UNews - Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute

Dr. Nehal Thakor wins coveted Blue Jacket Award

caroline.zentner — Thu, 11 May 2023 17:00:28 +0000

Dr. Nehal Thakor, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was chosen as RiboClub’s Blue Jacket Award winner. The Blue Jacket Award is RiboClub's highest recognition for service by RNA scientists to the Canadian RNA community. The award recognizes sustained and impactful contributions that have strengthened the RNA community and helped it to better achieve its goals in RNA research and education.

Dr. Nehal Thakor accepts congratulations after receiving the Blue Jacket Award.

“I feel honoured by this award and I look forward to continue serving and providing leadership to the RNA community in Canada,” says Thakor.

“As Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, I am delighted that RiboClub has celebrated Prof. Nehal Thakor for his important contributions to the field of RNA research,” says Prof. Paul Hayes. “This prestigious award also recognizes Thakor's unwavering dedication and steadfast commitment to the training of our next generation of scientists. Congratulations on a job well done!”

The Blue Jacket Award includes Thakor being appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of RiboClub and more recently, being appointed to the organizing committee of RiboClub 2024, the organization’s 25th anniversary meeting.

“Further, with my active involvement in establishing RNA Canada and RNA Alberta, we hope to accelerate the discovery and development of RNA-based technologies in the province and Canada,” says Thakor.

The Blue Jacket Award celebrates Thakor’s extraordinary service and leadership to the RNA community including the following:

Being a co-organizer for the RiboClub 2019 Annual General Meeting – which marked it’s 20^th Anniversary. He was also instrumental in obtaining Alberta Innovates funding which supported five trainees from the chemistry & biochemistry department to attend.
Contributing as a member of the Program Committee and Executive Committee of the NSERC-CREATE-funded RNA Innovation program. This national program includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Sherbrooke and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba.
Serving on the Canadian Consortium of RNA Researchers (C2R2) Management Committee and Grants Committee (national committees).

RiboClub brings ribonucleic acid (RNA) researchers together to promote the study of RNA evolution, structure and function. Through regular meetings, the exchange of ideas and sharing infrastructure, the club creates and unique atmosphere for the recruitment and development of young researchers.

U of L scientists unveil a novel molecular mechanism underlying Alzheimer’s disease

caroline.zentner — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:44:06 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge genome scientists examining molecular changes in the brain of mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease have shed light on the mechanisms involved in this complex process — one of the first stages in understanding better the molecular basis of this debilitating disease. These preliminary findings can guide the way for future studies to look for new therapeutic targets.

This significant study, led by Dr. Athan Zovoilis, a Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics, was recently published in eLife, a prestigious biomedical and life sciences journal. The study is the result of work within the recently established Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Center (SAGSC) at the U of L, as well as part of the continuing contributions of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) to the field of neurodegenerative diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of intellectual decline in the elderly population. More than 44 million people worldwide currently suffer from AD or related dementia and costs related to AD exceed $12 billion in Canada alone. Although some drugs may improve AD symptoms temporarily, no cure or reliable early indicator of increased risk currently exists. This is largely due to the fact that the molecular process underlying the excessive death of brain cells of AD patients is unclear and this is reflected by the current lack of comprehensive molecular diagnostic biomarkers and treatments for AD. Zovoilis and his team, funded by the Alberta Prion Research Institute and the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, has approached these unresolved questions from a new perspective looking at a set of biomolecules called SINE non-coding RNAs.

Graduate students play an important role in Zovoilis's research into Alzheimer's disease. Bottom row, left to right, are Luke Saville, Chris Isaac and Yubo Cheng. Top row, left to right, are Travis Haight, Cody Turner and Liam Mitchell.

Often referred as the “dark matter” of our genome and DNA, SINE non-coding RNAs have recently been discovered to be important players in physiological functions of cells and, thus, critical components of disease mechanisms. Now, Zovoilis’ team, in collaboration with Dr. Majid Mohajerani and his team, shows these biomolecules are connected with a neurodegenerative disease such Alzheimer’s disease.

