The University of Guelph’s Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO) is among an elite group of Canadian “big science” enterprises that received funding today from a prestigious national program.
BIO was awarded $2.15 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Major Science Initiatives (MSI) program, which funds world-class research efforts too large or complex to be funded by a single agency.
“We are providing support to some of Canada’s most promising national research facilities,” said Ed Holder, minister of state (science and technology) in making the announcement in Quebec City.
MIS funding covers infrastructure and operating costs; BIO was one of nine projects nationwide to receive inaugural funding.
“Being included among Canada’s cream-of-the-crop research efforts is an indicator of the high impact and reputation BIO has across the country and internationally,” said John Livernois, U of G’s interim vice-president (research).
“It’s also fitting recognition and support for this unique facility; DNA barcoding is revolutionizing how species are identified and recorded, and how we look at life on our planet.”
More than 100 scientists, technicians, informaticians and 30 graduate students work at BIO. It’s the global headquarters for discovering, identifying and cataloguing species worldwide using DNA barcoding technology through its role in co-ordinating the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project, which involves more than 1,000 researchers in 25 countries.
First proposed by Guelph integrative biologist Paul Hebert, DNA barcoding allows researchers to identify animal and plant species using short, standardized regions of genetic material. The method is effective for all life stages and allows biologists to rapidly identify species from a snippet of tissue.
“My colleagues and I are very grateful for this support from CFI’s Major Science Initiatives program,” said Hebert. He serves as BIO’s Director and iBOL Scientific Director, and holds a Canada Research Chair in molecular biodiversity.
“This award is a strong endorsement of BIO’s efforts to better understand and protect the millions of species that share our planet.”
Many of those species are threatened with extinction, Hebert said. “Efforts to reverse this trend are hampered by huge gaps in our knowledge about the distribution and diversity of life. We’re determined to reverse this trend by providing the information needed to manage and protect biodiversity on a planetary scale.”
BIO also houses the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics and hosts the secretariat for iBOL, where researchers are developing a DNA “barcode library” and informatics tools and technologies. The growing library has helped scientists collect and classify species, and now stores more than 3.5 million barcode records. It has already led to the discovery of hundreds of overlooked species of birds, bats, butterflies, fishes and marine algae.
DNA barcoding is also used to trace food contaminants and to identify mislabelled food and other products, helping to alleviate consumer fears. It’s also improving pest and disease control and regulation of international trade and markets.
In the past decade, the project has received tens of millions of dollars from CFI, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Genome Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the International Development and Research Centre. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has also donated more than $4.5 million, including one of the largest privately funded research awards for a single U of G faculty member.