Saskatchewan Is A Bio-Tech Hub

Sep 30, 2020

This week is Bio-Tech Week in Saskatchewan.

Agriculture Minister David Marit says the Province is a biotechnology leader and is home to about one-third of Canada's bio-technology sector.

"Biotechnology is a significant source of growth in the agriculture sector and plays an important role in ensuring the sustainability of our industry," Marit said. "Saskatchewan’s biotech sector has been at the forefront of ensuring our producers have the innovative technologies and agronomic practices they require to feed a growing population."

Ag-West Bio President and CEO Karen Churchill says Global Biotech Week is an opportunity to celebrate Saskatchewan’s bioscience sector.

"Saskatchewan organizations are involved in sustainable crop development, creating products that use enzymes to replace harsh chemicals, producing nutraceuticals and healthy foods, environmental remediation using microbes, and of course vaccine development. We should all be very proud of the accomplishments of our local scientists and entrepreneurs."

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.