spotlight on research
“Sweet 16” iGEM Team Recognized as one of the top 10 per cent of International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) teams in the world, the U of L group, which is led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Dr. Hans-Joachim (HJ) Wieden (photo centre), competes each year in what is regarded as the premiere synthetic biology competition worldwide. Last fall, the U of L’s iGEM team designed a bacteria to help remediate oil sands tailing ponds, achieved a top-16 finish and was the only Canadian school to achieve this status, matching institutions like the University of Washington, Brown-Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Tokyo Tech, MIT and ZJU-China.
research initiatives that create a new generation of researchers who go on to strengthen Alberta’s knowledge-based economy. “The outcomes from these programs are significant and will benefit students and the University community for years to come,” says Weeks. “What excites me is the potential employment success for graduates who participate in these programs and what they prepare our students for in their careers.” The U of L proudly boasts world-renowned researchers in traditionally scientific fields such as neuroscience, the study of water and physics, but a university does not achieve status as the top undergraduate research institution in the country without diversity in its portfolio. Indeed, it is the breadth of research across the full gamut of disciplines that speaks to a campus-wide philosophy where discovery is valued and supported at every turn. Weeks points to the establishment of internal research and development funds as potential drivers of research activity going forward. He also
highlights the allocation of specific funds for the development of interdisciplinary research teams. The anticipated result will be synergies across disciplines. The Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF), a one-time non-renewable research fund, was created to provide the foundation for developing the next generation of interdisciplinary concentrations of research excellence. In spring 2012, it funded three projects (up to $100,000 each over two years), then approved two more proposals in the fall. “There is a real breadth to the research activities taking place across campus,” says Weeks. “With the establishment of a number of internal funding mechanisms in recent years, it has served as the impetus for new research initiatives that are now being recognized by external agencies. Couple that with the many faculty who already have well established research portfolios and it creates an even more vibrant research environment.” The U of L now boasts nine research centres and
“When I look at what is now available to students and how the University continues to enhance those research opportunities, as an alumna I am extremely proud of my University.” Jennifer Arthur (BA ’07, MSc ’12)
institutes that address issues across the sciences, social sciences and humanities. From neuroscience research at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, to water management studies in the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments and
5