Biological manufacturers are now starting to make chemicals and biological products (like proteins) by growing large amounts of microorganisms like bacteria or algae. One major quality control step in the manufacturing process is to check the genetic sequences of these microorganisms because they often not correctly made. This is due to the biological method for […]

The majority of drugs that enter the market are discovered by screening millions of random chemical compounds until a desired effect is achieved. With the recent explosion in available biological data and raw computing power, it is now possible to develop drugs through bottom-up design rather than trial-and-error testing. Bottom-up drug design has the potential […]

We will investigate a new approach to improving the treatment of cancer patients. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy lose effectiveness and produce side-effects that are deleterious. For example, the development of scar tissue restricts the use of radiotherapy for several types of cancer. We will study a new type of drug, which will be supplied by our […]

Atlantic Canada has the highest rate of CRC in Canada and NL has the highest incidence of familial CRC worldwide. This study is being undertaken primarily to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the high rate of CRC in Atlantic Canada, particularly the well-documented familial CRC in NL. We expect to define novel genetic […]

Dopamine and noradrenaline are neurotransmitters that are released from neurons located in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus. Therefore, these brain structures have the unique property of containing high concentrations of neuromelanin, a dark pigment that can be visualized with specialized MRI sequences. The neuromelanin-sensitive MRI signal has been used to visualize degeneration of these […]

In the agri-food industry, monitoring the production and/or processing of raw materials can be important for ensuring the quality of the end-product. Measurement of specific compounds during processing can provide the feedback required to make informed adjustments resulting in a quality enhancement of the product. Biosensors are the devices that can provide detection and/or quantification […]

Canada is known globally for its prosperous fishery industry. Meanwhile, omega-3 lipids are extensively manufactured and commercialized as value-added by-products of fishery processing wastes in Canada. However, the marine omega-3 lipids are highly unsaturated and oxidizable. The oxidization of omega-3 lipids leads to significant quality loss of products. The addition of lipidic antioxidants prevent lipid […]

Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) occur in approximately 7% of hospitalized patients in developed countries producing unnecessary burden to healthcare systems. The frequency of HAI caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens that spread via surfaces, for example methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is also rising. To address this growing concern, dsBioscience Inc. is partnering with the University of […]

Mental illnesses, particularly depression, is one of the leading causes of global disease burden. In addition to reducing the quality of life of patients and their relatives, it costs billions of dollars annually to the Canadian economy. Unfortunately, current antidepressant drugs are barely satisfactory and have numerous side-effects. The goal of this project is to […]

The goal of the internship with Bioshield Technologies Canada, a developer of antimicrobial and biostatic products, is to evaluate a product formulated to be used as a surface treatment for microbial control. The project is part of a comprehensive research program aimed at developing improved protocols for infection and contamination in the hospital and food […]

Nosocomial infection is a growing problem in Canadian hospitals, these bacteria can kill as many as 8,000 patients per year, and the expenses reach at least $100 million annually. Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are among the most common bacteria. For example, C. difficile has killed more than 600 people in […]

This project is designed to develop a decision-support module to be used with electronic patient records. By using innovative methodologies to analyze patient data as well as the sharing of such data with clinicians and the patients themselves, the project seeks to resolve current problems faced by clinical decision-support information systems (including problems that have […]