1st Place

Mr. Mark Lievonen, (President, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd), Rui Song

Colette Rivet, (Executive Director, BioTalent Canada), Brian Krug

Dr. John McDougall, (President, National Research Council Canada) , Katherine Taneille Johnson

Alexandre Lemieux, Dr. Prabhat D. Desai, (Vice Chair of Board of Directors, Genome Canada), Reda Bensaidane

Dr. Marc Oulette, (Scientific Director, Institute of Infection and Immunity, Canadian Institutes of Health Research), Binudith Warnakulasooriya

Mr. Guy Levesque, (Director of Programs, Canadian Foundation for Innovation) ,Emma Graham

The Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge received one of 12 honourable mention awards in the 2010 Global Best Awards for the Americas region, presented by The Conference Board of Canada in collaboration with the International Partnership Network.

“The awards celebrate outstanding partnerships that have a significant impact on the communities in which they operate,” said Michael Bloom, Vice-President, Organizational Effectiveness and Learning.

The awards were announced on April 28 at the 10th International Education Business Partnership Conference in Toronto.

News Release – Contact: Mr. Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712; +1-416-538-8712; terrycollins@rogers.com

For release: 1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, April 27, 2010
At 1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday April 27, Canada’s top student projects in biotechnology research will be announced at National Research Council headquarters, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. Media are invited to attend the announcement in person or via teleconference (dial 1-303-664-6043, conference ID 8309014). Short, informal descriptions of each project are available online at http://sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca Please see photos of the 2010 SABC winners.

• Youngest-ever finalist at national level event takes 1st Place Prize
• Students from Saskatoon, Guelph, Fort St. John, Ste-Foy, Winnipeg and Ottawa collect prizes in Canada-wide high school competition
• Judged by eminent experts at National Research Council, Ottawa

Research by a 14-year-old science prodigy from Saskatoon into the molecular fingerprint of a disease that has devastated lentil crops in Canada, Asia and Africa has earned the top national prize of the 2010 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC).

Grade 9 student Rui Song, the youngest-ever national finalist in the event’s 17-year history, ‘astonished’ nine judges at Canada’s National Research Council with her search for an early way to tell apart two strains of a crop-killing fungus, one strain of which can wipe out half a farmer’s lentil harvest if left unrecognized and untreated.

In addition to the Canadian prizes, Rui and the SABC’s national 2nd place winner, Brian Krug, 16, of Guelph, Ontario, will compete against 12 US and two Australian teams at the International BioGENEius Challenge in Chicago next week.

Brian, a Grade 11 student at John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, won the 2nd place prize for his project that found a green tea extract offered a potential new treatment for ovarian cancer.

The national final SABC winners were announced at National Research Council Canada headquarters, Ottawa, April 27, at a ceremony attended by the Hon. James Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour, and other dignitaries.

First and second place winners receive $5,000 and $4,000 respectively.

The other top prizes were collected by:

• 3rd place ($3,000): Katherine Taneille Johnson, 17, a Grade 12 student at North Peace Secondary School in tiny Fort St. John, for a project deciphering DNA mutations that may lie behind an early aging disease.
• 4th place ($2,000): Alexandre Lemieux, 16, of Externat Saint-Jean-Eudes, and Reda Bensaidane, 16, École Secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, Ste-Foy QB, for a project showing how a coffee extract offers a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.
• 5th place ($1,000): Binudith Warnakulasooriya, 17, a Grade 12 student from Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg, whose project unlocked the DNA of flaxseed to create potential for healthier food. It is Binudithès second consecutive year as a national SABC prizewinner.

A special prize ($1,000), awarded for the project with the greatest commercial potential, was won by 16-year-old Grade 10 student Emma Graham of Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, who used Indian dill oil to create a more environmentally-friendly insecticide to combat potato beetles.

Fingerprinting a crop-killing fungus
At just 14, Rui Song has become a fixture on the winners’ list in the Saskatchewan regional SABC.

While still at Greystone Heights Public School, she won the Junior Division twice, in 2008 and 2009, and the streak continued this year, Rui’s Grade 9 year at Walter Murray Collegiate Institute.

Her winning project was an effort to find molecular markers that can tell the difference between two closely related types of the fungus Colletotrichum truncate (Ct), that attacks lentil crops.

Though almost identical genetically, one type attacks lentils far more aggressively, causing 50% losses in some areas. The disease has destroyed crops in many countries beyond Canada, including Bangladesh, Syria, and Ethiopia.

A genetic method of differentiating the two types will save time and money for agricultural researchers, allowing rapid evaluation of lentil fields to warn farmers about the race of Ct in their area, while assisting efforts to develop resistant lentil varieties.

Rui said that while her project did not uncover the definitive identifier that solves the Ct riddle, her research into 50 of the 2,000 potential genetic markers provided a promising direction for more detailed research in future.

And for Rui Song, there’s always next year. “I love the field of molecular genetics and this competition provides a unique opportunity for someone like me to do high-level research guided by mentors who are some of the best minds in their field.”

During her presentation Monday, Rui charmed judges with an admission that she’d read ‘Genetic Engineering for Dummies.’

And she told her hometown newspaper, the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: “I think many people think of science as … I don’t know, easy. What I learned from this project is that you have to be patient, it’s not like putting in a chemical and something explodes. In the lab, the most important thing is to understand why you’re doing something.”

14 truly cutting-edge biotechnology projects
-All 14 to 17 years old and enrolled in Grades 9 through 12, remarkable students from every province yesterday presented 14 truly cutting-edge biotechnology projects. They were mentored by university professors and others who volunteer their expertise and many hours each year to assist these young researchers,” said SABC judge Dr. Roman Szumski, NRC Vice President, Life Sciences.

-The National Research Council of Canada welcomes and supports efforts such as this to raise public awareness, especially among students and educators, about emerging sciences and to encourage more students to consider careers in biotechnology science. I extend sincere congratulations to everyone involved in this competition.”

Dr. Szumski also thanked lead competition supporters, Sanofi Pasteur Limited and BioTalent Canada for helping foster an appreciation of science and engineering education.