“These RNA biomolecules are integral parts of the function of healthy brain cells and are modified as a response to adverse conditions to help our cells survive,” says Zovoilis. “However, in AD, SINE non-coding RNAs become over-responsive, creating a vicious circle that, instead of protecting the human brain, finally leads to death of brain cells. Finding a way to bypass this vicious circle is vital for finding ways to delay or even prevent the development of the disease. These findings constitute one more step in this direction”.

The success of this study is based on the application of novel genomics technologies, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the province of Alberta, that can read all the pages of the DNA “book” in a matter of hours. Sophisticated computational bioinformatics were used to take a closer look at the complex architecture of the information stored in DNA and its SINE non-coding parts.

The study involved collaborations with other SAGSC members, such as Dr. Nehal Thakor, members of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute and support from the Alberta Bioinformatics Network (BioNet Alberta), a new Genome Alberta and Genome Canada network established by the U of L, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

“Our results have revealed the broad role of SINE RNAs in molecular pathology in the brain and this has significant implications for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease,” says Zovoilis.

Zovoilis and his team are now investigating the impact of their finding in patients with Alzheimer’s disease in a study also funded by the Alberta Prion Research Institute and the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.

U of L’s computing capabilities to expand through NSERC grant

caroline.zentner — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 15:30:49 +0000

New computing infrastructure will support the world-class research being done at several centres at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, including the Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Centre (SAGSC), the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT) and the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI).

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program is providing nearly $147,000 to support the expansion.

“This infrastructure increases our high-performance computing capabilities and supports our research in bioinformatics, genomics, machine learning, neuroscience and computational chemistry,” says Dr. Athan Zovoilis, a Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and director of SAGSC. “It will also benefit BioNet Alberta, the bioinformatics network in Alberta, which includes the three major Alberta universities and is led by the U of L’s SAGSC.”

“With this funding, we will be able to replace our aging graphics processing unit (GPU) nodes,” says Dr. Stacey Wetmore, a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry with expertise in computational chemistry. “This new GPU cluster will enable both our teams to perform complex calculations very quickly, meaning we can tackle important problems related to health and disease. U of L students will also have the opportunity to be trained on state-of-the-art equipment.”

Grant to enable purchase of state-of-the-art biophysical research equipment

caroline.zentner — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 17:14:36 +0000

Thanks to funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, researchers will soon have access to a suite of equipment that will help them unravel the key communication events in biomolecules.

“The Biomolecular Characterization Suite or BCS will provide us with cutting-edge infrastructure needed for the quality control analysis of a variety of biomolecules and their complexes,” says Dr. Trushar Patel, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “This is essential for the structural biophysical studies we conduct at the U of L.”

The BCS is comprised of four pieces of equipment that work together to give researchers information about the biomolecule’s size, shape, concentration and how they are bound together.

“As researchers, we need to make sure our molecules are really of good quality,” says Patel. “This cluster of instruments will give us the needed quality assurance of biomolecules and their complexes.”

The BCS will be useful to the U of L team of applicants from the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), including Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, who works with bacterial proteins for use in his research into antibiotic resistance; Dr. Ute Kothe, who works with yeast proteins; Dr. Tony Russell, who conducts research on the giardia parasite, and Dr. Borries Demeler, who works with biopolymers and nanoparticles.

“This equipment array could be used to make sure we have the right materials for research into drug use and understanding conformations when proteins are bound with nucleic acids,” says Patel. “For example, we need to determine high-resolution structures of proteins for target drug discovery and we can only determine the structures if we have the right quality of protein and this machine will tell us that.”

The addition of these instruments to the U of L’s existing infrastructure will not only attract scientists, but will provide students with valuable hands-on training opportunities.

“Students at the U of L can now get experience with the same biophysical infrastructure that’s available at other highly ranked universities,” Patel says. “Students will receive interdisciplinary training and access to sophisticated equipment that can help them secure high-value jobs in the future.”

