2009 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ALBERTA’S LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRIES EYE on INNOVATION FUTURE LEADERS Students Earn Accolades for Cancer Research HAll of FAME Dr. William Arthur Cochrane ENERGY, Not WASTE Highmark Renewables NEED+INNOVATION= OPPORTUNITY inside front cover AVAC Ltd. AD S NT E NT O C OF LE AB T President’s Message .....................................4 Eye on Innovation .........................................6 Hall of Fame ...................................................9 Energy, Not Waste ..................................... 10 Future Leaders ............................................ 14 Alberta Life Science Industry Awards ......................................... 16 Members List ............................................... 18 Partners Page .............................................. 19 BIOZINE 2008 3 BIOZINE is the official magazine of President’s Message Alberta’s Life Science Industries. Published by Odvod Publishing nurture momentum Thank you for picking up the 2009 issue of BIOZINE. We trust you will find the articles for BioAlberta interesting and perhaps you will find an opportunity or two. Intellectual Property BioAlberta is here to help make those connections. We represent Alberta’s growing Legal Services life science industries to ensure every possibility for success. BioAlberta provides many services for its members such as hosting a wide range of bennettjones.com/ip Publisher/ Editor activities from local events, to advisory committees, to international conferences. Orville Chubb Biozine_FEB_09_v2.indd 1 27/03/2009 11:06:42 AM These events provide educational and networking opportunities and keep us connected to our membership. Art Director Rory Lee Part of BioAlberta’s mandate is to act as the life science industries’ central voice Sales Manager representing the sector to all levels of government, to life sciences industries Karen Hounjet outside Alberta and to those interested in investing in the life sciences. Writer Since mid 2008 the global business and financial sectors have seen Caitlin Crawshaw significant changes. The world has changed with them. Our industry is Advertising Consultants not immune, qualified financial and human capital is proving more and Margaret Crowe, Vivian Fritze, more difficult to find than ever. Despite this, Alberta’s stakeholders Donna Heimbeckner throughout the life sciences industries, continue to demonstrate their commitment to, and confidence in, this sector. This year we have included a new section called, “Eye on Innovation,” which highlights just a few of the many exciting things going on in Alberta’s life sciences industries. In, ‘Energy, Not Waste,’ we feature some enterprising farmers who were able to combine two things that Alberta may be most famous for – natural gas and beef, although not in that order. I believe these few examples of Alberta’s solid economic 314 Capital Place position and current vitality make it the place to be. 9707-110 Street Edmonton AB, T5K 2L9 Phone 780.425.3804 Fax 780.409.9263 email [email protected] www.bioalberta.com President Ryan Radke Marketing/Communication VP Operations and Marketing Graphic Design Aggie Mikulski Visual Identity Illustration Administrative Coordinator Web Donna Parker Events & Membership Coordinator Sandra Wilburn 780.451.1379 odvod.com HR & Financial Coordinator Bev Pederson 4 BIOZINE 2009 BIOZINE 2009 5 InEyne oon vation ViaGen gets green-light on cloning services In January 2008, the FDA announced their findings that meat and milk from Food Biopreservative to Combat cloned animals is safe to eat, concluding Listeria Monocytogenes the FDA’s most extensive food safety Edmonton biotech company University of Alberta Spin-Off review in its history. For ViaGen, a biotech CanBiocin Inc. has developed a proprietary Takes Flight company specializing in livestock genetic food biopreservative to reduce the risk For University of Alberta spin-off technologies (including gene banking of a dangerous bacteria, Listeria, that led ATGCell, 2008 was a monumental year. and cloning services), this was a major Reconstructive Health-Care to a cross-country recall of Maple Leaf “With an idea and a strong conviction to milestone. With government approval, the Services Goes Virtual meat products in 2008. The Micocin® success, we leaped from being a university company now has the green light to use The Institute for Reconstructive Sciences technology, is based on a type of natural spin-off ‘paper company’ to building a cloning in its breeding programs. “We are in Medicine (iRSM) - formerly known as and safe bacteria that combats Listeria fully-functional research facility of our a part of a technology that holds infinite COMPRU - conducts translational research present in meat