UNews - Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden

New NSERC program links RNA research and industry partners

caroline.zentner — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 18:15:40 +0000

The next revolution in biotechnology will be rationally designed ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based systems, molecular machines and devices. To prepare the next generation of RNA researchers, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Université de Sherbrooke and industry collaborators have come together to offer the new RNA Innovation program. This unique partnership aims to produce highly qualified personnel with skills in advanced RNA research, scientific leadership, and industry experience.

“We are very excited about the training possibilities offered to Université de Sherbrooke and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students,” says Dr. Michelle Scott, grant co-applicant and Université de Sherbrooke professor, “These opportunities will be instrumental in helping prepare our students for future biotech jobs.”

Trainees will develop professional skills in management, leadership, communication and ethics. They will graduate with job-ready knowledge of applied and basic research and receive funding for on-site industry training and project development, while gaining access to leading industry-partner collaborations.

“We actively seek out graduates with advanced technical and professional skills, and are strong advocates for programs that help to develop those skills,” says Rory Degenhardt from Dow AgroScience and a strong supporter of the new program.

The RNA Innovation program is comprised of two key components, an entrepreneurial research and development challenge (deepYellow Challenge) and an extensive internship program (the Twinning Program).

In the deepYellow Challenge, trainees will collaborate as a team to solve a complex scientific problem proposed by the program’s industry partners. Through the Twinning Program, trainees will be matched with a specific industry internship, providing students with mentorship and personalized networking experiences. Contacts developed during this time will be extremely beneficial to the trainees for their future transition into the workforce.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is committed to upholding excellence in both research and graduate education," says Dr. Erasmus Okine, the U of L's vice-president of research. "This program will contribute to the training of high-quality personnel and effectively ensure the sustainability of Canada’s future knowledge-based economy.”

“The students engaging with RNA Innovation will be on the leading edge of RNA research and will graduate with strong connections to industry partners and the skills that they are looking to hire,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a U of L biochemistry professor who led the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) CREATE application process.

Competitive funding opportunities are available for MSc, PhD, and post-doctoral positions at this time. Interested applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in their last two years of undergraduate studies, although applicants with a lower GPA are still encouraged to apply if they have sufficient research and/or industry experience.

The program is open to Canadian and international students and the deadline to apply is April 1. More information about the program and the application process can be found at RNA Innovation.

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 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.”

UNews - Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden

New NSERC program links RNA research and industry partners

Related Topics

Celebrating the versatility of ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Related Topics

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

Related Topics