Swan Valley Regional Secondary School student, Kirsten Larson, receiving the 2009 national prize for the project with the most promising commercial application

In its second year, the Northern Manitoba Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2008/2009 is coordinated by MindSet, the Manitoba Network for Science and Technology, a program of Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines, as a pilot project in partnership with Bioscience Education Canada and BioTalent Canada to develop strategies for SABC in remote and northern regions of Canada.

While the challenge of finding project topics that reflect the needs of the North and then finding scientists to support those topics presents special challenges, finding hardworking students and teachers to participate in the program has gone very well. Swan Valley Regional Secondary School in Swan River, Manitoba and Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute in The Pas, Manitoba have identified 10 students working on 8 projects so far this year. Supporting organizations include University College of the North, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, IRAP (a program of the National Research Council), Agri-Analytical, Manitoba Hydro, Animal Hospital of Manitoba, Tolko Industry Inc., the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals and the University of Manitoba.

Desktop and larger format video conferencing are used to stay in touch with students and teachers such as Paula Norman, supervising teacher Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, and Wendy Gregoire, supervising teacher, Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute. Video conferencing is used also to involve teachers and students in other biotechnology activities such as lectures and workshops for events like National Biotechnology Week, Gene Researcher for a Week and the Gowlings Top Biotechnology Story of the Year Essay Contest. Shalane Fitchner, a student from Swan River involved in the Northern SABC, finished second in the Gowlings Essay Contest in 2008.

The submission deadline for the application forms is January 31, 2009 and the final competition will be held April 27 & 28, 2009, hosted by the St Boniface General Hospital Research Centre through the support of the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre. For more information please call Norman Lee at (204) 269-3383 or email nlee35@shaw.ca.