Challenge Canada: Sanofi

Jeanny Yao Dept: For example, Vancouver's Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, Grade 12 students from Magee secondary, won first prize in the BC regional Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada, and were recognized for the project deemed having the greatest commercial potential at the national competition. Their research could help solve the problem of breaking down household and industrial plastic waste by using soil bacteria from the Fraser River. Water-loo's Janelle Tam won the national prize for her discovery that a versatile nano-particle in trees is a powerful anti-aging, health-promoting antioxidant, according to Vancouver Sun. So how do we develop a talent pool in Canada? The solution is multi-pronged and involves the commitment and collaboration of government, industry and academia. Firstly, we must develop centres of excellence. For example, the BC Cancer Agency, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre are recognized worldwide, and are attracting highly talented people and spring is science fair sea-son across Canada, and the innovation and creativity of our young people is truly inspiring. As the founding sponsor of the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada, a biotech competition where high school students are mentored by local scientists, I am a strong advocate of the potential of our youth to truly change our world. However, as promising as these young people are, we often lose them to other countries after graduation. As a cornerstone of innovation and economic growth, it is imperative that this sector continues to grow. According to BIOTE-Canada, our bio-economy con-tributes $86.5 billion or seven per cent of our GDP, and sup-ports an employment network of more than 1 million jobs. B.C. stands at the forefront of innovation, with its biotechnology industry being the seventh largest biopharmaceutical cluster in North America, and the fastest growing in Canada. It has seen significant commercial success, generating revenue of $800 million per year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.