Greater Toronto Area
The Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge for the Greater Toronto region is coordinated by the Bioscience Education Canada. 
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The 2010 Biotechnology Initiative Lectures and Merck Frosst “Exploring Minds” Workshops
Once again, the TBI Explore Biotechnology lectures and Merck Frosst Exploring Minds workshops, held concurrently with the SABC competition, will be available free of charge, to high school classes accompanied by their teachers. The lectures and workshops are made available by the generous sponsorship of The Biotechnology Initiative and Merck Frosst respectively.
The TBI Lecture Series and Merck Frost” Exploring Minds” Workshops take place at York University on Tuesday April 6th and Wednesday April 7th, 2010. Venues include the Accolade West Building, and the Research Tower. The Merck Frosst Workshops take place in Room 280, York Lanes, adjacent to the York Research Tower.
Registration for these lectures must be done through the Bioscience Education Canada office at at 416-640-0206 – Email. We ask that you try to book your classes for two lectures and a workshop.
Program and Session Descriptors (pdf)
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SABC 2010 Toronto Competition Dates
The SABC 2010 Competition for the Toronto region will be held on April 6th and 7th, 2010 at York University. The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of April 8th, 2010 in the Collaboration Auditorium of MaRS.
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Winning projects in the Greater Toronto Regional 2009 SABC
Ground-breaking research by three Grade 12 students from St. Elizabeth Catholic High School has earned the first place prize in the 2009 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC) in the Greater Toronto region.
“High Frequency Ultrasound Analysis of Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells in Vitro”
Alessandro Caroti, Ellie Shuo Jin, and Hans Tee
St. Elizabeth Catholic High School
The students’ research demonstrated that high frequency ultrasound could be used to test the effectiveness of a cancer therapy drug by detecting cell death in leukemia cells. This would be a relatively quick, non-invasive diagnostic technique enabling doctors to alter the drug type and/or concentration to provide more effective treatment and minimize side effects.
2nd place:
“Characterization of Oseltamivir Resistant Isolates of Influenza A H1N1”
Giulia Pizzuto, Amanda Carroccia, Giordana Cortese, Maurice Pasternak
St. Elizabeth Catholic High School
This project involved the genetic analysis of strains of flu that were prevalent in 2008 and how they were related to drug resistance. These observations could be used to predict areas within the viral genome that provide a greater ability of a virus to be resistant to the anti-viral drug, oseltamivir.
3rd place:
“Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells for Waste Treatment and Electricity Generation’
Juliana Xie,
Earl Haig Secondary School, North York
Juliana’s research investigated ways of using sediment microbial fuel cells to treat organic waste and produce electricity as a byproduct. This technology has the potential to provide a clean source of energy from waste products. The highlight of this project was the simplicity of the materials needed to make the fuel cell.
In addition, Juliana’s project was awarded the prize for having the Greatest Commercialization Potential.
4th place:
“Determining the Function of Gli2 and Gli3 Transcription Factors During Renal Morphogenesis”
Fiona Haxho,
Northern Secondary School
This project investigated the role of two special proteins in kidney development and how they interact with one another. This work related to common human renal disorders and is important in determining the process of proper kidney development.
5th place:
“Benzimidazole-638’s Effects on ß – Tubulin Sequence and Its Applications in Cancer Treatment”
Iman Ashali, Jonathan Boss and Ashley Di Meo,
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School
The project researched of the potential effects of using an obsolete pharmaceutical drug in the treatment of cancer. The research showed that this drug affected the ability of a wide variety of cancerous cells to divide and has potential to be a candidate for future clinical trials.
The prize for the “Best Project From a School New to The Competition” was awarded to Tessa Karunakaran, l’école secondaire catholique Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel, Thornhill.
“Effect of Hormones on Angiogenesis”
Her project involved the investigation of epinephrine, a hormone produced during stress on angiogenesis, which is the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones.
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THE 2009 BIOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE LECTURES and MERCK FROSST “EXPLORING MINDS WORKSHOPS”
Once again, Bioscience Education Canada is collaborating with the faculty of the School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry, Seneca College to offer free biotechnology lectures and workshops for high school students in the Greater Toronto Area. The lectures and workshops are made available by the generous sponsorship of The Biotechnology Initiative and Merck Frosst respectively.
This year’s events are being held on April 14th and 15th in the Macleod Auditorium and the Stone Lobby of the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8.
The lectures and workshops will be available free of charge, to high school classes accompanied by their teachers. Registration for the lectures and workshops must be done through the Bioscience Education Canada office at 416-673-8471 (info@bioscienceeducation.ca) and will be on a first to register basis. (Seating capacity in the auditorium for lectures is 500. Space in the workshops is limited to 90 per session.)
