UNews - genomics /unews/technology/genomics en Wieden named Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair /unews/article/wieden-named-alberta-innovates-technology-futures-bioengineering-chair <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p>Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF) has named Dr. Hans Joachim Wieden as the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE) Chair of Bioengineering.</p><p>AITF&rsquo;s $2-million investment, over five years, further enables Wieden&rsquo;s 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge research team to study how biological systems can be engineered to achieve breakthroughs in materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, health and nanoscience.</p><p>&ldquo;We are proud that world-class research will be done in Lethbridge, and excited about the opportunities that it will create for Alberta students, companies and the economy,&rdquo; says Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Thomas Lukaszuk. &ldquo;Support for this work is a great example of the government&rsquo;s commitment to post-secondary research.&rdquo;</p><p>The potential for discovery in the study of synthetic biology is virtually limitless.<div class="image-caption-container right" style="width:500px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/HJWiedenChair-main.jpg" title="Dr. HJ Wieden and his research team continue to push forward, advancing the study of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology." alt=""><div class="image-caption">Dr. HJ Wieden and his research team continue to push forward, advancing the study of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology.</div></div></p><p>&ldquo;The range of societal and commercial issues we can address through the advancement of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology will only continue to expand as we go further,&rdquo; says Wieden, the newly appointed Chair and current director of the Alberta RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) at the U of L.</p><p>Synthetic biologists focus on how biological systems can be engineered to achieve a new desired outcome.</p><p>&ldquo;The U of L has identified RNA-based research as an emerging program of emphasis due to the work of several of our researchers,&rdquo; says 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research), Dr. Dan Weeks.</p><p>Wieden&rsquo;s team, for example, recently focused its research on the development of new antibiotics that may help to battle the growing resistance of disease-producing pathogens against currently used antibiotics.</p><p>The Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures funding is complemented by the recent introduction of research initiatives such as the Campus Alberta Innovation Program and the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions program, which have added to the breadth of research inquiry at the U of L.</p><p>&ldquo;The ongoing potential of Dr. Wieden&rsquo;s applied research supports our goal to grow the province&rsquo;s research and innovation environment, and expand opportunities for economic diversification,&rdquo; says Randy Goebel, Vice-President of iCORE and the Alberta Innovates Academy. &ldquo;We look forward to continuing our support of Alberta&rsquo;s leadership in bioengineering.&rdquo;</p><p>Wieden&#39;s students have also benefitted from the support of geekStarter, another AITF-funded program. geekStarter helps student teams in nanotechnology, information and communications technology and omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and regulomics) achieve breakthroughs in research and innovation.</p><p>With the support of geekStarter, some of Wieden&rsquo;s student teams have participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. They have since gone on to enter the workforce and, in at least one instance, become entrepreneurs in a related field.</p><p>&ldquo;These students have developed a new way of detecting hormones and are patenting their technology for use in agricultural and medical research,&rdquo; says Wieden. &ldquo;The importance of creating teaching opportunities through basic and applied research programs cannot be overstated.&rdquo;</p><p><strong>About Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF)</strong></p><p>Part of Alberta&rsquo;s research and innovation system, Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures is helping build healthy, sustainable businesses in the province. Through a suite of programs and services for entrepreneurs, companies, researchers, post-secondary institutions and investors, Tech Futures provides technical services and funding support to facilitate the commercialization of technologies, to develop new knowledge-based industry clusters and help encourage an entrepreneurial culture in Alberta. Through the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE), Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures attracts top talent to Alberta to create multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams building research capabilities.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-company-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Company:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/company/alberta-innovates-health-solutions" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta Innovates Health Solutions</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-industryterm-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">IndustryTerm:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/biological-systems" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">biological systems</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/industry-term/communications-technology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">communications technology</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-medicaltreatmen-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MedicalTreatment:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-treatment/antibiotics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">antibiotics</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/university-lethbridge" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/alberta-innovates-academy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta Innovates Academy</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/innovates-centre-research-excellence" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Innovates Centre of Research Excellence</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/research-and-training-institute" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Research and Training Institute</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/randy-goebel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Randy Goebel</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/thomas-lukaszuk" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Thomas Lukaszuk</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/hans-joachim-wieden-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Hans Joachim Wieden</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-position-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Position:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/deputy-premier-and-minister" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Deputy Premier and Minister</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/chair" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Chair</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/chair-and-current-director-alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Chair and current director of the Alberta</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/director-alberta-rna" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">director of the Alberta RNA</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/vice-president-icore" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Vice-President of iCORE</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/vice-president" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Vice-President</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-provinceorstate-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ProvinceOrState:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/province-or-state/alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-technology-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Technology:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/genomics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">genomics</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/technology/transcriptomics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">transcriptomics</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/proteomics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">proteomics</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/technology/communications-technology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">communications technology</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/metabolomics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">metabolomics</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Wieden named Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair" class="rdf-meta"></span> Fri, 27 Sep 2013 20:48:46 +0000 trevor.kenney 5682 at /unews Fitzpatrick earns ASTech honour /unews/article/fitzpatrick-earns-astech-honour <div class="field field-name-field-op-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="rnews:creator schema:creator"><div class="view view-openpublish-related-content view-id-openpublish_related_content view-display-id-block_1 view-dom-id-8e81e30c41bd4f291963dfabb1799f13"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="views-label views-label-title">by</span> <span class="field-content"><a href="/unews/profile/trevor-kenney">Trevor Kenney</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">December 20, 2010</span> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p>Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick the U of L's former vice-president (Research), and now a professor of <a href="http://www.uleth.ca/fas/chm" rel="nofollow">chemistry and biochemistry</a>, recently received the <a href="http://www.astech.ab.ca/" rel="nofollow">Alberta Science and Technology</a> (ASTech) award for Outstanding Contribution to the Science and Technology community.