International space station commander Chris Hadfield turned the whole world’s eyes on official opening festivities at Sanofi’s new headquarters in Laval’s biotech city, May 6. The Canadian astronaut sent a message of encouragement to two Laval wunderkinds: Eunice Linh You of Laval Liberty High School in Chomedey and David Drouin of Curé Antoine Labelle school in Ste. Rose.

Sanofi had invited the pair to inspire an audience of 130 French and English high school students, with a talk about how they won provincial laurels this year in the BioGENEius science competition that the pharmaceutical and consumer health giant sponsors. Last week, The Suburban reported on how Linh You’s recent provincial win in the Saguenay will next take her to upcoming international meet in Arizona.

Col. Hadfield got wind of the activity, and wrote from space:
“Proud to see the next generation of scientists like BioGENEiuses Eunice Linh You and David Drouin share their knowledge with other youth!”

“As a result of that one tweet, the #biogeneius hashtag got almost a million hits,” Sanofi spokeswoman Joanne Kennedy told The Suburban in an interview. “He really shone a light on them.”

Kennedy explained that Sanofi’s stake in activities like the BioGENEius competition is part of a deliberate strategy to develop a close bond with the community.

“With our investment in Laval, and in Quebec in general, it’s important to Sanofi to work together as partners,” she emphasized. “That’s why we consolidated our various businesses such as pharmaceuticals and consumer health together in a single location in Laval’s biotech city.”

“This is part of the collaborative model that is integral to how Sanofi wants to do business,” she continued. “We’re here for the long-term.”

More than 200 guests joined Sanofi ceo John Fairest at the opening ceremonies. Dignitaries included Laval mayor Alexandre Duplessis, French ambassador Philippe Zeller and Quebec finance minister Nicolas Marceau.

Laval’s biotech cluster is, by far, the biggest magnet for industrial investment in Quebec’s third-largest city. According to the biotech city’s new director Jean-Marc Juteau, last year alone it attracted more than a quarter billion dollars to drive Laval’s booming economy.

Ted Paranjothy

You can read Ted’s entry here: Why I Chose Ontario as the Place to Pursue My Career in the Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries.

As you may know, Ted also delivered the Gowlings keynote address at the BIO International Convention in Chicago earlier this month. Read Ted Paranjothy’s Gowlings keynote address at the BIO International Convention.

Coquitlam girl, 17, investigated how genetic mutations naturally help some HIV patients escape symptoms

Selin Jessa

Her research involved genetic variations found among a rare few HIV-infected patients, known as “elite controllers”, whose immune systems naturally control common symptoms of the virus. The immune responses of elite controllers are so effective that HIV can only survive through mutations that compromise its ability to replicate. Selin engineered a mutant version of a specific HIV protein, an important step in identifying these viral mutations that may help design vaccines or other HIV therapies. Project description.

This latest award brings the Grade 12 student’s cash prizes to a total of $7,500 from the provincial, national and international BioGENEius Challenge competitions. She attends the Dr. Charles Best Secondary School in Coquitlam and carried out her research at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Launched at BIO’s first international conference in Toronto in 1994 and celebrating 20 years of competitions, the BioGENEius Challenge provides young scientists with access to professional labs and academic mentors, encouraging them to pursue future studies and careers in the fast-growing biotechnology sector.

Among the judges in this year’s international competition was Robert Merson, a participant in that first competition and now a consultant in the biotechnology industry. Also attending BIO was Ted Paranjothy of Manitoba, who won the provincial, Canadian and international BioGENEius Challenges in 2007. Ted was the guest speaker at the luncheon hosted by Gowlings, a Canadian legal firm, and also spoke with the American, Canadian and Australian BioGENEius competitors about his academic and work career since winning all three awards.

Both the US national and international BioGENEius Challenge competitions are organized by the Washington-based Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education, and sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi; and Janssen.

Further support for the BioGENEius Challenge is provided by International Supporters: The Astellas Foundation, BIO, Genentech and MedImmune; and U.S. National Supporters: Acorda Therapeutics, The Allergan Foundation and Sangamo BioSciences.

About the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)
The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) is a national, biotechnology research competition that encourages high school and CEGEP students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. The initiative is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Sanofi Canada, the National Research Council Canada/ Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC-CNRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (CIHR-IRSC), York University, Genome Canada and the Government of Canada’s Youth Awareness Program. Canada’s respected Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada has inspired counterpart competitions in the USA and Australia.

Media Contacts:
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Vancouver
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Terry COLLINS
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Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Toronto, Manitoba take top prizes in 20th Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada

Raising scientists: SBCC celebrates 20 years of inspiring studies and careers in Canada’s $86 billion biotech industry

OTTAWA, April 9, 2013 – Cutting edge research into an experimental therapy that deploys nano-particles of gold to kill cancer cells earned an Alberta high school student, 16, top national honours today in the 2013 “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada” (SBCC).