The NSERC RTI program has provided $150,000 in support of the acquisition of BCS components.

SynBridge hosts province-wide iGEM skills workshop

caroline.zentner — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 17:44:51 +0000

The 2019 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) season launched at the beginning of March with the annual geekStarter Wet Lab Skills workshop hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s own SynBridge Maker Space.

The geekStarter Wet Lab Skills workshop gave high school students the opportunity to learn about techniques used in a synthetic biology lab.

Led by Dr. Laura Keffer-Wilkes (MSc '12, PhD '16), teams from Lethbridge, Canmore, Calgary and High River got to experience hands-on synthetic biology lab techniques. Concurrent seminars introduced teams to wiki coding, ethics in science and iGEM basics. Nicole Meurs, Science Facilities Manager, led the students on a tour of the new Science and Academic Building, which was a huge hit with participants.

“I’m really excited about the upcoming season and seeing all the enthusiasm from the students,” says Sydnee Calhoun, adviser for the Lethbridge High School team, who led sessions on scientific research, writing and an introduction to iGEM.

The teams will meet again in the spring and summer for additional iGEM events. In the meantime, the Lethbridge team is looking forward to working hard on their project. The Lethbridge high school team is comprised of students from Winston Churchill High School, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Chinook High School and Catholic Central High School.

You can review the 2018 projects and accomplishments of the university and high school teams on their wiki websites they have created. Also, follow the high school team’s progress on social media: @LethHS_iGEM and @lethbridgehsiGEM. The U of L team can be followed here: @LethbridgeiGEM and @LethbridgeiGEM.

Sponsors of the Lethbridge team include ARRTI, IDT, Bio Basic Inc, Eldorado RV, Dr. Dennis Connolly, Casa, Alberta Innovates, Mindfuel, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, geekStarter, SynBridge, Geneious, Agility and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union.

ABOUT iGEM

iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, is the largest synthetic biology community and the premiere synthetic biology competition for both university and high school level students. iGEM inspires learning and innovation in synthetic biology through education, competition and by maintaining an open library of standard biological parts, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.

Combining molecular biology techniques with engineering concepts, students work in interdisciplinary team to create novel biological systems. At the beginning of the competition season, each registered team is given a kit of 1000+ standard interchangeable parts called BioBricks from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools, teams use these parts and new parts of their own design to build, test, and characterize genetically engineered systems and operate them in living cells in an effort to address real-world issues. Along with submitting their newly created BioBricks to the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, teams are required to actively consider the safety implications of their work and document their projects on team wiki pages. At the end of the competition season, teams converge at the Jamboree event to showcase their research. Teams present their work through posters and oral presentations, and compete for prizes and awards, such as the coveted BioBrick trophy.

For more information about iGEM, visit their website.

ABOUT SynBridge:

SynBridge Maker Space is part of the experiential learning ecosystem at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Overseen and operated by the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), SynBridge provides access to infrastructure that otherwise would not be available to interested students, graduates, post-doctorate researchers and faculty to explore their creativity and ideas. This one-of-a-kind facility is particularly important for nascent entrepreneurial bio-engineers and business-minded scientists, reducing the often insurmountable start-up costs. SynBridge also engages with our local community through support of iGEM teams and DIYBio groups.

For more information on SynBridge, visit our website.

About geekStarter:

Let students team up and tackle real-world problems, and they will move mountains. It’s that kind of opportunity that edacity’s geekStarter program provides. Our program engages students in finding and solving real-world challenges, and building solutions based in emerging Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The project-based learning experience encourages entrepreneurial thinking and includes hands-on workshops and skill building events. Our program supports teams’ participation in prestigious competitions where students can share their real-world projects with other young scientists and entrepreneurs, as well as with leaders in STEM. Through emphasis on multi-media presentations and networking, these events provide students with opportunities to celebrate their successes and build a community of peers across Alberta and the world.

For more information on geekStarter, visit their website.