* * * * *

All national competition finalists (the projects are informally described at http://sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca):

• Newfoundland: Zachary Quinlan, Andrew Lynch, 17, Bishops College High School, St. John’s, who found a drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection may help ex-soldiers with stress disorder;
• Prince Edward Island: Scott Dewar, and Mark Townsend, both 17 in Grade 12 at Three Oaks High School, Summerside, who worked to unravel the black knot problem – scourge of cherry trees;
• Nova Scotia: Adrian Howie, 17, Citadel High School, Halifax, who went searching for medical uses of Arctic algae before they disappear due to climate change;
• New Brunswick: Sarah Sullivan, Elleas ‘Lee’ Nicholas, 17, Southern Victoria High School, Perth Andover, who discovered that carbon emitted from potatoes helps grow oily ‘pond scum’ biofuel;
• Quebec: Alexandre Lemieux, 16, of Externat Saint-Jean-Eudes, and Reda Bensaidane, 16, École Secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, Ste-Foy, who for a coffee extract offers new potential treatment for Alzheimer’s;
• Eastern Ontario: Emma Graham, 16, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, who used dill oil to create a less toxic insecticide;
• Greater Toronto: Colin Carter, 17, Northern Secondary School, Toronto, whose work opens the door to new diagnosis and early treatment of child heart disease
• Southwestern Ontario: Brian Krug, 16, John F. Ross C.V.I., Guelph, who discovered a green tea extract offers a potential new treatment for ovarian cancer
• Manitoba: Binudith Warnakulasooriya, 17, Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg, who worked to unlock the DNA of flaxseed to create potentially healthier food;
• Northern Manitoba: Taylor Henkelman, 15, Swan Valley Regional Seconary School, Swan Valley, who found that oil from an invasive ‘weed’ shows promise as transformer lubricant;
• Saskatchewan: Rui Song, 14, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon, who is looking to genetically fingerprint a lentil-killing fungus that can devastate crops;
• Edmonton: Moses Fung, 17, Old Scona Academic High School, Edmonton, who’s working towards the improved treatment of lung disease;
• Calgary: Nicholas Moore, 17, Western Canada High School, and Debbie Wang, 17, Bishop Carroll High School, who developed a potential new tool to assess nerve damage; and
• British Columbia: Katherine Taneille Johnson, 17, North Peace Secondary School, Fort St. John, deciphering enzyme mutations that may lie behind early aging disorder

* * * * *

Chaired by Dr. Luis Barreto, Vice President, Immunization and Science Policy, Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the distinguished national judging panel consists of:

• Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President, Life Sciences, National Research Council Canada
• Dr. Denis Kay, Board of Directors, BioTalent Canada
• Dr. Prabhat D. (Pete) Desai, Vice-Chair, Board of Directors, Genome Canada
• Dr. Mark Lagacé, Senior Programs Officer, Canada Foundation for Innovation
• Dr. Marc Ouellette, Scientific Director, Institute of Infection and Immunity, CIHR
• Dr. John Dirks, President, The Gairdner Foundation
• Dr. Lesley Warren, Professor, Biogeochemistry, McMaster University
• Mr. Scott Adams, 2009 SABC national 1st place winner, Saskatchewan

Background
Now in its 17th year, the Sanofi-Aventis Biotalent Challenge is a high-level event that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design. Each student team works with a mentor in their community, who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies. The projects and presentations are judged at the NRC by senior officials of the federal public service and private sector, and by the previous student winner of the SABC national competition.

University-level mentoring is a distinguishing characteristic of the competition, as is the emphasis judges place on the ability of competitors to communicate science ideas.

The competition drives students to broaden their horizons and challenge their intellect. Each of the student teams work with a mentor in their community who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies. Many of the students who compete go on to careers in biotechnology, healthcare, agriculture, and the environment.

More than 100 organizations Canada-wide are partnered in this educational outreach initiative.

National competition supporters:

• Sanofi Pasteur and sanofi-aventis
• BioTalent Canada
• National Research Council of Canada
• Genome Canada
• Canadian Institutes for Health Research; and
• Canadian Foundation for Innovation

The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.

Winning student teams share their cash prize with their school. In some cities, regional winners also receive university scholarships or summer jobs.

The competition mirrors the real world of scientific research by:

• Requiring students to submit research proposals for evaluation by a scientific evaluation committee;
• Providing up to $200 in advance funding to approved student projects;
• Assigning mentors to each team to provide expert advice and access to equipment and supplies; and
• Having each student project judged by fellow students (peer review) and by judges representing government, business, academia and the education community.

A distinguishing characteristic of the competition is the emphasis judges place on the competitors’ communication of science ideas.

Many regional competition events include lectures by leading local biotechnology researchers, science workshops for students and teachers, and exhibits on biotechnology.
* * * * *

About Sanofi Pasteur and sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone.

Sanofi-aventis is represented in Canada by the pharmaceutical company sanofi-aventis Canada Inc., based in Laval, Quebec, and by the vaccines company Sanofi Pasteur Limited, based in Toronto, Ontario. Together they employ more than 2,000 people across the country. With combined R&D investments of $181.6 million in 2009, they are leaders in Canada’s biopharmaceutical sector, a critical knowledge-based industry that generates jobs, business and opportunity throughout the country.

Sanofi Pasteur has a long history of supporting science education at the post-secondary level in Canada. In 1994, it recognized the need to engage younger students in biotechnology education, and the initial SABC program was born. Since then, the program has expanded to 14 events across Canada and has involved thousands of students. As lead sponsors of the SABC, sanofi pasteur and sanofi-aventis is proud to collaborate with partners in government, industry and academia to get high school students engaged in biotechnology. For more information: www.sanofi-aventis.ca or www.sanofipasteur.ca

About BioTalent Canada
BioTalent Canada helps Canada’s bio-economy industry thrive globally. As a non-profit national organization of innovators leading our bio-economy, BioTalent Canada anticipates needs and creates new opportunities, delivering human resources tools, information and skills development to ensure the industry has access to job-ready people. BioTalent Canada is a Canadian sector council, one of many partnership organizations created to address skills-development issues in key sectors of the economy. For more information: www.biotalent.ca or Colette Rivet, Executive Director, BioTalent Canada 613-235-1402 x 226; coletter@biotalent.ca

Communiqu̩ РRenseignements : M. Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712; +1-416-538-8712; terrycollins@rogers.com

Diffusion : 13 h (HAE), le mardi 27 avril 2010

Le mardi 27 avril, à 13 h (HAE), les meilleurs projets de recherche en biotechnologie réalisés par des étudiants canadiens seront dévoilés à l’administration centrale du Conseil national de recherches, au 100 de la promenade Sussex, à Ottawa. Les journalistes sont conviés à assister au dévoilement en personne ou par téléconférence (composer le 1-303-664-6043, conférence 8309014). On trouvera une brève description informelle de chaque projet (en anglais seulement) sur le site http://sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca.