</p> <p>When Fitzpatrick arrived at the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge in 1999 as the new VP Research, he had a mandate to create nationally recognized programs. He recognized the small university had a modest research profile and a pool of good researchers. He also knew that the <a href="http://www.ucalgary.ca/" rel="nofollow">免费福利资源在线看片 of Calgary</a> and the <a href="http://www.ualberta.ca/" rel="nofollow">免费福利资源在线看片 of Alberta</a> had a long history of research that overshadowed the U of L's limited resources.</p><p><div class="image-caption-container" style="width:500px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/main/articles/fitzgerald.jpg" alt="Dennis Fitzpatrick" title="ASTech award presenter Dr. Robert Hach茅 of the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Calgary, left, presents to the U of L&amp;#039;s Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick."><div class="image-caption">ASTech award presenter Dr. Robert Hach茅 of the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Calgary, left, presents to the U of L&#039;s Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick.</div></div></p><p>"It was like opening up a corner store beside a major retail chain," says Fitzpatrick. Because the U of L was low on resources, Fitzpatrick says he had to find ways to build them.</p><p>"This was challenging in Alberta because of the province's history of funding primarily meritorious institutions," he says. "We had to find leading-edge programs to get the funding. It was like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?"</p> <p>Under Fitzpatrick's research leadership, the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge evolved into a comprehensive research and instructional university with strong ties to the provincial technology community. During the last 10 years, the university's research budget has grown from $2 million to almost $24 million in 2010.</p> <p>"The money increases the kinds of opportunities that impact the lives of people in Alberta, and especially southern Alberta," says Fitzpatrick. His 'think big and shoot high' philosophy is fundamental to the 免费福利资源在线看片's success, as is his vision to deliberately focus on developing specific areas with programs of instruction and research in tandem.</p> <p>Fitzpatrick's strategic, thematic approach was instrumental to the 免费福利资源在线看片's ability to develop expertise and become a centre of excellence in the following areas: neurosciences, water resources in semi-arid ecosystem, biotechnology, genomics biochemistry, earth imaging applications for integrated resource management and imaging technology and the study of demographics and population.</p> <p>"When we built the research infrastructure, we looked beyond the individual researcher's needs to see if we could create a toolbox to serve many people," says Fitzpatrick. "When developing resources in the emerging field of <a href="http://www.uleth.ca/fas/neur/" rel="nofollow">neuroscience</a>, the university department included <a href="http://www.uleth.ca/fas/biochem/" rel="nofollow">biochemistry</a>, <a href="http://www.uleth.ca/fas/bio/" rel="nofollow">biology</a> and behavioural sciences because the field has such a broad-based focus."</p> <p>"We didn't build only one lab, we built 10, opening up a whole new area of expertise," adds Fitzpatrick. "These are the kinds of things that pay off. People get involved in creative research partnerships that allow them to do research in better, more sophisticated ways. We're providing bright people with a whole new set of tools so they can now do remarkable research. And we're training a new generation of scientists in ways we never anticipated."</p> <p>Paramount in Fitzpatrick's mind was, and is, providing opportunities for students.</p> <p>"The primary product of research and the value of a university education is highly trained students and the opportunities it creates for them," he says. "Because of our system, the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge has become a launching pad for students to go to graduate school and on to the rest of their careers."</p> <p><em>This story originally appeared in the December issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this </em><a href="http://issuu.com/ulethbridge/docs/thelegend_december2010" rel="nofollow"><em>link</em></a><em>.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-facility-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Facility:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/facility/university-lethbridge" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/facility/university-alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Alberta</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/facility/university-calgary" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Calgary</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-industryterm-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">IndustryTerm:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/earth-imaging-applications" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">earth imaging applications</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/industry-term/integrated-resource-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">integrated resource management</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/biotechnology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">biotechnology</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/industry-term/retail-chain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">retail chain</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/provincial-technology-community" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">provincial technology community</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/university-calgary" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Calgary</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/university-lethbridge" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/university-alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Alberta</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/dennis-fitzpatrick" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Dennis Fitzpatrick</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-position-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Position:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/vp-research-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">VP research</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/vice-president" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Vice-President</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/individual-researcher" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Individual Researcher</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/professor-chemistry" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Professor of Chemistry</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-provinceorstate-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ProvinceOrState:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/province-or-state/alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-technology-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Technology:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/genomics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">genomics</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/technology/neuroscience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Neuroscience</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/biotechnology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">biotechnology</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Fitzpatrick earns ASTech honour" class="rdf-meta"></span> Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:02:48 +0000 trevor.kenney 3423 at /unews