Concordia University To Construct New Building For Genomics Research

Main Category: Genetics
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 17 Oct 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Judith Woodsworth, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University is pleased to announce the construction of a new building for the Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics (CSFG). The Centre will be built thanks to a grant of $29,345,427 from the Federal and Provincial Governments through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

The Genomics Centre will house cutting-edge biotechnology and bioinformatics laboratories for interdisciplinary research in genomics and systems biology. In addition to advanced research in cellular and molecular sciences, the Centre supports fundamental and applied research in crop improvement and sustainable biotechnology. Current large-scale projects in biomass conversion, cellulosic biofuels, alternative energy sources and bioproducts aim to develop new cost-effective and environmentally-benign biotechnologies to help secure Canada's future bioeconomy that will be grounded on sustainable development principles.

"This new investment in genomics is another example of Concordia University's ongoing response to the environmental challenges of today through the development of innovative new technologies", says Woodsworth. "This latest recognition and funding of our genomics research further reinforces Concordia University's leadership in the field of environmental genomics and will attract top researchers from around the world."

The plan is to expand the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex on the Loyola Campus (7141 Sherbrooke St. West). The Genomics Centre would then be housed in a new wing, measuring 5,400 m2. The Centre will support the research programs of its members, their graduate students, post doctoral fellows and research professors drawn from the science and computer science departments at Concordia, and will be accessible to all researchers at Concordia and the external research community who are interested in using its unique infrastructure and knowledge base. The layout of the new laboratories will encourage the cross-disciplinary interactions needed to fully exploit the power of genomics-based research and systems biology.

Work on the Centre is scheduled to begin early in 2010 and completed in the spring of 2011.

Source:
Fiona Downey
Concordia University