Une jeune prodige de 14 ans de la Saskatchewan sidère l’élite scientifique du Canada par ses recherches sur une maladie qui dévaste les cultures et remporte le concours national de biotechnologie

Des élèves du secondaire de Saskatoon, Guelph, Fort St. John, Sainte-Foy, Winnipeg et Ottawa décrochent un prix dans le cadre d’un concours pancanadien jugé par d’éminents experts, au Conseil national de recherches, à Ottawa

Les recherches effectuées par une jeune prodige de 14 ans de Saskatoon sur la cartographie moléculaire d’une maladie qui dévaste les champs de lentilles au Canada, en Asie et en Afrique ont remporté le premier prix du Défi BioTalent Sanofi-Aventis (DBSA) de 2010.

Élève de 9e année, Rui Song, la plus jeune finaliste du concours national depuis sa création, il y a 17 ans, a « ébahi » les neuf jurés rassemblés au Conseil national de recherches du Canada par les travaux qu’elle a poursuivis en laboratoire en vue de trouver une méthode rapide pour distinguer deux souches d’une moisissure qui s’attaque aux cultures l’une de l’autre, plus précisément celle capable de détruire la moitié de la récole de lentilles d’un cultivateur si on ne l’identifie pas afin de la traiter sans délai.

En plus du grand prix, Rui et le lauréat de la deuxième place au concours national, Brian Krug, 16 ans, de Guelph (Ontario), défendront les couleurs du Canada contre 12 équipes américaines et deux australiennes à l’occasion de l’International BioGENEius Challenge qui aura lieu à Chicago la semaine prochaine.

Brian, un élève de 11e année au John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, s’est classé deuxième avec un projet qui lui a permis de découvrir un composé du thé vert susceptible de jouer un rôle dans le traitement du cancer des ovaires.

Les vainqueurs du concours national DBSA ont été dévoilés au siège du Conseil national de recherches du Canada, à Ottawa, le 27 avril, à l’occasion d’une cérémonie à laquelle assistaient l’honorable James Flaherty, ministre des Finances, et l’honorable Lisa Raitt, ministre du Travail, parmi d’autres dignitaires.

À la première et à la deuxième place est assorti un prix de 5 000 $ et de 4 000 $, respectivement.

Les autres lauréats du concours national sont les suivants :

• en 3e place (3 000 $) : Katherine Taneille Johnson, 17 ans, élève de 12e année à l’école secondaire North Peace, dans la petite ville de Fort St. John, pour son projet visant à décrypter les mutations de l’ADN pouvant être à l’origine d’une maladie qui accélère le vieillissement;
• en 4e place (2 000 $) : Alexandre Lemieux, 16 ans, de l’Externat Saint-Jean-Eudes, et Reda Bensaidane, 16 ans, de l’école secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, à Sainte-Foy (Québec), pour leur projet illustrant comment un extrait du café pourrait déboucher sur un nouveau traitement contre la maladie d’Alzheimer;
• en 5e place (1 000 $) : Binudith Warnakulasooriya, 17 ans, élève de 12e année au Fort Richmond Collegiate, à Winnipeg, dont le projet a permis le décodage de l’ADN du lin en vue de la création d’aliments plus sains. Binudith se retrouve parmi les lauréats du concours national pour une deuxième année consécutive.

Un prix spécial de 1 000 $ est décerné au projet qui présente le meilleur potentiel commercial. Il a été remporté par Emma Graham, 16 ans, élève de 10e année au Lisgar Collegiate Institute d’Ottawa, qui a recouru à de l’huile d’aneth indien pour créer un insecticide écologique contre le doryphore de la pomme de terre.

Cartographie d’une moisissure destructrice
Âgée à peine de 14 ans, Rui Song se retrouve plus souvent qu’à son tour sur la liste des lauréats du DBSA de la Saskatchewan.

Alors qu’elle étudiait à l’école publique Greystone Heights, elle a remporté à deux reprises le prix de la division junior– soit en 2008 et en 2009. Elle continue sur sa foulée cette année tandis qu’elle poursuit sa 9e année au Walter Murray Collegiate Institute.

Le projet qui lui a valu la première place visait à découvrir des marqueurs moléculaires permettant de faire la distinction entre deux races étroitement apparentées de Colletotrichum truncate (Ct), un cryptogame qui s’attaque à la lentille.

Presque identiques sur le plan génétique, une des deux races est beaucoup plus agressive que l’autre et peut détruire jusqu’à la moitié de la récolte dans certaines régions. Cette maladie a ravagé les cultures dans beaucoup d’autres pays que le Canada, notamment le Bangladesh, la Syrie et l’Éthiopie.

Une méthode génétique permettant de différencier les deux races signifiera une économie de temps et d’argent pour les chercheurs agricoles, car elle autorisera l’évaluation rapide des champs de la province, de sorte qu’on pourra signaler aux agriculteurs quelle race de Ct sévit dans la région. Une telle méthode facilitera aussi les efforts déployés pour créer une variété de lentille résistant à la maladie.

Rui a déclaré que s’ils ne lui ont n’a pas permis de trouver le marqueur qui identifiera hors de tout doute la race de Ct, ses travaux sur 50 des 2 000 marqueurs potentiels ont aiguillé la recherche sur des pistes prometteuses.

Et pour Rui Song, il reste toujours l’année prochaine. « J’adore la génétique moléculaire et ce concours donne à quelqu’un comme moi une chance unique d’entreprendre des recherches de haut calibre sous la direction de mentors choisis parmi les plus brillants dans leur domaine. »

Lors de sa présentation, lundi, Rui a avoué aux jurés qu’elle lisait « Le génie génétique pour les nuls ».

Elle a aussi déclaré au quotidien local, le Saskatoon Star-Phoenix : « Beaucoup de gens, je pense, croient que la science est… je ne sais pas, quelque chose de facile. Ce projet m’a appris la patience. Ce n’est pas du tout comme mélanger des produits chimiques et assister à une explosion. Au laboratoire, le plus important est de comprendre pourquoi on fait ceci ou cela. »

Quatorze projets à la fine pointe de la biotechnologie
« Hier, des jeunes de 14 à 17 ans, de remarquables élèves de la 9e à la 12e année de chaque province, ont présenté les 14 projets à la fine pointe de la biotechnologie qu’ils avaient entrepris sous l’égide des professeurs d’université et d’autres spécialistes qui acceptent bénévolement de les encadrer et de leur dispenser leur expertise pendant de longues heures chaque année », a déclaré Roman Szumski, juré du DBSA et vice-président des sciences de la vie au CNRC.

« Le Conseil national de recherches du Canada applaudit et appuie les programmes de ce genre, qui font mieux connaître les sciences émergentes, surtout aux jeunes et aux éducateurs, et incitent plus d’étudiants à envisager une carrière en biotechnologie. Je félicite sincèrement tous ceux qui ont participé au concours. »

M. Szumski a également remercié les principaux parrains du DBSA, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd. et BioTalent Canada, pour contribuer à mieux faire apprécier l’enseignement des sciences et du génie.