Arjun Nair, 16, of Calgary, receives the $5,000 first prize in this year’s Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge national competition from Jon Fairest, President and CEO of Sanofi Canada and Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

His research project, mentored at the University of Calgary, advances an experimental cancer “photothermal therapy” which involves injecting a patient with gold nanoparticles. The particles accumulate in tumours, forming so-called “nano-bullets” that can be heated to kill cancer cells.

Arjun showed how an antibiotic may overcome defences cancer deploys against the therapy and make the promising treatment more effective. Arjun’s research, which a panel of expert judges led by Dr. Luis Barreto called “world class Masters or PhD-level quality,” also won a special $1,000 prize awarded to the project with the greatest commercial potential. See a full project description, also below.

Eleven brilliant students from nine Canadian regions, all just 16 to 18 years old, took part in the national finals. They had placed 1st at earlier regional SBCC competitions, conducted between March 21 and April 4.

Celebrating 20 years of inspiring young scientists in Canada, this year’s SBCC involved a total of 208 high school and CEGEP students collaborating on 123 projects, all mentored in professional labs over several months and submitted via the regional competitions. Since its beginning in Toronto in 1994, some 4,500 young Canadians have competed in the SBCC, an event that has inspired sister BioGENEius competitions in the USA and Australia.

2nd place, $4,000 — British Columbia: Selin Jessa, 17, Grade 12, Dr. Charles Best Secondary School, Coquitlam, won the $4,000 2nd place prize with research into how genetic mutations naturally help some HIV patients escape symptoms. Project description.

Arjun and Selin will compete for Canada April 22-23 at the International BioGENEius Challenge, conducted at the annual BIO conference, this year in Chicago.

3rd place, $3,000 — Quebec: Eunice Linh You, 17, Grade 11, Laval Liberty High School, Laval, who investigated how to tailor stem cell treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Project description.

4th place, $2,000 — Greater Toronto: Lauren Chan, 17, Grade 12, University of Toronto Schools, who described a potential new therapy to reduce the severity of diabetes. Project description.

5th place, $1,000 — Manitoba: Daniel Huang, 16, Grade 11, St. John’s Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg, who discovered a potential new tactic to fight the world’s deadliest brain cancer. Project description.

Honorable mention, $500:
Newfoundland, Jared Trask, 18, Kaitlyn Stockley, 17, Grade 12, Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay West, who, for the second consecutive year, won the Atlantic region competition by proving novel ideas for creating biofuels. Project description.

Eastern Ontario, Adamo Young, 16, Grade 11, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, who found that altering its nitrogen supply appears to tame a toxic fungus that ruins billions worth of grain worldwide. Project description.

Southwestern Ontario, Melanie Grondin, 17, Shawn Liu, 18, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, who found a marker in medicine’s quest for the holy grail of leukaemia treatments: limitless supplies of healthy stem cells. Project description.

Saskatchewan, Saruul Uuganbayar, 17, Grade 12, Centennial Collegiate, Saskatoon, who invented a molecular therapy for mutated cells with the dream of curing cancer. Project description.

Following the presentation ceremony at the NRC, the students were received by Governor-General David Johnston at Rideau Hall, a distinguished educator prior to his vice-regal appointment.

Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Skills Development, keynote speaker at the awards ceremony, said: “It is so important that we have all of our skills and talent at work in Canada and the SBCC offers students a fantastic opportunity to experience science and technology in new ways, hopefully encouraging them toward exciting careers. I want to congratulate the winners, and all of the participants, of this year’s competition and I thank the organizers for all of the work that they have done in supporting young people in science.”

Sanofi Canada President and CEO Jon Fairest, who presented the top national prize, said: “The Sanofi Group is very proud to be founding sponsors of the Sanofi BioGENEIus Challenge Canada (SBCC) and participate in this milestone competition. With its 20-year heritage, the SBCC shows how critical partnerships are to advance science and talent in Canada. From the mentoring provided by dedicated academics, to the support of government and the private sector, the SBCC truly stands out as a model for collaboration. The SBCC and the incredible students who participate inspire us to all think differently about our future and ensure we have a strong foundation in place to create a sustainable healthcare system in Canada.”

The SBCC gives young scientists access to professional labs and academic mentors, encouraging the pursuit of future studies and careers in the country’s fast-growing biotechnology sector.

Each of the students worked for months conducting research and collaborating with university mentors.
* * * * *
Aiming to create an effective cancer-killing nano-bullet made of gold
Helping science develop a nano-bullet to defeat cancer is the futuristic vision of Arjun Nair, a 16-year-old Calgary high school student.

