ABIC 2002 CONFERENCE UPDATES

Click here for ROB TV Webcast at ABIC 2002, The Bottom Line, narrated by Michael Vaughan, CTV featuring:

Week Three of three:

David Dennis -Performance Plants - Kingston ON; John Cross - Philom Bios - Saskatoon; Renaud Beauchesne - Advitech Solutions - Quebec; Martin Andreas - Archer Daniels Midland - Decatur, IL, USA; Sun Lee - Toylabs - Korea; Andrew Powell - ARB Consultants - Singapore; and Hubert Zandstra - World Potato Institute - Lima Peru

Agricultural biotechnology promises to be one of the greatest drivers of change in coming years. Yet the growing media coverage of agbiotech news tends toward the sensational. What are the risks? What are the benefits? How can we trust that we are getting balanced information?  View full release here. 

Public Forum: Ask the Experts

The Ask the Experts public forum will be held Sunday, September 15, 2002, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, Centennial Hall A & B. The Bioproducts Showcase will also be open for public viewing from 6:00 p.m.  

JOHN GORMLEY of CKOM News Talk Radio will moderate this exciting public forum. A former Saskatchewan Member of Parliament, John is a practicing lawyer and broadcaster who hosts "John Gormley Live," a four-hour current events radio show heard daily on CKOM Saskatoon and CJME Regina.   View backgrounder.

There is a whole world of agricultural biotechnology coming to Saskatoon this month.

The 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), agbiotech: cultivating convergence, will feature a world-class program with more than 60 national and international speakers. While ABIC itself is targeted primarily to scientists, researchers, investors, industry leaders, and policy-makers, some unique public events are not to be missed by Saskatchewan residents. View full release here.

The excitement starts Sunday, September 15, 2002, at 12:00 noon, in front of Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium with an Inauguration Press Conference for BioBus. Members of the public are encouraged to come out and learn more about this public transit biodiesel research and demonstration project that has the potential to promote innovation in the rural economy, increase the value of agricultural products, protect the environment, and increase ridership on Public Transit Service buses. Thanks to this initiative, Saskatoon residents can look forward to riding on city buses with special identification that will use a 5% blend of canola biodiesel blended fuel.  More in this weeks backgrounder.

Everything you wanted to know about agricultural biotechnology but were afraid to ask.  Here comes your chance. Ask the Experts is a public forum to be held Sunday, September 15, as a part of the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), agbiotech: cultivating convergence, in Saskatoon, Canada.

John Gormley of CKOM News Talk Radio will moderate what promises to be a lively exchange between the audience and five international biotechnology experts. View full release here.

The Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium will open to the public Sunday, September 15, 2002, at 6:00 p.m. to allow viewing of the Bioproducts Showcase and participation in the Public Forum: Ask the Experts. The forum is being held in Centennial Hall A and B and will run from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome!  Read more in the backgrounder.

Define these terms: genomics, bioinformatics, in silico biology, cosmeceuticals, trait mining, post-human genome protein chips.  If you are stumped, you are not alone. Until recently, these terms did not even exist. They refer to some of the growing array of new scientific tools of agricultural biotechnology. Those wanting to learn more about these new science tools and what they mean to science and our daily lives can do so at the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), agbiotech: cultivating convergence.  View full release here. 

New Scientific Tools: Plants, Pentiums & Pharmaceuticals is one of a wide range of learning streams to be offered at ABIC 2002. Daphne Preuss, Ph.D., of the University of Chicago, will be one of the international experts sharing insight into this area of agricultural biotechnology.  Read more in the backgrounder.

One of the conference sessions, The Business of Technology Transfer, will examine the transfer of agricultural biotechnology from R&D to industry. “Biotechnology does not achieve its purpose in the lab, but only when applied appropriately toward commercialization and, ultimately, public benefit,” says Shelley Brown, Steering Committee member of the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), this September 15 – 18 in Saskatoon, Canada. Brown explains, “There are many inter-related factors that can drive the movement along the value chain. We need to understand how and when to protect through patents, to bring in financing or strategic partners, or to commercialize.”   Read release here. 

The Business of Technology Transfer: Doing the Tech Transfer Two-Step will be the topic of an afternoon session on Tuesday, September 17, 2002.   View backgrounder.

“Advances in technology are making it economically viable and environmentally attractive to ‘go back to the future’ and begin replacing petroleum with biomass derived mostly from plants,” says John Jaworski of Industry Canada, co-host of The Bio-based Economy: Moving from Concept to Reality, September 18, 2002. This satellite session adds value to the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), which runs September 15 to 18 in Saskatoon, Canada.  View full release here. 