* * * * *

Finalistes du concours national (on trouvera une description informelle en anglais des projets sur le site http://sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca):

• Terre-Neuve : Zachary Quinlan et Andrew Lynch, 17 ans, du Bishops College High School, à St. John’s, ont découvert un médicament qui combat le rejet des greffes d’organes et pourraient aider les anciens combattants souffrant d’un trouble de stress.
• ÃŽle-du-Prince-Édouard: Scott Dewar et Mark Townsend, 17 ans, élèves de 12e année à l’école secondaire Three Oaks, à Summerside, ont essayé de percer le mystère du nodule noir, une maladie qui afflige les cerisiers.
• Nouvelle-Écosse : Adrian Howie, 17 ans , de l’école secondaire Citadel, à Halifax, a tenté de trouver une utilité médicale aux algues de l’Arctique avant que le changement climatique ne les décime.
• Nouveau-Brunswick : Sarah Sullivan et Elleas ‘Lee’ Nicholas, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire Southern Victoria, à Perth Andover, ont découvert que le carbone libéré par les pommes de terre contribue à produire une écume huileuse sur les étangs qui pourrait servir de biocarburant.
• Québec : Alexandre Lemieux, 16 ans, de l’Externat Saint-Jean-Eudes, et Reda Bensaidane, 16 ans, de l’école secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, à Sainte-Foy, ont découvert un extrait du café susceptible de servir de traitement à la maladie d’Alzheimer.
• Est de l’Ontario : Emma Graham, 16 ans, du Lisgar Collegiate Institute, à Ottawa, s’est servi de l’huile d’aneth pour fabriquer un insecticide moins toxique.
• Toronto : Colin Carter, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire Northern, à Toronto, pavera la voie à une nouvelle méthode pour le diagnostic et le traitement des cardiopathies des enfants par ses travaux.
• Sud-ouest de l’Ontario : Brian Krug, 16 ans, du John F. Ross C.V.I., à Guelph, a découvert un composé du thé vert qui pourrait constituer un nouveau traitement contre le cancer des ovaires.
• Manitoba : Binudith Warnakulasooriya, 17 ans, du Fort Richmond Collegiate, à Winnipeg, a tenté de décrypter l’ADN du lin en vue de la création d’aliments plus sains.
• Nord du Manitoba : Taylor Henkelman, 15 ans, de l’école secondaire Swan Valley Regional, à Swan Valley, a constaté que l’huile d’une « mauvaise herbe » envahissante pourrait servir à fabriquer un lubrifiant intéressant pour les transformateurs.
• Saskatchewan : Rui Song, 14 ans, du Walter Murray Collegiate Institute, à Saskatoon, s’est efforcée de trouver l’empreinte digitale génétique d’une moisissure de la lentille capable de dévaster des champs entiers.
• Edmonton : Moses Fung, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire Old Scona Academic, à Edmonton, a tenté d’améliorer la thérapie d’une maladie pulmonaire.
• Calgary: Nicholas Moore, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire Western Canada, et Debbie Wang, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire Bishop Carroll, ont mis au point un nouvel outil potentiel pour évaluer les dommages aux nerfs.
• Colombie-Britannique : Katherine Taneille Johnson, 17 ans, de l’école secondaire North Peace, à Fort St. John, a déchiffré les mutations des enzymes éventuellement à l’origine d’une maladie qui accélère le vieillissement.

Présidé par Luis Barreto, vice-président, politiques en science et immunisation, de Sanofi Pasteur limitée, le jury national se composait des éminentes personnes que voici :
• Roman Szumski, vice-président, Sciences de la vie, Conseil national de recherches du Canada;
• Denis Kay, conseil d’administration, BioTalent Canada
• Prabhat D. (Pete) Desai, vice-président, conseil d’administration, Génome Canada
• Mark Lagacé, agent principal des programmes, Fondation canadienne pour l’innovation
• Marc Ouellette, directeur scientifique, Institut des maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, IRSC
• John Dirks, président, The Gairdner Foundation
• Lesley Warren, professeur, biogéochimie, Université McMaster
• Scott Adams, lauréat du concours national DBSA de 2009, Saskatchewan

Contexte
Entamant sa 17e année, le Défi BioTalent Sanofi-Aventis est un concours de haut calibre qui initie les élèves du secondaire au monde de la biotechnologie en les encourageant à entreprendre des recherches de leur cru. Chaque équipe travaille avec un mentor local qui lui dispense des conseils d’expert et lui donne accès à l’équipement et au matériel. Les projets et leur présentation sont ensuite jugés au CNRC par des hauts fonctionnaires du gouvernement fédéral et des cadres du secteur privé, ainsi que par le lauréat du concours national DBSA de l’année antérieure.

L’encadrement de niveau universitaire est une caractéristique du concours, tout comme le souci que le jury accorde à l’habileté des concurrents à transmettre des concepts scientifiques.

Le concours amène les élèves à élargir leurs horizons et à exercer leur intelligence. Chaque équipe travaille avec un mentor de la collectivité, qui lui dispense ses conseils d’expert et lui donne accès à l’équipement et au matériel dont elle a besoin. Beaucoup de jeunes qui participent au concours poursuivent une carrière en biotechnologie, dans le secteur de la santé, en agriculture ou dans le domaine de l’environnement.

Une centaine d’organisations canadiennes se sont associées dans le cadre de cette activité de vulgarisation scientifique.

À l’échelon national, signalons :
• Sanofi Pasteur et le Groupe sanofi-aventis
• BioTalent Canada
• le Conseil national de recherches du Canada
• Génome Canada
• les Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada
• la Fondation canadienne pour l’innovation

Le projet est financé en partie par le Programme des conseils sectoriels du gouvernement canadien.

Les équipes lauréates obtiennent un prix de plusieurs milliers de dollars qu’elles partagent avec leur école. Dans certaines villes, les élèves reçoivent aussi une bourse en vue d’études universitaires ou un emploi d’été.

Le concours reflète la réalité de la recherche scientifique comme suit :
• il oblige les élèves à soumettre un projet qu’évalue ensuite un comité scientifique;
• ceux dont le projet est retenu reçoivent une avance pouvant aller jusqu’à 200 $;
• un mentor encadre chaque équipe en lui dispensant des conseils et en lui donnant accès à l’équipement et au matériel;
• chaque projet est évalué par d’autres élèves (examen par des pairs) et par un jury représentant le gouvernement, le secteur des affaires, les universités et le milieu de l’éducation.

Le concours se distingue par l’emphase que les jurés mettent sur la capacité des concurrents à communiquer les idées scientifiques.

