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For every insect that can damage or destroy a food crop, there can be hundreds of others that look just like it. The ability to tell them apart quickly and accurately can be worth millions of dollars. Strawberry growers in Nova Scotia trying to deal with a destructive complex of viruses carried by aphids are already benefitting from research funded through the Genomics R&D Initiative.
Supported by the Genomics R&D Initiative, federal researchers have demonstrated how a specimen collected in the 19th century can have a 21st century application, helping to identify plant pests and pathogens quickly and accurately.
With funding from the Genomics R&D Initiative, researchers at six federal departments have extracted DNA from thousands of specimens of a wide range of organisms collected over many decades. This capacity is essential to take advantage of the speed and accuracy of genomics-based testing to identify pests and pathogens that can endanger our health, safety and economy.
Research funded through the Genomics R&D Initiative has confirmed that potentially invasive species can travel to Canada via sea-borne debris.
With funding from the Genomics R&D Initiative, researchers at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have demonstrated how genomics can increase the speed and lower the cost of innovation in Canada's fruit industry, a business worth more than $900 million annually.
Funding from the Genomics R&D Initiative allowed some 50 researchers from six federal departments to work together on an unprecedented scale to enhance food safety in Canada.
As a result of the Quarantine and Invasive Species research project funded by the Genomics R&D Initiative, Canada now has the capacity to quickly and accurately identify thousands of organisms, from insects to plant viruses, which can cause billions of dollars in damages.