2006-2007 Annual Report
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2007 annual report 1 April 06 - 31 March 07 the future is in our genes. Chairman’s Message 02 President’s Message 04 OGI’s Mission 06 Research Programs Genetic Basis of Human Health 08 Biomarkers 12 Infectious Diseases and Promoting Global Health 14 Biodiversity, the Environment and Looking Ahead 16 Research Programs 18 Business Development Investments 20 Science - Industry Workshops 22 Outreach Public Outreach and Next Generation Innovators 24 Reaching Out Through The Arts 26 Workshops and Talks 28 Operations Board of Directors and Staff 29 Financial Snapshot 30 Financial Statements (inserted into flap at back) Copyright 2007 Ontario Genomics Institute 2007 annual report • 01 Chairman’s Message As Chair of the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), I am teomics research and to the growing cadre of internation- proud to report that the past year was for OGI a very posi- ally-recognized scientific researchers in this province whose tive reflection of our goal of augmenting -- through our knowledge and technical prowess are driving leading-edge focus on the genomics sector -- Ontario’s role as a pre- genomics research that will, in the long run, benefit all eminent centre in the life sciences industry. Now entering Canadians and help sustain and improve us economically. its seventh year, OGI continues to realize the benefits of sound strategic thinking, a clear direction, broad and fruit- Other partnerships have also been crucial. As always, the ful strategic partnerships, excellent recruitment and the partnerships with the various universities, research hospitals strong support of its major stakeholders. and other life science research institutions in Ontario (and beyond) has been of paramount importance. During this The commitment and support we are receiving from past year, 23 institutions from Ontario, six other provinces, Genome Canada and Ontario’s Ministry of Research and and 19 countries other than Canada were engaged as Innovation (MRI) provide the foundation of our present research collaborators on OGI-funded projects. and future success. Their collaborative and individual efforts have demonstrated their dedication to genomics and pro- In addition to funding from Genome Canada and Ontario’s 02 The commitment and support we are receiving from Genome Canada and Ontario’s Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) provide the foundation of our present and future success. MRI, co-funding (direct or in kind) for OGI-funded projects organize a workshop exploring the use of biomarkers in came from 106 other research institutions, philanthropic clinical trial design – CHI’s first-ever meeting hosted in foundations, public funding sources and commercial life Canada. The workshop attracted almost 100 participants science entities. Seventy-eight of these funding sources from 27 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies from came from outside Ontario, including other provinces and Canada, France, Germany, Israel and the USA; more than 12 other countries. half the participants were from outside Canada, and had the opportunity, either to hear talks by several OGI-funded We have also had many day-to-day interactions and sev- speakers on the agenda, or to meet Ontario scientists at the eral focused collaborations with the various components of workshop-associated networking events. the Ontario Commercialization Network, including MaRS and the Research Innovation Network. Our partnership I want to thank Christian Burks, President and CEO, as well with the University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics as OGI’s staff for their hard work in building and deepen- on topics related to the social impact of genomics research ing OGI’s role in the life sciences sector. I would also like to practice and outcomes continues to be very fruitful as well. thank OGI’s Board of Directors, and especially to express my deep appreciation to Joseph Rotman, who has retired We have continued to identify and cultivate strategic op- from the Board. He was instrumental as part of a core portunities and priorities that will help Ontario grow in the group of directors guiding OGI during its infancy and he knowledge-based innovation economy. Over the past year, helped lay the groundwork for OGI’s success. I would also five new start-up life science companies have grown out of like to thank Cheryl Reicin, who departed from the Board, OGI-funded projects. Previously established companies that for the perspective she brought from her practice at Tory’s. we have assisted are being acknowledged on the global stage. For example, Amorfix Life Sciences – in which we At the same time, I wish to welcome to the Board Elizabeth invested seed commercialization funds in FY2006 -- raised Dowdeswell, (Visiting Professor in Public Health Sciences, $20 million in new private and public funds for advanc- McLaughlin-Rotman Center for Global Health); Jay Lefton ing the extension of their technology to permit diagnosis (Partner, Ogilvy Renault); Bonnie Schmidt (President, Let’s of several neurodegenerative diseases. It was also the Talk Science); Tim McTiernan (Executive Director of Inno- only Canadian company among 47 companies worldwide vations and Assistant Vice-President, Research, University recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic of Toronto); and ex officio member, Alastair Glass (Deputy Forum in Davos earlier this year. Minister, Ontario MRI). We’ve also continued to partner with the commercial sector I look forward to another rewarding year and am encour- in sponsoring meetings that explore the interface between aged by the continued success I foresee in OGI’s future and the fruits of research and the marketplace. For example, the impact of large-scale genomics projects on Ontario’s life GE Healthcare and OGI organized and hosted a workshop sciences sector. at MaRS that explored the use of molecular imaging in tracking biomarkers in a science-industry workshop and were delighted to have participation of 24 companies involved in commercializing those technologies. OGI also partnered with Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) to J. Mark Lievonen Chairman 2007 annual report • 03 President’s Message I am pleased to present the FY2007 Annual Report of the unidentified species). OGI-funded projects also contributed Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI). more than 55,000 depositions to major public data banks, including the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and newer data This is my third annual report at OGI, and it provides a banks tracking emerging data sets such as The Database of superb vantage point from which to appreciate the consid- Genomic Variation. erable momentum built up by the genomics and proteom- ics sector in Ontario, and by OGI in its primary mission of The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), the Genome providing leadership in building a globally-competitive life Canada and OGI-funded genomics service platform, con- sciences industry in Ontario by creating leverageable ge- tinues to expand its user base and access to leading-edge nomics and proteomics resources with leading-edge science. and enabling technologies. For example, OGI partnered Ontario scientists and their international partners lead the world in the exciting arena of genomics and proteomics. Their research has implications not only for basic science, but also for areas as diverse as diabetes, autism, malaria, cancer, the environment & understanding our role in a global context. On the research programs front, we worked with Ontario’s with Ingenuity Systems to provide access to their systems Ministry of Research and Innovation to secure funding for biology software and pathway data through TCAG; and $24M targeted for Ontario-led projects, including $15M TCAG became highest volume generator in Canada of for the second phase of the Structural Genomics Consor- gene expression data sets using Affymetrix gene chips. tium (SGC) and $8.7M for six projects funded under Ge- Over the past year, more than 430 laboratories used nome Canada’s Competition III. OGI managed 18 projects TCAG’s services. This included 15% of Canadian users and platforms in the course of the past year, with total outside Ontario and 7% international users. multi-year budgets across active projects of almost $300M. To date, our portfolio includes nearly $500M worth of We have also advanced our effort -- through business projects, including both new and now completed projects. development and outreach -- to accelerate the social and economic impact of the leverageable resources gener- Ontario scientists and their international partners lead the ated by the projects we fund. Our Chair, Mark Lievonen, world in the exciting arena of genomics and proteomics. describes in his message examples of the kinds of partner- Their research has implications not only for basic science, ships that have been developed that are providing greater but also for areas as diverse as diabetes, autism, malaria, resources for research and collaboration. They demonstrate cancer, the environment and understanding our role in a a growing commitment from the private and public sectors global context. Our project portfolio published 128 papers, in this area and a better understanding of how life sciences many of which appeared in top-tier science journals, and can positively impact our country and the economy. including several discoveries appearing in Science and Na- ture that generated international excitement in, for exam- The results of our outreach activities show a greater un- ple, the areas of autism (new genes, mutations in which could derstanding and appreciation