Dans beaucoup de régions, le concours inclut des conférences par d’éminents chercheurs en biotechnologie locaux, des ateliers scientifiques pour les élèves et les enseignants, ainsi que des expositions sur la biotechnologie.
* * * * *

A propos de Sanofi Pasteur et Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis, laboratoire pharmaceutique leader mondial, découvre, développe et distribue des solutions thérapeutiques pour améliorer la vie de chacun.

Sanofi-Aventis est représentée au Canada par l’entreprise pharmaceutique Sanofi-Aventis Canada Inc., basée à Laval, Province du Québec, et par l’entreprise de vaccins Sanofi Pasteur Limited, basée à Toronto, Ontario. Elles emploient ensemble plus de 2000 personnes à travers le pays. Avec des investissements cumulés de 181,6 millions $ en R&D en 2009, ils constituent les leaders du secteur biopharmaceutique au Canada, une industrie basée sur des connaissances primordiales qui génère des emplois, des activités et des opportunités dans tout le pays.

Sanofi Pasteur a une longue histoire de soutien à l’éducation des sciences au niveau postsecondaire au Canada. En 1994, il a été reconnu le besoin d’engager des étudiants plus jeunes à l’enseignement de la biotechnologie, et c’est alors que le programme initial DBSA est né. Depuis lors, le programme a été étendu à 14 événements à travers le Canada et a impliqué des milliers d’étudiants. En tant que sponsor principal du DBSA, Sanofi Pasteur et Sanofi-Aventis sont fiers de collaborer avec leurs partenaires au sein du gouvernement, de l’industrie et des universités pour voir les élèves du secondaire s’engager dans la biotechnologie. Pour plus d’informations: www.sanofi-aventis.ca ou www.sanofipasteur.ca.

A Propos de BioTalent Canada
BioTalent Canada aide l’industrie bioéconomique du Canada à prospérer d’une manière globale. En tant qu’organisation nationale à but non lucratif des grands innovateurs de notre bio-économie, BioTalent Canada anticipe les besoins et crée de nouvelles opportunités, offrant des outils en ressources humaines, en information et en développement des compétences, afin de s’assurer que l’industrie a accès à des personnes aptes à intégrer le monde du travail. BioTalent Canada est un conseil sectoriel Canadien — l’une des nombreuses organisations partenaires créées pour résoudre les problèmes de développement des compétences dans des secteurs clés de l’économie. Pour plus d’informations: www.biotalent.ca ou Colette Rivet, Directrice Générale, BioTalent Canada 613-235-1402 x 226; coletter@biotalent.ca

A group shot of all finalists standing in front of the National Research Council Canada building May 6th, 2009.

Scott Adams (center) with Mark Lievonen (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
1st Prize Winner, Scott Adams, Saskatoon

Joseph McNeil (center) with Colette Rivet (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
2nd Prize Winner, Joseph McNeil, Nova Scotia

Binudith Warnakulasooriya (center) with Dr. Pierre Coulombe (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
3rd Prize Winner, Binudith Warnakulasooriya, Manitoba

Caitlin Martin Newnham (center) with Dr. Martin Godbout (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
4th Prize Winner, Caitlin Martin Newnham, Southwestern Ontario

Melanie Gallant (center) with Manon Harvey (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
5th Prize Winner, Melanie Gallant, Prince Edward Island

Kirsten Larson (center) with Catherine Conrad (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
Commercial Prize Winner, Kirsten Larson, Northern Manitoba

The first national competition among the first place winners from each regional SABC program was held at the BIO 2002 conference in Toronto in June 2002. More than $18,000 in cash prizes was awarded to the competing teams. For the past five years, the national competition was held via video-conferencing facilities from the National Research Council of Canada. Each first place regional team presented their research to a panel of judges gathered at the NRC headquarters in Ottawa.

In 2009, with support from BioTalent Canada the competition will be face-to-face where 14 regional winners will compete for the National title in Ottawa. The top 2 winners of the National SABC Competition will be able to compete in the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Annual International Convention.

Students from Saskatoon, Cape Breton, Winnipeg, London, Charlottetown and Swan River collect Prizes in Canada-wide Competition Judged by Eminent Experts at National Research Council, Ottawa

Genetic research by a 16-year-old Saskatchewan student that could one day help farmers grow “designer wheat” — tailoring the starch content of grain grown for different markets — has earned the top national prize in the 2009 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC).

Grade 10 student Scott Adams of Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate Institute won the $5,000 national 1st place prize today with a ground-breaking study showing agricultural scientists a novel way to turn off a gene in wheat and alter its starch elements, making it possible potentially to grow wheat customized for different markets ranging from textiles to foods such as pasta and bread.

In addition to the Canadian prizes, Scott and the national 2nd place winner, Joseph McNeil of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, will compete for Canada at the International BioGENEius Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia, June 17-20.

McNeil, 18, a Grade 12 student at the Richmond Academy in Cape Breton, won the $4,000 2nd place prize with a study related to Lou Gehrig’s disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS), using green tea to promote motor neuron growth. Joseph tested different concentrations of two green tea chemicals – one, an anti-oxidant, the other an amino acid – on the cultured motor neurons of mice, looking at the chemicals’ impact over different periods of time. Among his results: an increase in cellular growth by 16 to 30 per cent.

The national final SABC winners were announced at National Research Council Canada headquarters, Ottawa, May 6, at a ceremony attended by Finance Minister, the Hon. Jim Flaherty, Industry Minister, the Hon. Tony Clement, and other dignitaries.

The other top national prizes were collected by:
3rd place ($3,000): Winnipeg
Binudith (Bin) Warnakulasooriya, 17, in Grade 11 at Winnipeg’s Fort Richmond Collegiate, for a project that led to an important discovery about how the flax plant produces SDG lignan, a potent anti-oxidant highly valued as a dietary supplement for cancer prevention and a range of other reported health benefits, from lower cholesterol to anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal protection.

4th place ($2,000): London
Caitlin Martin Newnham, 18, a Grade 12 student at London’s A.B. Lucas Secondary School, who looked for a way to help her mother find a safe alternative pain reliever and successfully pioneered a way to take the burning sensation out of the oil of hot peppers, which has natural painkilling properties. Using leeches, she also created a new humane way to conduct pain research without inflicting it on vertebrates.

5th place ($1,000): Charlottetown
Melanie Gallant, a Grade 12 student at the École François-Buote school in Charlottetown, PEI, who identified how a common agricultural herbicide inhibits the production of androgens, the male hormone, in marine fish.