products. Denise Carlson, own at the Alberta Research Council,” says potential to change the face of modern by directly integrating clinical applications Wound dressing that is safer CanBiocin’s Director of Operations, says President and CSO Ian Q. Li. In addition to a agricultural and food production, and that with research and development. iRSM and, cheaper than rivals Micocin will help food manufacturers new home, the company now has a number in itself is revolutionary,” says Dr Shawn is currently developing a leading-edge In December of 2008, Exciton reduce the risk of outbreaks and improve of new staff and two multi-year projects Walker, Director of Assisted Reproductive research environment that will incorporate Technologies Inc. filed an application with the safety of ready-to-eat meat products supported by Alberta Ingenuity Fund and Technologies. “We have only just begun tools like virtual reality and solid modeling the FDA for its latest creation, exSALT for Canadians. NRC-IRAP program. One of these projects to tap into the benefits of where cloning to recreate body parts for people who have SD7 Wound Dressing. The product is just www.canbiocin.ca involves a new method to efficiently and could take us.” been disfigured by injury, cancer or as effective as a leading product in the accurately diagnose kidney injury. www.viagen.com a congenital disease. The project has many market, but even safer to use and cheaper Rapid test system for cancer- bioFilm PA tested in Toronto www.atgcell.com benefits, including allowing surgeons to to manufacture, says CEO and President causing chemicals hospitals First Therapeutic Vaccine rehearse surgical techniques in a virtual Rod Precht. “With FDA approval anticipated Traditional testing of chemicals to Innovotech’s bioFILM PA™ offers a GrowSafe technology for Chronic Hepatitis B Infection environment and animate a virtual patient by the middle of this year, we’re in the determine if they cause cancer requires method for doctors to select antibiotics goes micro in 2010 Phase I Trial to evaluate function post-surgery. process of scaling up our manufacturing skilled technologists, expensive chemicals for tenacious biofilm infections; clusters A new microprocessor promises new Edmonton’s ViRexx, a Division of www.irsm-canada.com capabilities and have begun discussions and time, but a new test promises a of microorganisms that cause 80 per cent improvements to GrowSafe’s RFID livestock Paladin Labs Inc., has made headway with a number of large companies to faster and cheaper option. Edmonton’s of human infections. Doctors at two monitoring systems. Vice-President Alison in developing a therapeutic vaccine for Hope to celiac sufferers market and distribute the product.” PBR Laboratories Inc. is using lab-on- world renown Cystic Fibrosis hospitals Sunstrum says the chip allows for “smaller, people suffering from chronic Hepatitis It is not a cure for celiac disease, www.excitontech.com a-chip technology to create a tool that in Toronto – The Hospital for Sick Kids more powerful, more robust and cost- B infection. The company is planning but a nutraceutical product developed detects cancer causing chemicals in and St. Michael’s hospital – have begun a effective technology” for its customers. to start a Phase I trial in the first quarter by University of Alberta spinoff IGY Inc. ChemRoutes less time and for a fraction of the cost. post-market evaluation of the Edmonton For nearly two decades, the company has of 2010 for its therapeutic vaccine. may be the next best thing. Derived from Ten years after its inception, For the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, company’s diagnostic tool that is the created systems that allow researchers The vaccine was created from ViRexx’s eggs engineered to contain high amounts contract chemistry company ChemRoutes medical oncology and industrial chemical world’s first biofilm susceptibility test that to monitor the feed intake and behavior parent Chimigen® Platform, an adaptable of gluten antibodies, the additive binds Corporation now facilitates the research sectors, the technology promises to also provides doctors with guidance on of cattle. The system can now be used molecule composed of antigen(s) fused to gluten in the body, preventing it from activities of 50 pharmaceutical, speed up analysis and testing efficiency. the selection of combination antibiotics on the farm using RFID (radio-frequency with antibody components. Executive damaging the small intestine. Now, people agrochemical and biotech companies “This technology has a wide range of which are commonly used to treat identification tags) to tightly monitor the Vice-President and Chief Technology with celiac disease can dine out without worldwide. The company offers drug applications,” says company CEO Dr. patients