Celebrating the versatility of ribonucleic acid (RNA)

caroline.zentner — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:51:26 +0000

Wednesday, Aug. 1 marks the first ever annual RNA Day, a celebration of the vital biological molecule, ribonucleic acid. RNA is a close relative of the commonly known molecule, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), and they, along with protein, are the three major biological molecules required for life.

Students at the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge heard the call for an RNA Day celebration and they stepped up to host several activities in the community. They will be at the Downtown Lethbridge Farmers Market on Wednesday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with fun kids’ activities, such as colouring and word searches, and the chance to talk to an RNA scientist.

Dr. H-J Wieden, bottom centre, works with students in the lab.

"I hope RNA Day shows the public more about research and how members of the scientific community are using RNA to try and better the lives of people, in a wide range of applications from medicine to agriculture," says Sydnee Calhoun, a fourth-year undergraduate studying biochemistry. "Since this is the first RNA Day, I hope we continue to build on this event for many years to come."

"I feel as though RNA Day is a great stepping stone towards making RNA knowledge mainstream,” says Jessica Semmelrock, another fourth-year biochemistry student. “I'm looking forward to the circulation of this knowledge, which I hope will bring the general public closer to the exciting research that is going on around them."

In addition to this free public outreach activity, ARRTI will also be hosting a livestream of a scientific lecture. The RNA Society and the organizers of the Ribosome Synthesis Conference have arranged for the keynote lecture by Dr. Ed Hurt (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Heidelberg) to be shared live with the international RNA community. The talk is titled “Insights into the mechanism of eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis” and will be viewable at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, in room C640 of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall.

“RNA will play a critical role in the new age of biotechnology — the rational design and engineering of biomolecular-based systems and molecular machines,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, the founding director of ARRTI. “The role of RNA in new and upcoming disruptive technology has been foreshadowed by the recent commercial successes of the CRISPR gene-editing platform and the emergence of RNA-based therapeutics and pesticides.”

An artist's rendition of an RNA strand

The field of RNA research has been expanding ever since it was identified as a molecule unique from DNA in the 1930s. Since 1957, there have been 31 Nobel Prizes for RNA Biology, with nine Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and 22 in Physiology or Medicine. In 1993, the RNA Society was formed to facilitate sharing and dissemination of experimental results and emerging concepts in RNA research. The RNA Society is a non-profit, international scientific society with more than 1,800 members. It hosts a peer-reviewed scientific journal (RNA), an annual scientific conference and is responsible for the declaration of Aug. 1 as RNA Day.

At the U of L, RNA research is flourishing within the ARRTI, with eight research groups and more than 100 trainees working on problems related to cancer, antibiotics, viral infections and agriculture.

“Many of the most-deadly viruses in the world have an RNA genome,” explains Tyler Mrozowich, a master’s student in the lab of Dr. Trushar Patel. “The study of this exceptional molecule will help us understand these viruses, and ultimately, help us combat the diseases they cause.”

“For me, the greatest outcome of RNA research is the development of RNA therapeutics,” says Chris Lindgren, another master’s student in the Patel lab. “To see someone’s face when they learn that they have been cured of a disease would make all the long days in the lab and the sleepless nights worthwhile.”

The significance of RNA research for the future of Canadians was recently endorsed by a $1.65-million training grant, jointly held by the U of L and the Université de Sherbrooke. The grant will allow these leading RNA-research institutions to develop the RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) to train job-ready leaders and innovators in the field of biotechnology.

U of L computational chemistry students build international networks

caroline.zentner — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 17:44:34 +0000

Two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge doctoral students have built international connections early in their careers, thanks to Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (MSFSS) from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Katie Wilson (BSc ’13), who spent three months at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Porto in Portugal, and Stefan Lenz (BSc ’13), who spent three months at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rhode Island, are being supervised by Dr. Stacey Wetmore, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. They are in the process of finishing the requirements for their PhDs in computational chemistry, a field that employs computers to help solve chemistry problems.

“It was amazing,” Wilson says of her time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Porto. “I wanted to learn new techniques to model biological systems and Dr. Wetmore is connected to Dr. Maria João Ramos’ group in Porto, so I went there to learn the methods they are using. For any scientific advancement, you need that collaboration in order to go forward.”