A special prize of $1,000, awarded for the project with the greatest commercial potential, was won by Kirsten Larson, 18, of Swan Valley Regional Secondary School in Swan River, Northern Manitoba, who determined the nutritional and medicinal properties of a little-known Japanese fruit called the haskap berry grown by her family. She showed that although haskap berries were low in total minerals and vitamin C, they had exceptional levels of cancer-preventing anti-oxidants.

The judges also awarded a special mention for independence and ingenuity to Maria Carolina Festa, 15, a Grade 10 Montreal student, who enlisted a common bacteria to render deadly nitrate-contaminated water fit for drinking. Unlike the other competitors, Maria conducted her research without the help a university mentor; her accomplishment was achieved in her high school lab at Villa Sainte-Marceline School.

Wheat starch research gets a boost
With almost half of the calories in the human diet supplied by starch-based products, and increasing worldwide demand for industrial starches, an ongoing priority for agricultural researchers is adding to their knowledge about starch production in grain crops, specifically how to improve and regulate starch yield and composition.

The latest contribution to this research comes from Saskatchewan’s Scott Adams, 16, whose work demonstrates how turning off a certain gene can be used to better study and potentially control different components of the starch found in wheat.

The component in wheat starch known as amylose, for example, is used in packaging and textiles; amylopectin is found in noodles and other foods, pastes, adhesives and lubricants.

Working with mentors Dr. Pooba Ganeshan and Dr. Ravi Chibbar at the University of Saskatchewan Department of Plant Sciences, Scott used a DNA-related technique (ODN antisense technology) to silence a gene associated with amylose.

In a test tube, Scott mixed two of nature’s wheat nutrients, sucrose and a certain amino acid (L-glautamine), to see if they would encourage wheat’s uptake of the antisense ODNs (a short DNA sequence) and thereby silence the gene responsible for producing amylose.

Then, using another lab technique (called real-time polymerase chain reaction), he observed his success – in all, a scientific first that could one day help agricultural researchers improve the quantity and composition of wheat’s useful elements.

Though he grew up in the province that grows half of all Canada’s major export crops, Scott finds agriculture as a new field of study for him.

“If you live in Saskatoon, you can’t help but be aware of the wheat industry and the biotechnology cluster in Saskatoon,” he says, adding that he hasn’t decided yet whether his future will be in science or some other field. “I still have a couple of years before I have to make that decision and I am keeping my career options open.”

“14 truly cutting-edge biotechnology projects”

“All 15 to 18 years old and enrolled in Grades 10 through 12, remarkable students from every province yesterday presented 14 truly cutting-edge biotechnology projects, mentored by university professors and others who volunteer their expertise and many hours each year to assist these young researchers,” said SABC judge Dr. Roman Szumski, NRC Vice President, Life Sciences.

“The National Research Council of Canada welcomes and supports efforts such as this to raise public awareness, especially among students and educators, about emerging sciences and to encourage more students to consider careers in biotechnology science. I extend sincere congratulations to everyone involved in this competition.”

He also thanked lead competition supporters, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd. and BioTalent Canadafor helping foster an appreciation of science and engineering education.

National competition finalists:
British Columbia: Yang (Linda) Liu, 17, Gr. 12, Sands Secondary School, Surrey;
Calgary: Julie Xu and Annie Wang, 17, Gr. 12, Sir Winston Churchill High School;
Edmonton: Connie Le, 16, Kathryn Chevalier, 16 and Victoria Tian, 18, Gr. 12, Old Scona Academic High School;
Saskatchewan: Scott Adams, 16, Gr. 10, Walter Murray Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon;
Manitoba: Binudith (Bin) Warnakulasooriya, 17, Gr. 11, Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg;
Northern Manitoba: Kirsten Larson, 18, Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, Swan River;
Western Ontario: Caitlin Martin Newnham, 18, Gr. 12, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London;
Greater Toronto: Alessandro Caroti, 17, Ellie Shuo Jin, 17, and Hans Tee, 18, Gr. 12, St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, Thornhill;
Eastern Ontario: Sathya Baskaran, 15, Gr. 10, Nepean High School, Nepean;
Montreal: Maria Carolina Festa, 15, Gr. 10, Villa Ste-Marcelline School;
Nova Scotia: Joseph McNeil, 18, Gr. 12, Richmond Academy, Cape Breton;
Prince Edward Island: Melanie Gallant, 17, Gr. 12, École François-Buote, Charlottetown;
New Brunswick: Yoojin Kim, 17, Gr. 12, Fredericton High School, Fredericton;
Newfoundland: Rebecca Hollett, 16, Gr. 11, Holy Heart of Mary High, St. John’s

Please read brief descriptions of the 14 regional SABC projects in the final competition.

Chaired by Dr. Luis Barreto, Vice President, Public, Scientific and Medical Affairs, Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the national judging panel consists of:
· Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President, Life Sciences, National Research Council Canada
· Dr. Martin Godbout, President, Genome Canada
· Dr. Janet Rossant, Chief of Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
· Dr. John Dirks, President, The Gairdner Foundation
· Dr. Peter Hackett, President & CEO, Alberta Ingenuity Fund
· Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan, Board of Directors, BioTalent Canada
· Dr. Alison Symington, Director of Programs, Canadian Biotechnology Education Resource Centre
· Maria Merziotis, SABC’s National Winner in 2008, now a first-year student at the University of Ottawa.

Background
Now in its 16th year, the SABC is a high-level competition that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design.

The competition drives students to broaden their horizons and challenge their intellect. Each of the student teams work with a mentor in their community who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies. Many of the students who compete go on to careers in biotechnology, healthcare, agriculture, and the environment.

The Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge is a high-level event that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design. Each student team works with a mentor in their community, who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies. The projects and presentations are judged at the NRC by senior officials of the federal public service and private sector, and by the previous student winner of the SABC national competition.

A distinguishing characteristic of the competition is the emphasis judges place on the competitors’ communication of science ideas.

More than 100 organizations Canada-wide are partnered in this educational outreach initiative.

National competition supporters:

• Sanofi pasteur and sanofi-aventis
• BioTalent Canada
• National Research Council of Canada
• Genome Canada
• VWR International
• Canadian Institutes for Health Research
• Canada Foundation for Innovation
• Canadian Louis Pasteur Foundation

The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.

Winning student teams share their cash prize with their school. In some cities, regional winners also receive university scholarships or summer jobs.

The competition mirrors the real world of scientific research by:

• Requiring students to submit research proposals for evaluation by a scientific evaluation committee;
• Providing up to $200 in advance funding to approved student projects;
• Assigning mentors to each team to provide expert advice and access to equipment and supplies; and
• Having each student project judged by fellow students (peer review) and by judges representing government, business, academia and the education community.

A distinguishing characteristic of the competition is the emphasis judges place on the competitors’ communication of science ideas.

