Biotechnology in NB

As the executive director of BioAtlantech, the provincial agency responsible for supporting and promoting biotechnology opportunities in New Brunswick, he's witnessed how the perception of biotechnology has evolved since BioAtlantech was first started in 1996.

"Biotechnology was brand-new back then and it meant scary things at the time," says Argall. "It meant genetic modification in people's minds."

Argall says he'd be invited to meetings and would then get messages saying "his kind" wasn't welcome to attend.

"That was how bad it was 10 years ago," he says with a chuckle.

Biotechnology involves using technology based on biology, agriculture, food science and medicine to produce goods and services. The term biotechnology is often used interchangeably with biosciences, life sciences and increasingly, the bioeconomy.

The industry employs about 2,000 people in the province. A recent report pegs it as being a $110 million industry in New Brunswick, excluding $126 million of work being done by companies whose core work isn't biotechnology.

As the green movement becomes a bigger part of people's lives, this represents a big opportunity for the biotechnology industry as it's now viewed as part of the solution.

"Ultimately, biotechnology is about having a lower environmental impact by using resources that are renewable and biological, and finding ways to do it sustainably because the petroleum economy is not cutting it," says Argall.

But biotechnology is not a very visible industry in the eyes of the public, he says.

"Our impact tends to be more subtle," says Argall.

One example he gives is a project which is making white spruce seedlings more resistant to pests, diseases and climatic stress. The project is a collaboration between J.D. Irving, Limited and researchers from Carleton University.

The project involves inoculating a seedling with a fungus. The seedling then feeds the fungus the products it gets through photosynthesis, "the stuff it needs to grow," says Argall.

The relationship between the two is symbiotic, or co-operative.

"And then the fungus goes out and works the soil, mines the soil, and brings back very important nutrients to the plant," he says.

"It's globally unique. Nobody else is doing it," says Argall.

The project is especially relevant in Canada given the history of the Mountain Pine Beetle, which has destroyed 15 million hectares of pine trees in Western Canada.

"That's had an incredibly negative impact on carbon fixation," says Argall.

Trees and plants play an important role in capturing carbon by acting as filters. When infestations occur, it means trees and plants lose that filtering ability and increased greenhouse gases result.

Other biotechnology projects in the region involve mapping the genetic structure of certain fish. One project involves cod and some of the research for it is being done in St. Andrews.

Fish stocks are dwindling worldwide at the same time that demand for fish is on the increase. "This is where genomics is playing a really powerful role," says Argall.

Genomics is being used in aquaculture to identify genetic markers associated with favourable traits, such as disease resistance and tolerance to temperature change. The markers are used to create a genetically superior broodstock, allowing the fish to grow faster and be healthier. This means production times and costs will decrease for the firms, allowing them to be more competitive.

This is something that wasn't possible 15 years ago.

"You couldn't have done that without the technologies we've been investing in (globally) since the mid to late nineties to today," he says.


Richard Woodbury
For the Telegraph-Journal