Lenz went to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Rhode Island to work with Dr. Deyu Li, an experimental expert in the field of DNA repair. Lenz had the opportunity to learn experimental techniques used to study DNA repair.

“Computational chemistry can’t solve all of the problems and, by the same token, experiments can’t provide all of the insights we’d like either,” says Lenz. “It’s often a dual-headed approach that yields the best results, so establishing a consistent collaboration between a computational lab and an experimental lab can be extremely valuable.”

“An incredible part of a young researcher’s education is exposure to new environments and ways of thinking,” says Wetmore. “Nothing can replace the experience of being immersed in a collaboration between innovative researchers with vibrant and productive research programs. Katie and Stefan have enhanced their graduate education by securing funding from the MSFSS program in order to take advantage of this important opportunity.”

Wilson, who is from Canmore, and Lenz, who is from Coaldale, came to the U of L with very different goals from those they are now pursuing. Wilson had set her sights on becoming a teacher while Lenz wanted to study medicine.

“That was before I realized I couldn’t deal with blood or the hospital atmosphere,” he says, adding he became aware of Wetmore’s work through a tour of her lab. “I really liked the idea of studying DNA and the processes that involve DNA.”

Wilson altered her path when she found she enjoyed her science courses so much so that she only wanted to keep building her knowledge.

“I didn’t want to stop learning; I wanted to be able to apply it more in-depth than if I were to get an education degree,” she says. “I got involved in the co-op program during my undergrad to get a research-related job in the summer. There was a job posting to work with Stacey and understanding how DNA damage affects the body interests me, so I worked in her lab that summer and stayed.”

Wilson studies how damaged DNA is replicated in the body. Repair proteins aren’t perfect and they sometimes miss damaged sites. These damaged sites may be replicated and that can introduce further damage into the DNA that can lead to long-term health effects. Since her return from Portugal, she’s shared what she learned with other students in Wetmore’s lab, which is part of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) and the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT).

Lenz focuses on DNA repair mechanisms. Several repair pathways exist and they use proteins that catalyze chemical reactions or enzymes to search and reverse the damage caused by the things we encounter on a daily basis, oxygen being the most common. Cancer drugs can also damage DNA and Lenz works to find out how repair proteins work, with the hope of synthesizing new drugs to enhance cancer treatment in the future.

Wilson and Lenz were eligible for the Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements because of their NSERC scholarships. Wilson is a Vanier scholar and Lenz was awarded the Alexander Graham Bell Canadian Graduate Scholarship.

“Studying abroad allows you to build connections and collaborations with other researchers, which are always going to be useful when going on in science,” Wilson says. “It’s a huge benefit to my future, and just getting exposed to a different research environment and being able to adapt allows me to be strengthened as a researcher.”

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been great,” adds Lenz. “The U of L has been incredibly generous with computer and monetary resources, and mentorship. Stacey, and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as a whole, have provided valuable insight and direction into my thesis and guided my career path.”

Lenz and Wilson are also grateful to have received scholarships from the U of L and Alberta Innovates-Technologies Futures.

U of L iGEM teams succeed at provincial competition and prepare for Giant Jamboree

caroline.zentner — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 20:05:51 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) collegiate and high school teams are readying for November’s Giant Jamboree after they came away with awards and cash prizes at the recent annual aGEM (Alberta Genetically Engineered Machine) competitionin Edmonton.

“aGEM showcases the high calibre projects that come from Alberta and prepares students for the international Giant Jamboree in Boston,” says Taylor Sheahan, a team advisor and doctoral student in biomolecular sciences at the U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute. “It is incredibly beneficial to receive feedback from experts in the field, which helps improve our project prior to the iGEM competition.”

