, allowing for the development of more early-stage innovations but more importantly, giving those companies a pathway to scaling up. A thriving bioeconomy will help Canada tackle key health issues from cancer to future pandemics.
Doxorubicin is a chemotherapeutic drug used for the treatment of various malignancies; however, patients can experience cardiotoxic effects and this has limited the use of this potent drug. The mechanisms by which doxorubicin kills cardiomyocytes has been elusive and despite extensive research the exact mechanisms remain unknown. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of doxorubicin induced regulated…
The Government of Canada will invest up to C$415 million to support Sanofi Pasteur in building an end-to-end influenza vaccine biomanufacturing facility in Toronto. This new facility will focus on ensuring drug product formulation, fill-and-finish, and inspection. As part of this project, Sanofi will invest more than C$455 million and look to create and maintain 1,225 highly skilled jobs in…
Vancouver’s adMare BioInnovations specializes in turning Canada’s world-leading research in life sciences – the technology that is driving the medical response to the pandemic – into commercial opportunities. But in British Columbia, lab space is hard to find, recruitment is challenging, and government support is underwhelming. So the company, with its headquarters at the university of B.C., is expanding in…
As UBC begins consultation on its 2030 Climate Action Plan, Moritz Koch, a new postdoctoral fellow in the LSI, is working to propel a bacteria-based biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics to market. During his PhD at Tübingen University in Germany, Dr. Koch developed a “living plastic ball,” out of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. These microscopic organisms are found…
AbCellera has announced agreements to expand its collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead) including a multi-year, multi-target antibody discovery collaboration and access to AbCellera’s humanized mouse technology, the Trianni Mouse®. Under the financial terms of the agreements, AbCellera will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for milestone payments and royalties based on the development and commercialization of antibodies generated…
Fast, accurate and reliable diagnostic tests are critical for controlling the spread of the 2019 Coronavirus disease associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The current gold standard for testing is real time PCR (RT-PCR), however, during the current pandemic, supplies of testing kits and reagents have been limited. We report the validation of a rapid (30 min), user-friendly and accurate microchip RT-PCR…
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced a total investment of $14.3 million from the Canadian government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This includes $5.3 million in supplementary funding for 90 ongoing COVID-19 projects and $9 million for a new national network that will coordinate and align variants research throughout the country. Thirteen ongoing projects led by UBC…
