100 Years of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto – Marian A
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Bulletin The Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology La Société canadienne de biochemie, de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire ISSN 1197-6578/2007 2007 www.csbmcb.ca Bulletin The Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology La Société canadienne de biochemie, de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire 2007 www.csbmcb.ca 2 CSMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2007 FRONT COVER IMAGES: Illustration by Martin Krzywinski, Scientist (Mapping), Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre CSMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2007 3 Contents CSBMCB Board for 2007-2008................................................................................................4 CSBMCB President’s Report...................................................................................................5 Incoming Members of the CSBMCB Executive Board 2006-2007....................................8 Laura Frost, Vice-President; Jean-Pierre Perreault, Councillor; David Williams, Councillor Minutes of the 50th CSBMCB Annual General Meeting ..................................................12 CSBMCB/SCBBMC Financial Statement.............................................................................15 The 50th Annual Meeting of the CSBMCB.........................................................................17 Poster and travel award recipients for the 2007 CSBMCB Meeting .............................19 Scenes from the 2007 CSBMCB Meeting ............................................................................21 Program for the 51st Annual Meeting of the CSBMCB, Banff, Alberta.......................27 100 years of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto – Marian A. Packham .................30 The 2007 CSBMCB’s Roche Diagnostics Prize Lecture – Nahum Sonenberg “eIF4E, the mRNA cap-binding protein: from basic discovery to translational research”..........................................................................44 The 2007 CSBMCB’s Merck Frosst Prize Lecture – Marco Marra “From cytogenetics to next-generation sequencing technologies: advances in detecting genome rearrangements in tumours”.........................................52 2008 Society Award Designates............................................................................................70 The CSBMCB Arthur Wynne Gold Medal ..........................................................................72 Arthur Wynne Gold Medal Address – Alan Bernstein...........................................................73 Why Join the CSBMCB? – Rose M. Johnstone...........................................................................76 News from Member Departments Dalhousie University ........................................................................77 McMaster University ........................................................................78 Simon Fraser University ..................................................................80 Université de Sherbrooke................................................................81 Université Laval.................................................................................81 University of Alberta .......................................................................82 University of British Columbia.......................................................83 University of Calgary........................................................................85 University of Guelph ........................................................................87 University of Lethbridge..................................................................89 University of Manitoba ....................................................................95 University of Toronto.......................................................................97 University of Victoria .....................................................................102 University of Western Ontario.....................................................103 University of Waterloo ..................................................................104 CSBMCB Board for 2007-2008 PRESIDENT SECRETARY COUNCILLOR Dr Reinhardt Reithmeier Dr. Albert Clark Dr. David Williams Department of Biochemistry Department of Biochemistry Department of Biochemistry University of Toronto Queen's University University of Toronto Medical Sciences Bldg., Rm 5216 Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Medical Sciences Bldg. Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Tel: (613) 533-2975 Room 5316 Tel: (416) 978-7739 FAX: ( 613) 533-2022 Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Fax: (416) 978-8548 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (416) 978-2546 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] COUNCILLOR PAST-PRESIDENT Dr. David Thomas COUNCILLOR Dr. Eric Brown Department of Biochemistry Dr. Jean-Pierre Perreault Department of Biochemistry and McGill University Department of Biochimie Biomedical Sciences 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler University de Sherbrooke McMaster University Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6 Centre de Recherche de la Biologie Health Sciences Centre Tel: (514) 398-2276 de l’ARN 1200 Main St. W. FAX: (514) 398-7384 3001 12ieme Avenue Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5 E-mail: [email protected] Bureau 5440 Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext 22454 Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4 Fax: (905) 522-9033 COUNCILLOR Tel: (819) 564-5310 Email: [email protected] Dr. Linda Penn Email: Jean-Pierre.Perreault Ontario Cancer Institute @USherbrooke.ca VICE-PRESIDENT 610 University Ave. Dr. Laura Frost Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9 CHAIR, NOMINATING Department of Biological Sciences Tel: (416) 946-2276 COMMITTEE University of Alberta Fax: (416) 946-2840 Dr. Eric Brown Biological Sciences Bldg. Email: [email protected] Room CW 405C BULLETIN EDITOR Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9 COUNCILLOR Dr. Frances J. Sharom Tel: (780) 492-0672 Dr. Frances J. Sharom Fax: (780) 492-9234 Department of Molecular and CSBMCB HEAD OFFICE Email: [email protected] Cellular Biology Mr. Rob Reedijk University of Guelph Deparment of Biochemistry TREASURER Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 University of Toronto Dr. Vincent Duronio Tel: (519) 824-4120 ext 52247 Medical Sciences Bldg. Department of Medicine FAX: (519) 837-1802 1 King’s College Circle University of British Columbia E-mail: [email protected] Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Jack Bell Research Centre Tel: (416) 978-0774 2660 Oak St. COUNCILLOR Email: [email protected] Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6 Dr. John Orlowski Tel: (604) 875-4707 Department of Physiology FAX: (604) 875-4497 McGill University E-mail: [email protected] 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6 Tel: (514) 398-2973 Email: [email protected] CSMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2007 CSMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2007 5 CSBMCB President’s Report Reinhart Reithmeier Preamble Society. Once again, top In 2007, the CSBMCB celebrated its 50th Canadian and international Anniversary – and we have a lot to celebrate. The scientists presented their latest disciplines of biochemistry, molecular and cellular results at our Annual Meeting, biology have assumed a central place in biology which attracted over 200 and medicine. The CSBMCB has embraced registrants. The 50th emerging areas such as systems and chemical Anniversary Banquet and biology, the theme of this year’s Annual Meeting Awards Presentation took place and Conference. We have seen new investments at the venerable McGill in research by federal and provincial governments Faculty Club, with a festive through increases to the base budgets of the atmosphere provided by a granting agencies, Canada Graduate Scholarships, Dixieland Band. A number of the Canada Research Chairs Program and the our long-time members were in Canada Foundation for Innovation – investments attendance, with reminiscences that have been of great benefit to our members. provided by the equally The resulting expansion in the research enterprise venerable Rose Johnstone. has, however, put incredible strain on the granting The 51st Annual Meeting on councils, causing success rates to plummet, with “Epigenetics and Chromatin many grants rated in the excellent range not Dynamics” organized by Jim Davie (Manitoba) was funded. This funding gap needs to be addressed held March 6-9, 2008 at the Banff Centre in Banff, quickly by increases to the base budgets of the Alberta. For 2009, the Annual Meeting moves to granting councils. Governments however prefer to Ontario, organized by David Williams and Hue- create new programs, with which they can be Sun Chan (Toronto), on “Protein Folding: identified. Universities and hospitals in turn are Principles and Disease”. We return to Banff for interested in the funding of indirect costs. Clearly, the 2010 meeting on “Membrane Proteins”, the CSBMCB can play an advocacy role by organized by Joseph Casey (Alberta) and the voicing the concerns and priorities of the “scientist Membrane Protein Group. The 2011 Meeting is in the lab”. Our voice needs be a chorus by in Québec on the topic “The RNA World/La ensuring that the membership continues to grow, monde ARN”, and will be organized by Jean-Pierre and that our members are active in the affairs of Perreault (Sherbrooke). the Society. CSBMCB Awards Recognize Annual CSBMCB Meetings The highlight of 2007 was the 50th Annual Excellence Meeting and Conference of CSBMCB on “Systems The 2007 Merck-Frosst Prize to a junior and Chemical Biology”, which was held at McGill investigator with less than 10 years independent University in July. The CSBMCB has organized experience was won by Marco Marra (UBC) for first-rate meetings on topics of interest to our his work on genome rearrangements in lymphoma.