These “bullets” are formed by gold nanoparticles that, when injected into a patient, accumulate in cancerous tumours. Using light, the gold nanoparticles rapidly heat up in the tumours, killing only the cancer cells. Known as photothermal therapy (PTT), the idea has shown promise but isn’t that effective because cancer cells fight back, producing heat-shock proteins to protect themselves.

Arjun looked into the use of an antibiotic (17-AAG) to defeat cancer’s defence.

Nanoparticles are less than millionth of the size of grain of sand, making them pretty difficult to make and work with, says Arjun. He spent the last two years working on his idea, including the past year between Simon Trudel’s and David Cramb’s Nanoscience Labs at the University of Calgary.

It’s rare for a high-tech lab to allow a high school student to work with its expensive equipment but Dr. Cramb, Dr. Simon Trudel and Lab Manager, Amy Tekrony provided access and all important mentorship, he says.

“Proof-of-concepts were developed and tested in order to demonstrate the viability of PTT,” says Arjun. “Moreover, after analyzing the literature a mathematical model was developed to evaluate a theoretical synergetic treatment.”

“I’ve entered science competitions since Grade 5. I really enjoy taking my ideas and making them happen in real life,” says Arjun, who also enjoys debating, sports and volunteer work.
He dreams of doing science in university, perhaps pursuing a career in medical research. One of the best parts of the competition was the great friendships Arjun has made. “I’m part of community of students who love sharing ideas and talking science.”
* * * * *
The nine final national projects were presented at NRC headquarters Monday April 8 to a panel of eminent Canadian scientists:

• Dr. Luis Barreto, MD, Chief Judge, Bioscience Education Canada
• Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President Research, National Research Council Canada
• Dr. Paul Lasko, Scientific Director, Institute of Genetics, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Dr. Robert Tsushima, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Science, York University
• Dr. Pierre Meulien, President, Genome Canada
• Dr. Ron Pearlman, Associate Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation
• Dr. Jerome Konecsni, President, Innovation Saskatchewan

On the panel as well: Ms. Janelle Tam, 18, of Waterloo, Ontario, SBCC’s national first-place winner in 2012.

National Awards Presenters, National Research Council Canada, April 9, 2013:

• Commercialization Award – Dr. Ron Pearlman, Associate Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation
• 5th Place – Dr. Alison Symington, VP, Corporate Development, Ontario Genomics Institute / Genome Canada
• 4th Place — Dr. Spriros Pagiatakis, Associate Dean, Research & Partnerships, York University
• 3rd Place – Dr. Alain Beaudet, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• 2nd Place – John McDougall, President, National Research Council of Canada
• 1st Place – Jon Fairest, President and CEO, Sanofi Canada

About the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)
The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) is a national, biotechnology research competition that encourages high school and CEGEP students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. The initiative is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Sanofi Canada, the National Research Council Canada/ Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC-CNRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (CIHR-IRSC), York University, Genome Canada and the Government of Canada’s Youth Awareness Program. Canada’s respected Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada has inspired counterpart competitions in the USA and Australia.

For more information, please see Wikipedia, visit sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca, follow us on Facebook or Twitter @BioscienceEdCan #SBCC2013

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company’s heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us

Media Contacts:
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Kara LATTA
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Martine VENNE
CASACOM Montréal
mvenne@casacom.ca
Tel: 514-286-2145 ext 228

Le Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada (DBSC) célèbre 20 années consacrés à inspirer des études et des carrières au sein du secteur canadien des biotechnologies, un domaine générant une valeur de 86 milliards de dollars.

OTTAWA, le 9 avril 2013 – Les recherches d’un niveau équivalant au deuxième cycle universitaire portant sur une thérapie expérimentale contre le cancer déployant des nanoparticules d’or ont valu aujourd’hui les plus grands honneurs nationaux à un étudiant albertain du secondaire âgé de 16 ans lors de l’édition 2013 du « Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada » (DBSC).

Arjun Nair, un étudiant d’origine indienne de 11e année de la Webber Academy de Calgary âgé de 16 ans, a reçu le premier prix d’un montant de 5 000 $ suivant la décision d’un jury d’éminents scientifiques canadiens rassemblés au siège social à Ottawa du Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC).

Son projet de recherche, mené sous mentorat à l’Université de Calgary, a permis l’avancée d’une thérapie expérimentale contre le cancer nommée « thérapie photothermique » qui consiste à injecter des nanoparticules d’or à un patient. Ces nanoparticules s’accumulent dans les tumeurs, formant ainsi ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler des « nanobombes », qui peuvent par la suite être chauffées afin de détruire les cellules cancéreuses.