Four satellite sessions that compliment the ABIC 2002 programs are offered to enhance your ABIC 2002 experience.  Read the backgrounder for further information on the following sessions:

1. The Bio-based Economy: Moving from Concept to Reality Wednesday, September 18, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

2. The Canadian Regulatory Perspective: A Science-Based Approach to Safety and Benefits   Sunday, September 15, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Lunch provided)

3. Biotech Communicators: The Interface Between Scientist and Public  Wednesday, September 18, Full-day option: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (includes lunch) or Afternoon option: 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

4. The Multiple Roles of Metabolic Profiling Wednesday, September 18, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Golf course managers like these new tees so much that some won’t let golfers use any other kind. Unlike traditional wooden tees, the new ones are made from cornstarch which dissolves quickly, preserving the appearance of the golf course. 

The environment-friendly tee is just one of the products that will be on display at the Bioproducts Showcase during the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) this September 15 to 18 in Saskatoon, Canada.  Read more here.

The Bioproducts Showcase will be open to the public on the evening of Sunday, September 15, 2002, during the Public Forum, Ask the Experts. A sneak preview of some of the bioproducts to be displayed may be viewed in this week’s backgrounder.

Can we protect ourselves from food and waterborne disease? 

This is a challenge Andrew Potter, Ph.D., at the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) of the University of Saskatchewan, is working to meet. Dr. Potter’s research in developing methods for reducing the risk of human infection by vaccination of animals, a chief source for some disease-causing microbes, will be discussed at an international agricultural biotechnology conference this September 15 – 18 in Saskatoon, Canada.  Read more here.

 This weeks backgrounder  “Health  Animal Products to Enhance Health will be the topic of one of the concurrent afternoon sessions on Monday, September 16, 2002.”

Time is running out!  

The early registration deadline is July 22 for the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) this September 15 to 18 in Saskatoon, Canada. After that, fees will increase for ABIC 2002, a world-class conference that will bring together over 600 members of a growing community of world-renowned scientists, investors, industry leaders, and policy-makers.

This year’s theme, agbiotech: cultivating convergence, highlights the coming together of agricultural biotechnology with life sciences, bioinformatics, health care, and nutrition.  Read more about it here.

The ABIC 2002 early registration deadline is July 22, 2002. Read the backgrounder for more information about event highlights.

“Agricultural and forest ecosystems have a major role to play in reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, and relieving our demand for fossil fuels with bio-based energy, chemicals and materials,” says David Layzell, Ph.D., of the BIOCAP Canada Foundation and one of ABIC’s speakers.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

The Bio-based Economy:  Moving from Concept to Reality is the topic of a satellite session September 18, 2002 9:00 - 4:00 p.m.  This session is offered free of charge, hosted by Environment Canada and Industry Canada.  Read more about it here.

July 2, 2002

“Canada, and particularly Saskatchewan, is very well positioned to benefit from the new bioeconomy,” says David Maenz, Ph.D., Director and Chief Scientific Officer of MCN BioProducts Inc., a biotechnology company based in Saskatoon, Canada. “We are an agricultural nation and now we are developing a concentration of technical expertise.”

It is estimated that Canada has the capacity to contribute over $100 billion to GDP through the production of sustainable bioproducts by the year 2020. View full release here. 

This week’s backgrounder features Bioeconomy Useful Products from Biomass.

Food should do more than just feed us – it should make us healthier. This is the growing expectation of consumers today and the primary force behind one of the fastest growing markets in the developed world.  View full release here.

Kelley Fitzpatrick, President of the Saskatchewan Nutraceutical Network  will highlight the role of innovative research in the development of novel products and technologies from several Saskatchewan plants, including lignans from flaxseed, nutraceutical ingredients from fenugreek, antioxidants from herbs such as bearberry, and unique essential fatty acids from common oilseed sources.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

“ABIC is an important international gathering of scientists, researchers, investors, industry leaders, and policy-makers involved in agricultural biotechnology. We want to add value to this conference and several exciting optional satellite sessions are part of that offering,” says Peter McCann, President of Ag-West Bio and Chair of the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), agbiotech: cultivating convergence.  View full release here. 