Members of this year's U of L high school iGEM team include (back row, L-R) Kyle Bodell, Erin Kelly, Sydnee Calhoun, Autumn Schmidt; (middle row L-R) Haroon Ahmed, Denysse Garcia, Nimaya DeSilva, Stephanie Dang, Kelly Situ; (front row L-R) Allison Leam, Chaeli Cowan and Halla Wagner. Missing are Candace Chan and Ross Oliver.

The U of L Collegiate iGEM team project involves developing a synthetic biology tool that can be widely used by a variety of people, from educators teaching the basic concepts of protein production, to hobbyists tinkering in the field, to scientists performing state-of-the-art research. The tool, which includes all the necessary biomachinery for safely producing proteins outside of a living cell, is a simplified version of the protein production machinery found in all living cells. Researchers will be able to use the tool to test their hypotheses, while students will learn the basic principles of protein production and hobbyist synthetic biologists can explore their ideas.

They presented their work to a panel of judges at the provincial competition and won $4,000 to help subsidize travel costs for the team to attend the Giant Jamboree in Boston, Massachusetts. They were also presented with the Stewardship Award for addressing the biosecurity risks associated with the project. In addition, the team has secured $8,000 in funding from the U of L Students’ Union Quality Initiative Program. The funding will be used for travel costs for sending undergraduate students to Boston.

The Lethbridge High School iGEM team was presented with an Aspiring Entrepreneurship Award and $4,000 to assist with costs of travelling to Boston for the Giant Jamboree. The team is using synthetic biology methods to produce biological pigments in bacteria, with the overall goal of incorporating these pigments into environmentally friendly inks for printers.

Students from universities around the world compete in Boston at the end of November to share their work in hopes of further advancing the field of synthetic biology.

“iGEM encourages students to apply their knowledge and creativity to a real-world problem, and we support them as they work towards a solution,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a Chemistry and Biochemistry professor, iGEM faculty supervisor and Alberta Innovates Strategic Chair in RNA Bioengineering. “Competitions like aGEM give them a chance to communicate their ideas to experts in the field and rewards them for their efforts, while providing transferrable skills that integrate into the bigger picture.”

U of L announces Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis as its newest Canada Research Chair

caroline.zentner — Tue, 16 May 2017 16:17:16 +0000

The federal government has named Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, a Tier II Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science, recently announced $125.9 million in funding for 142 chairholders. Along with the Canada Research Chairs, Duncan introduced a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to address the lack of diversity among Canada Research Chairs.

“Our government is committed to promoting equity and diversity within the sciences. We need to work harder to ensure that talented researchers have the opportunity to advance. The announcement of the action plan is an important step towards a more inclusive, open and diverse research environment in Canada,” says Duncan.

In addition to $500,000 in funding through the Canada Research Chair program, Zovoilis will receive more than $53,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund for laboratory tools and equipment.

Dr. Athan Zovoilis is the U of L's latest Canada Research Chair.

Zovoilis, a bioinformatician and genomicist, came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from Boston’s Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to establish and pursue a research program aimed at developing personalized treatments for diseases like cancer and dementia. Zovoilis joined the U of L's Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), a research centre devoted to RNA research. During the last 10 years, the U of L has made a significant investment in the fast-developing field of RNA research by establishing ARRTI and attracting world-class scientists that develop cutting-edge research in understanding how RNA applications can support human health and biotechnology innovation.

“It was not a very difficult decision, I have to say,” says Zovoilis. “Having lived in Canada before, I know there’s support for science, for families and for integrating people to the society. It makes the perfect combination.”

Originally from Greece, Zovoilis began medical studies in his homeland and completed them in Germany. After witnessing the impact of diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer on members of his community, he knew he wanted a career where he could help people.

“I didn’t like this feeling of helplessness. That was one of the things that motivated me to go to medical school,” he says.

While in medical school, molecular biology captured his interest. The Human Genome Project was underway at the time and the research possibilities it presented were captivating.

“A new era was starting and I decided to specialize in it,” says Zovoilis. “I was convinced that if we want to fight Alzheimer’s and cancer we have to understand what’s happening at the molecular level in our cells. If we understand the basic mechanisms that underlie these diseases then we will be able to fight them more efficiently.”

