Canadore College opens genomics lab: State-of-the-art facility will foster student learning, applied research.

• Date: 01 October 2019
• Author: Kelly, Lindsay

Canadore College in North Bay marked the official opening of its functional genomics lab on Aug. 29, ushering in a new wave of science-related applied research and educational programming.

"It is a grand day; it is an exciting day," said David Villeneuve, a professor in biotechnology at Canadore. "And it is going to be a unique opportunity for anybody in Northern Ontario to participate in a branch of science that we refer to as next-generation sequencing."

Functional genomics involves the study of the genome, or the sum components that make up an organism's DNA, and how it impacts various biological processes.

The science has potentially wide-ranging applications. In health-care, for example, it could be used to find preventive measures against illness.

Canadore announced the establishment of the $1.5-million, 1,000-square-foot genomics lab in March, along with a partnership agreement with Mississauga-based The DNA Company.

Located...