ABIC 2002, September 15 – 18 in Saskatoon, Canada, leads off with the first of four satellite sessions, The Canadian Regulatory Perspective: A Science-Based Approach to Safety and Benefits on September 15. This workshop will focus on Canada’s regulatory system and how it successfully adapts and responds to the latest developments in biotechnology and international challenges using a science-based approach to safety and benefits.  Three concurrent satellite sessions (The Bio-based Economy: Moving from Concept to Reality; Biotech Communicators: The Interface Between Scientist and Public; and The Multiple Roles of Metabolic Profiling) will be held on September 18.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

Agriculture, meet Rocket Science. 

Complex scientific questions that used to take years to answer can now be answered in minutes. It is new scientific tools like the synchrotron, metabolic profiling, and protein microarrays that are enabling an accelerated rate of discovery in agricultural biotechnology.  

View full release here.  As stated in this weeks backgrounder, “The synchrotron provides a revolutionary tool for researchers. It allows us to probe the structure and chemistry of all matter in incredible detail, develop new drugs, create new materials, and much more,” says Michael Bancroft, Ph.D. The Associate Director of Science of the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, Bancroft is one of the speakers on the topic of New Scientific Tools: Rocket Science Meets Agriculture at ABIC 2002.

Agricultural biotechnology offers significant current and future benefits – yet public confidence in the technology is ebbing. Why? 

View full release here.  International experts on the subject of biotechnology will offer insight on the topic of Public Perception: Building Public Trust at the 4^th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2002), agbiotech: cultivating convergence this September 15 – 18 in Saskatoon, Canada.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

View full release here.  Stewardship: Toward Benefits for All will be one of the topics addressed by international experts at ABIC 2002. Professor Julian Kinderlerer, Ph.D., Assistant Director of the Sheffield Institute of Biotechnological Law and Ethics based at the University of Sheffield, UK, will offer an examination of regulatory issues for developing countries. Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

A new bioeconomy is emerging, and it's bringing the potential to manufacture products, fuels, and lubricants from biomass sources such as forest products and crops.

View full release here.  A presentation will be given by Dr. Martin Reaney on Bioeconomy: Fibres & Fuels from Field and Forest.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder provides a summary on natural health products including nutraceuticals and phytochemicals.

Imagine a pig that digests food more efficiently, costs less to feed, and is less polluting to the environment. No need to imagine. This transgenic pig exists and its name is Enviropig^TM.

View full release here.  Cecil Forsberg, Ph.D., a leader in the development of the Enviropig™ with colleague John Phillips, Ph.D., will explain the science and potential for this exciting project at ABIC 2002.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder.

Increasingly, the demand for healthy organs for transplantation far exceeds supply. Soon, biotechnology may offer a new possibility to save lives: xenotransplantation.

View full release here.  A presentation will be given by Dr. Marc-Andre Sirard on Health: Animal Products to Enhance Health.  Read more about it in this week's backgrounder

In the agricultural biotechnology industry, the tough part is in resolving issues around public policy, risk-sharing, and commercialization. Compared to this, the science looks easy.

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder provides information regarding a presentation by Dr. Peter Phillips on The Business of Technology Transfer – Doing the Tech Transfer Two-Step.

Open, global access to agricultural biotechnology. This is a goal of the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) Foundation, and the reason behind two bursaries for promising young researchers in developing nations.

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder provides a summary of ABIC Foundation Travel Bursary Guidelines.

A beam of light millions of times brighter than the sun. It holds the power to advance research at the speed of light. And now, scientists have an opportunity to win a piece of the beam - synchrotron beam time and expertise, valued at up to $25,000!

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder provides information on the Canadian Light Source - Synchrotron, located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder  profiles speakers Peter Hackett, Ph.D., Anatole Krattiger, Ph.D., and Vivian Moses, Ph.D.

Biotechnology and the developing bio-based economy bring great promise. They also bring issues that must be addressed to gain public acceptance - including ownership, stewardship, commercialization, and regulation.  These are some of the important opportunities and issues that will be examined at the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) from September 15 to 18, 2002, in Saskatoon, Canada.

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder  profiles the opening plenary speakers, Ralph Hardy, Ph.D., Channapatna S. Prakash, Ph.D., and Hubert George Zandstra, Ph.D.

March 22, 2002

From September 15 to 18, 2002, the world will look to Saskatoon, Canada as it hosts the 4th Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC). This year’s theme, agbiotech: cultivating convergence, highlights the coming together of agricultural biotechnology with life sciences, bioinformatics, health care, and nutrition.

View full release here.  This week's backgrounder includes the list of Steering Committee Members.