Lecture and Workshop Program
Mailing address:
c/o Regional SABC Coordinator
Bioscience Education Canada
700 Bay Street, Suite 2303, PO Box 167
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z6
T & F: 416-640-0206
bioscienceeducation.ca
For further information, contact the Toronto Regional Coordinator, Tony Legault, at tony.legault@bioscienceeducation.ca
You can find the required headings for the 1200 word body of your proposal by looking at the “Students & Teachers” link on the sidebar and then click on “Proposal Development”.
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The 2008 SABC
The SABC 2008 Toronto Competition was held at Seneca@York on April 29 & 30. The results were announced at the Awards Ceremony at MaRS on the evening of May 1st.
Winners of the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2008 (Greater Toronto Region)
First Prize ($2500 cash + $2500 scholarship to one of our sponsoring academic institutions: Ryerson University, Seneca College, York University or the University of Toronto as well as opportunity for summer employment at Sanofi Pasteur Ltd)
“Identification of genes responsible for Arabidopsis root growth and survival under saline conditions” Jonathan Schneider, Josh Alman and Norman Yau, University of Toronto Schools
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Second prize ($2000 cash)
“Analysis of muscarinic acetylcholine (M4) G-protein coupled receptor’s protein-protein interaction using Split-Ubiquitin Membrane Yeast Two-Hybrid (MYTH) System”
Laura Forrest, Vanessa Lum, Carline Quach and Christina Hwang
Saint Elizabeth Catholic High School
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Third prize ($1500 cash)
“Effects of dispersin B on the effectiveness of the lysis of Staphylococcus epidermidis by Phage K”
Robert Bai, Jeffrey Ho, Wilson Wai, Denise Wong
University of Toronto Schools
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Fourth prize ($1250 cash)
“The effects of Celecoxib on angiogenic migration of skeletal muscle endothelial cells”
Katerina Pizzuto and Alyssa Cantarutti
Saint Elizabeth Catholic High School
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Fifth prize ($1000 cash)
“Studying the Effects of the pH level on Protein Activity, Inhibition and Structure”
Anton Dobrin
Northern Secondary School
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Greatest Commercial Potential ($1000 cash)
“Identification of genes responsible for Arabidopsis root growth and survival under saline conditions”
Jonathan Schneider, Josh Alman and Norman Yau
University of Toronto Schools
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Best project from a school that is new to the competition ($500 cash)
“An alternative to the use of artificial growth hormones and steroids in the agricultural industry: The use of brassinolide to increase the growth rate and yield of mung bean plants without chemical alteration”
Vinodh Rodrigues, Marlo Mallari Jr. and Bernice Cruz
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School
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Winners of the Sanofi-Aventis Biotechnology Challenge 2007 (Greater Toronto Region)
First Prize ($2500 cash $2500 scholarship to Ryerson University, York University or the University of Toronto).
Aaron Hakim, Appleby College, Oakville
Gene Expression In Parkinson’s Disease: Genes mediating alpha-synuclein toxicity in a Drosophila model
Best project from a school that is new to the competition ($500 cash)
Aaron Hakim, Appleby College, Oakville
Gene Expression In Parkinson’s Disease: Genes mediating a-synuclein toxicity in a Drosophila model
Second prize ($2000 cash)
Michael Kapps, Thornhill Secondary School
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of ethanol-induced developmental toxicity
Third prize ($1500 cash)
Jashley Astilla and Jackie Fromme, Francis Libermann Catholic High School
Caffeine Triggers p53-dependent apoptosis in neuroblastoma cancer cells.
Fourth prize ($1250 cash)
Katerina Pizzuto, Alyssa Cantarutti, Alyssa Terminesi and Cassandra Mendonca, Saint Elizabeth Catholic High School
Effects of Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) Inhibitors on lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis
Fifth prize ($1000 cash)
Tracy Chen and Eileen Ju, Northern S.S.
Immune System of Plants: Pathogen resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana
Greatest Commercial Potential ($1000 cash)
Tracy Chen and Eileen Ju, Northern S.S.
Immune System of Plants: Pathogen resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana
SABC 2007 Toronto Prize Winners
Back Row (Left to Right), Mike Kapps (2nd Place), Jashley Astilla and Jackie Fromme (3rd Place), Eileen Ju and Tracy Chen (5th Place and Project with the Greatest Commercialization Potential), Katerina Katerina, Alyssa Terminesi, Alyssa Cantarutti and Cassandra Mendonca (4th Place )
Front: Aaron Hakim, (1st Place and Best Project from a School that is New to the SABC Competition)