Many regional competition events include lectures by leading local biotechnology researchers, science workshops for students and teachers, and exhibits on biotechnology.

* * * * *

About sanofi pasteur and sanofi-aventis
Sanofi pasteur is the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Sanofi pasteur in Canada has a long history of supporting science education at the post-secondary level. In 1994, it recognized the need to engage younger students in biotechnology education, and the initial SABC program was run in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s first meeting in Canada. Since then, the program has expanded to 14 events across Canada and has involved thousands of students. As lead sponsor of the SABC, sanofi pasteur is proud to collaborate with partners in government, industry and academia to get high school students engaged in biotechnology. Sanofi Pasteur Limited is Canada’s only full-scale vaccine company, researching, developing and manufacturing in Canada a broad range of human vaccines with over 1,100 highly-skilled employees. For more information: www.sanofi-pasteur.ca

About BioTalent Canada
BioTalent Canada helps Canada’s bio-economy industry thrive globally. As a non-profit national organization of innovators leading our bio-economy, BioTalent Canada anticipates needs and creates new opportunities, delivering human resources tools, information and skills development to ensure the industry has access to job-ready people. BioTalent Canada is a Canadian sector council-one of many partnership organizations created to address skills-development issues in key sectors of the economy. For more information: www.biotalent.ca or Colette Rivet, Executive Director, BioTalent Canada, 613-235-1402 x 226; coletter@biotalent.ca

Contacts:
Terry Collins, 416-538-8712 or 416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
John Chenery: 416-532-8218 or 416-452-6016, jchenery@gmail.com

• Top Student Biotech Projects from 14 City, Regional Contests
• In Final Canada-wide Competition Judged by Experts at NRC
• Results Announced 1 p.m. EDT Weds. May 6

Announcement of Canada’s top student projects in biotechnology will take place on a media teleconference from National Research Council headquarters, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 6.

To join the call, please dial 1-303-664-6043, conference ID 8309014.

The students are also available for individual interviews. Please contact Terry Collins at 416-538-8712 or 416-878-8712 to schedule a time.

Extraordinary teenage scientists from across Canada compete for top honours in the final national 2009 competition of the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge. Awards totaling $16,000, including a prize for the project with the most commercial potential, will be announced from the National Research Council, Ottawa, at 1 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, May 6. Finance Minister The Hon. Jim Flaherty and Industry Minister The Hon. Tony Clement will participate in the ceremony.

The finalists, presenting a range of cutting-edge science ideas, are winners of 14 SABC competitions held in:
* Newfoundland,
* Prince Edward Island,
* Nova Scotia,
* New Brunswick,
* Montreal,
* Eastern Ontario,
* Greater Toronto,
* Western Ontario,
* Manitoba,
* Northern Manitoba,
* Saskatchewan,
* Edmonton,
* Calgary and
* British Columbia.

Each winning regional project is described in brief below.

The Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge is a high-level event that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design. Each student team works with a mentor in their community, who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies. The projects and presentations are judged at the NRC by senior officials of the federal public service and private sector, and by the previous student winner of the SABC national competition.

A distinguishing characteristic of the competition is the emphasis judges place on the competitors’ communication of science ideas.

Chaired by Dr. Luis Barreto, Vice President, Public, Scientific and Medical Affairs, Sanofi Pasteur Limited, the distinguished national judging panel consists of:
* Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President, Life Sciences, National Research Council Canada
* Dr. Martin Godbout, President, Genome Canada
* Dr. Janet Rossant, Chief of Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
* Dr. John Dirks, President, The Gairdner Foundation
* Dr. Peter Hackett, President & CEO, Alberta Ingenuity Fund
* Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan, Board of Directors, BioTalent Canada
* Dr. Alison Symington, Director of Programs, Canadian Biotechnology Education Resource Centre
* Maria Merziotis, SABC’s National Winner in 2008, now a first-year student at the University of Ottawa.

National competition supporters:
* sanofi pasteur
* sanofi-aventis
* BioTalent Canada
* National Research Council of Canada
* Genome Canada
* Canadian Institutes of Health Research
* the Canada Foundation for Innovation; and
* the Canadian Louis Pasteur Foundation

The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.

Descriptions of the winning projects:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Montreal
Eastern Ontario
Greater Toronto
Southwestern Ontario
Manitoba
Northern Manitoba
Saskatoon
Edmonton
Calgary
British Columbia

Contact: Terry Collins, 416-538-8712 or 416-878-8712

British Columbia – Mopping up dead cells key to boosting cancer, arthritis treatments (pdf)
Calgary – Dramatic hope for stem cell therapy, thanks to Calgary student, 17 (pdf)
Canada North – Investigating cancer rates in northwestern Manitoba (pdf)
Edmonton – Twins use biotechnology to try and prevent the spread of cancer cells (pdf)
Nova Scotia – Testing herbal remedies for cancer (pdf)
Manitoba – Student develops new technique to measure mercury toxins in Arctic seals (pdf)
Montreal – A genetic explanation for Lithium response (pdf)
New Brunswick – Students’ plant research points way to faster growing crops (pdf)
New Foundland & Labrador – Bacteria-fighting larch tea (pdf)
Ottawa – Tricking the influenza virus (pdf)
Prince Edward Island – Surfaces that resist protein absorption (pdf)
South Western Ontario – Targeting cancer cells with copper (pdf)
Toronto – High School Students Identify Genes that May Help Plants Grow in Salty Soil (pdf)
Saskatchewan – The pharmaceutical potential of tree bark (pdf)

Our 2008 Winners (pdf)

Download or print this press release (pdf 50kb)
Ted Paranjothy Completes First Sweep of Top Finishes in Regional, National and International Biotech Competition Series

Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal Students Take Prizes Also
in Canada-wide Competition Judged by Experts at NRC

A Manitoba student has a first-ever Triple Crown of high school science, his project seeking a potential alternative to chemotherapy sweeping first-place finishes in sanofi-aventis sponsored biotech challenges held at national, international and regional levels over 17 days.

Seven distinguished health and science experts at the National Research Council judged 13 national finalists in coast-to-coast videoconferences yesterday, awarding top marks to Ted Paranjothy, a Grade 12 student at Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg. He won $2,000 regionally in Manitoba April 24, $5,000 today, and US$7,500 Monday in Boston for the best project at the 2007 sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge. In all, his prize total from the competition series exceeds C$15,000.

Second place ($4,000) in the Canada-wide competition was awarded to James MacLeod, 17, Grade 12, of All Saints Catholic High School, Ottawa, for a project creating new insights into HIV-AIDS, expanding on a project that won him 1st prize in last year’s national sabc.

