Industry takes the reins of projects funded under new Genome Canada program

Genome Canada is putting industry in the driver's seat with its newest applied research program, committing $15 million that leverages an additional $41 million for a total of $56 million to support 12 industry-driven projects (see chart). The projects were funded under the first two rounds of the Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP), with a third competition nearing completion and a fourth round slated for 2015.

Funded with $30 million in the 2012 Budget, GAPP is on track to easily exceed its 2:1 leverage target, injecting more than $100 million for projects in which industry has a major influence on their research direction.

"An end user is required for the first time and it's also user driven. The project is dictated by the user," says Dr Pierre Meulien, Genome Canada's president and CEO. "GAPP is designed to fit the Canadian receptor capacity (and) the capacity within our research community responds to user needs … It's what they need to get to the next step and integrate research they need and then we go out to the universities."

OGI excels in competitions

Of the successful GAPP projects, the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) was by far the most successful of the six regional genome centres. OGI is lead or co-lead on six of the 12 projects (see chart)

OGI president and CEO Dr Mark Poznansky says the GAPP competitions hit OGI "in our sweet spot" in the life sciences. They also assist OGI in building on its recent emphasis on engaging industry to learn more about their future requirements and matching them with research capacity (R$, September 26/13).

"Industry has an appetite for genomics solutions ... It reminds me of post World War II Japan when the universities were set up in the interests of industry," says Poznansky. "With GAPP, we focus on industry rather than universities and pushing tech out to them. We're listening to the customer."

Poznansky adds that many industry sectors such as mining, know little about the potential for life sciences to enhance their business productivity and competitiveness. Once they are informed, "they are coming to us with problems seeking life sciences solutions".

"This program is superb and one of the few programs in Canada that I've gotten excited about," says Poznansky. "This is solving real problems with industry at the base and some of our best scientists associated with these projects"

Genome Atlantic

The GAPP competitions also yielded two projects valued at $3.8 million each for Genome Atlantic in the area of aquaculture. The projects involve three companies — the homegrown Cooke Aquaculture Inc, the North American subsidiary of Kelly Cove Salmon and EWOS Group, a Norwegian supplier of feed and nutrition for farmed fish. Academic partners are Memorial Univ and the Univ of Guelph.

"Our strategic plan is focused heavily on engaging with specific companies and how genomics can play a role in their development. This program is perfect for us," says Dr Steve Armstrong, Genome Atlantic's president and CEO. "Two thirds of the projects' funding is from industry which is a testament to their willingness to participate."

Armstrong says Genome Atlantic's success in the GAPP competitions will help tackle the weak business R&D performance in the region.

"These kinds of projects will help in a significant way," he says. "There's tremendous interest in a number of areas, particularly the offshore energy space."

Mitacs engaged

Another GAPP innovation is the participation of Mitacs which is expanding its influence throughout the research ecosystem (see page 4). Genome Canada turned to Mitacs to help training highly qualified genomics graduate students and post-doctoral fellows after a less than successful attempt to create an internship program on its own. Although Mitacs did not participate in the two GAPP competitions already announced, its internships will be incorporated into future rounds

"We created a pilot program called Entrepreneurship Education in Genomics with about $1 million to get young entrepreneurs involved in genomics projects with mixed results. It was not a slam dunk," says Meulien. "Mitacs does this all the time … It's not mandatory for the GAPP program but even existing projects are using Mitacs so we can plan around that now."

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