He pursued a doctorate in molecular genetics and began working with breast cancer patients, looking for mutations in genes known to cause cancer. Studying only two out of tens of thousands of genes, coupled with the limitations of DNA sequencers, meant progress was slow. However, technological advances soon led to much faster DNA sequencing and produced larger amounts of data. Zovoilis determined to get training in bioinformatics, a new discipline that provides the computer programs that can read and analyze the data produced by modern sequencers. He went to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manchester in England to take further training and then joined the bioinformatics group at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, an organization at the forefront of personalized medicine in Canada. There he joined other scientists who were interested in analyzing noncoding sections of the genome, or what was once known as junk DNA.

Because it was at the forefront of analyzing noncoding sections of a genome, Zovoilis then went to Harvard as a research fellow. His research there, recently published in the journal Cell, the top journal in molecular biosciences, revealed a connection between these noncoding sections of the genome and cancer. Now at the U of L, Zovoilis will continue this work with the eventual goal of bringing testing to everyday clinical practice.

“In this lab, we specialize in reading the book of life and we use this information to provide personalized medicine opportunities for patients in the near future,” says Zovoilis.

Such an approach is not as widely available in Canada as it is in the United States or through the Genome Science Centre in British Columbia but he hopes to launch a similar project in Alberta.

“We intend to find partners in this initiative,” says Zovoilis. “It has to be a pan-provincial initiative but southern Alberta can be part of this.”

Zovoilis adds that a personalized approach doesn’t perform miracles but many studies have shown that targeted therapies can help and genomics is the main tool to find them.

“I wanted to come back to Canada,” he says. “Canadians are very open minded and there has been, in recent years, significant investment in research. It is not advertised a lot but, especially here in Alberta, universities have improved substantially their capabilities. They have expanded their programs. I see a huge potential, especially at the U of L. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to come here.”

Prestigious RNA research conference coming to U of L

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 15:16:36 +0000

Leading investigators in the emerging field of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) research – including a Gairdner Foundation International Award recipient – are gathering at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, June 18-21, 2014, for one of Canada’s most prestigious conferences.

Gairdner Award winner, Dr. Joan Steitz, will give the conference's keynote address on Wednesday, June 18.

RiboWest 2014, now in its 10th year, is attracting experts in one of the fastest growing fields in the life sciences. With implications for many diseases, our understanding of evolution, as well as biotechnological applications, RNA research has enormous economic potential.

The U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) is hosting the conference, which will take place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Lethbridge campus and includes sessions in Waterton.

“The RNA research field has moved dramatically over the past decade,” says Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, a conference organizer and member of ARRTI. “RNA research touches so many vital areas related to quality of life including health, agriculture and environment. Every two or three years an RNA researcher is winning a Nobel prize.”

RNA is a key molecule that impacts health (including human health) and is vital for living beings. RNA takes the genetic information found within DNA and kick-starts essential functions (like creating proteins) at the cellular level.

The conference is expected to attract 100 to 150 researchers and students – including 40 principal researchers.

One of the highlights of the conference will be a keynote presentation by Gairdner award winner Dr. Joan Steitz (Wednesday, June 18, 3:10 p.m. in PE275) – a Yale researcher who is a pioneer in the RNA field. Dr. Steitz’s presentation is open to the public.

While the RNA research field is making a global impact, the U of L is being recognized as a centre of excellence in Western Canada and beyond. ARRTI, established in 2012 to facilitate RNA research and training excellence at the U of L, has reflected the institution’s maturation in the field. Additionally, the U of L was recently awarded the Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair (ARRTI Director Dr. H.J. Wieden) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is currently using a Campus Alberta Innovation Program Chair to recruit additional expertise to the ARRTI membership. U of L students, through the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, have excelled on the world stage with RNA projects.

Dr. Stephen Rader organized the first RiboWest Conference in 2005 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C. Since 2008, the annual conference alternates between Prince George and Lethbridge.

For more information, visit the RiboWest 2014 website.

UNews - Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute

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