Third prize ($3,000) went to May Li, 17, Grade 12, Sir Winston Churchill High School, Calgary, for research investigating the potential of coffee to help reverse Alzheimer’s disease.

Fourth prize ($2,000) was given to Aaron Hakim, 15, Grade 10, of Appleby College, Oakville, for his research into the complex functions of genes as related to Parkinson’s disease. Aaron’s project was also recognized by the judges as having the greatest commercialization potential, resulting in an additional prize of $1,000.

Fifth prize ($1,000) went to Lia D’abate, 15, Grade 10, of Sacred Heart School, Montreal, for her project looking into the use of stem cells to repair heart disease-damaged tissue.

Towards a gentler form of cancer treatment

Killing cancer cells without harming healthy cells is the holy grail of cancer treatment and Ted Paranjothy’s experiment has identified a promising candidate.

Medical researchers have previously shown that a protein called apoptin that comes from a chicken anemia virus has the remarkable property of causing cancer cells to die without affecting healthy cells. In last year’s competition, Paranjothy ‘deconstructed’ apoptin and determined that small fragments called peptides were responsible for the cancer-death affect.

This year he took his research further to specifically identify and determine the molecular structure of these peptides.

“The peptides may one day be a commercially available and cost-efficient therapeutic alternatives to conventional chemotherapy,” says Paranjothy.

This was technically challenging research at the molecular level requiring the use of sophisticated tools and techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance. Paranjothy found himself doing the work over and over again, constantly fine tuning his experiment to get meaningful data. “The most surprising thing I learned is that experimental failure is in itself a success because it helped me learn more.”

Living the “life of a scientist including with late-night (and sometimes overnight) experiments and sacrificing evenings, weekends and holidays,” delighted the Grade 12 student. Equally enjoyable was the opportunity to share data and experiences with the SABC judges and exchanging ideas with other students he says.

Joining the sabc and working in the lab of mentor Marek J Los (Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in New Cancer Therapy Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba) has also helped Paranjothy discover his real passion in life – medical research.

A football player and high school council president, and co-author of three articles published in professional peer-reviewed scientific journals, Paranjothy will be recognized again June 7, entering the 2007 Youth in Motion Top 20 Under 20 award and mentoring programme for young Canadians who have demonstrated significant levels of innovation, achievement and leadership.

It is the second time a Manitoba student has won the national sabc competition. In 2005, Winnipeg’s Will Turk won for research related to HIV-AIDS.

A range of cutting-edge biotech

The sanofi-aventis biotech challenge is a high-level event that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design. Each student team works with a mentor in their community, who provides expert advice and access to equipment and supplies.

Judging the 2007 competition were:

· Mr. Dupuis Angers, Chair, BioTalent Canada

· Dr. Luis Barreto, Vice President, Public Affairs, Sanofi Pasteur Limited

· Dr. David Brener, Director, Industry Programs Branch, Canadian Institutes for Health Research

· Dr. Elwyn Griffiths, Acting Director General, Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate, Health Canada

· Dr. Paul Morley, Chief Scientific Officer, Zelos Therapeutics

· Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

and

· Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President, Life Sciences, National Research Council

The national finalists, winners of sabc competitions in Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Montreal, Eastern Ontario, Greater Toronto, Southwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Calgary and British Columbia, presented judges with a range of cutting-edge biotech research.

All regional finalists this year advanced scientific knowledge about a commercial or human health problem. Two finalists from the Maritimes successfully looked for answers to problems in the potato and mussel industries; other finalists created new insights into diseases: diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, Parkinson’s, HIV-AIDS, heart disease and asthma.

In remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Jim Richards, Acting Director General, National Research Council Institute for Biological Sciences, said finalists in the competition “represent some of the brightest young scientists in Canada and I congratulate them all on their outstanding achievements. The NRC is proud to be part of this program and we look forward to future competitions.”

He thanked the competition sponsor and Sanofi Pasteur Limited President Mark Lievonen for helping foster an appreciation of science education.

In addition to announcing the name of the first place winner, Mr. Lievonen announced that, in recognition of the strong support of BioTalent Canada, the competition name in 2008 will be the sanofi-aventis BioTalent Challenge.

National finalists, from west to east:

British Columbia
Genetically engineering cells for diabetes treatment
Christina Chiu, 16, Hugh Boyd Secondary School, Vancouver

Calgary
Can coffee reverse Alzheimer’s?
May Li, 17, Sir Winston Churchill High School

Edmonton
Students show bay leaves can slow growth of cancer cells
Mustafa Babadagli, and Hazal Babadagli, both 16, Old Scona Academic High School

Saskatchewan
Turning tree bark into medicine
Xingyu Zhou, 14, Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon

Manitoba
Student closes in on new gentler cancer treatment
Ted Paranjothy, 17, Fort Richmond Collegiate, Winnipeg

Southwestern Ontario
Student engineers plant to treat diabetes, other immune disorders
David Wang, 17, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London

Greater Toronto
Student finds genes involved in Parkinson’s disease
Aaron Hakim, 15, Appleby College, Oakville

Eastern Ontario
New insight into future HIV/AIDS treatment
James MacLeod, 17, All Saints Catholic High School, Ottawa

Montreal
15-year old finds stem cells to repair heart disease damaged tissue
Lia D’abate, 15, Sacred Heart School

New Brunswick
Hunt for potato growth gene in bid to reduce pesticide use
Jennifer Randall, 18, Brent Webb, 17, Leo Hayes High School,

Nova Scotia
Student shows breast cancer drug could work for ovarian cancer
Victoria Bentley, 16, Sacred Heart School, Halifax

Prince Edward Island
Student develops genetic test to protect mussel industry
Rebecca Wolfe, Three Oaks Senior High School, Summerside

Newfoundland
A natural treatment to help asthmatics breath easier
Sarai Hamodat, 17, Holy Heart High School, St. Johns

Read about the 2007 Winners

National Competition FAQ

A Technology Platform for Growth

Biotechnology?which could be described most simply as biology plus technology?is being embraced rapidly by the world?s most advanced countries. It can be applied to many economic and social sectors, and has the potential to improve our ability to treat debilitating diseases, clean up the environment, produce new goods and services, and compete internationally. Biotechnology is positioned to have as significant an affect on Canada over the next 15 years as the Internet has had over the past 15 years. Canada must be poised to take advantage of its socio-economic potential.

While Canada has the opportunity to capitalize on biotechnology, we face a paradox: we have enjoyed a history of good performance in biotechnology thus far?as this report details?but we are not well positioned for the future. We lack focus at the national level; our commercialization record has been weak; we have a limited ability to harness risk capital; and we have a critical shortage of highly skilled talent.