Three B.C. labs doing genomics-based research in cancer detection and treatment and another lab researching drug resistance in pathogens are getting an $8.7 million injection to help them get their discoveries to market.
The funding comes from Genome BC's Proof-of-Concept program, which is designed to help genomics-based researchers commercialize their research. This is the third round of funding under the POC program.
"This program compels the research community to work hand-in-hand with end users," Genome BC CEO Alan Winter said in a press release. "Genome BC is committed to fulfilling our mandate of facilitating the advancement of genomics-based discoveries from innovation through to practical applications."
Recipients under the latest round of POC funding are:
- Poul Sorensen, University of British Columbia, who is working on the diagnosis of genetic alterations associated with solid tumours in children;
- Fraser Hof, University of Victoria, whose team is using epigenetics to improve the way scientists study cancer;
- Artem Cherkasov and Paul Rennie, UBC, who are using computational chemogenomics, medicinal chemistry and biological screening to create a new class of drugs for prostate cancer; and
- Neil Reiner, UBC, and Fiona Brinkman, Simon Fraser University, who are developing novel drug targets and therapeutics for bacterial pathogens that have developed multi-drug resistance.