Arjun a démontré comment un antibiotique pourrait vaincre les défenses des cellules cancéreuses et faire en sorte de rehausser l’efficacité de ce traitement prometteur. Les recherches d’Arjun, qui ont été considérées « d’un niveau comparable à celles effectuées dans le cadre d’études de maîtrise ou de doctorat de classe mondiale » par un jury de juges experts mené par le Dr Luis Barreto, se sont également vu décerner un prix spécial d’un montant de 1 000 $ récompensant le projet présentant le plus grand potentiel commercial. Consultez une description complète du projet et ci-dessous.

Onze étudiants brillants en provenance de neuf régions canadiennes, tous âgés de 16 à 18 ans seulement, ont participé à la finale nationale. Ils ont tous terminé en première place lors des concours régionaux précédents du DBSC, ayant eu lieu du 21 mars au 4 avril.

Célébrant 20 années passées à inspirer les jeunes scientifiques au Canada, le DBSC de cette année a accueilli un total de 208 étudiants du secondaire et du cégep collaborant sur 123 projets conduits sous mentorat au sein de laboratoires professionnels et soumis dans le cadre des concours régionaux. Depuis ses débuts à Toronto en 1994, quelque 4 500 jeunes Canadiens ont participé au DBSC, un événement qui a inspiré des concours BioGENEius analogues aux États-Unis et en Australie.

2e place, 4 000 $ – Colombie-Britannique : Selin Jessa, 17 ans, étudiante de 12e année à l’école Dr Charles Best Secondary School à Coquitlam, a remporté le 2e prix d’un montant de 4 000 $ pour ses recherches portant sur les mutations génétiques qui aident de façon naturelle certains patients atteints de VIH à échapper aux symptômes de la maladie. Description du projet.

Le 22 et 23 avril prochain, Arjun et Selin représenteront le Canada lors du Défi BioGENEius international, qui aura lieu cette année à Chicago dans le cadre de la convention internationale annuelle BIO.

3e place, 3 000 $ – Québec : Eunice Linh You, 17 ans, étudiante de 11e année à l’école secondaire Laval-Liberty à Laval, qui a fait des recherches sur la personnalisation des traitements à base de cellules souches pour la maladie de Parkinson. Description du projet.

4e place, 2 000 $ – Région du Grand Toronto: Lauren Chan, 17 ans, étudiante de 12e année de l’University of Toronto Schools, qui a décrit un nouveau traitement potentiel qui réduirait la gravité du diabète. Description du projet.

5e place, 1 000 $ – Manitoba : Daniel Huang, 16 ans, étudiant de 11e année à l’école St. John’s Ravenscourt School à Winnipeg, qui a découvert une nouvelle stratégie potentiellement apte à combattre le cancer du cerveau le plus meurtrier au monde. Description du projet.

Mentions honorables d’un montant de 500 $:
Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador – Jared Trask, 18 ans et Kaitlyn Stockley, 17 ans, étudiants de 12e année à l’école Holy Spirit High School à Conception Bay West, qui ont, pour la deuxième année consécutive, remporté le concours de la région de l’Atlantique en prouvant la validité d’idées novatrices pour la fabrication de biocarburants. Description du projet.

Région de l’est de l’Ontario – Adamo Young, 16 ans, étudiant de 11e année au Lisgar Collegiate Institute à Ottawa, qui a découvert qu’en modifiant sa source d’approvisionnement en azote, l’action d’un champignon toxique qui détruit pour des milliards de dollars de céréales dans le monde entier semblait pouvoir être freinée. Description du projet.

Région du sud-ouest de l’Ontario – Melanie Grondin, 17 ans et Shawn Liu, 18 ans, de la Vincent Massey Secondary School à Windsor, qui ont trouvé un marqueur dans le domaine des traitements pour la leucémie qui est l’équivalent en médecine de la quête du Saint-Graal : un approvisionnement illimité de cellules souches saines. Description du projet.

Saskatchewan – Saruul Uuganbayar, 17 ans, étudiante de 12e année au Centennial Collegiate à Saskatoon, qui a inventé un remède moléculaire pour les cellules mutées, car elle rêve de pouvoir guérir le cancer. Description du projet.

Après la cérémonie de présentation au CNRC, les étudiants ont été reçus à Rideau Hall par le Gouverneur général David Johnston, qui a été un éminent professeur avant d’être assermenté dans sa fonction vice-royale actuelle.

Dr Kellie Leitch, secrétaire parlementaire de la ministre des Ressources humaines et du Développement des compétences et de la ministre du Travail, conférencière d’honneur lors de la cérémonie, a déclaré : « Il est si important de voir à ce que l’ensemble des compétences et des talents soit mis à bon escient au Canada, et le DBSC offre aux étudiants une occasion fantastique de faire l’expérience des sciences et des technologies grâce à de nouvelles manières; ce qui, nous l’espérons, les encouragera à entreprendre des carrières stimulantes. Je souhaite féliciter les gagnants ainsi que tous ceux ayant participé au concours de cette année, et je remercie les organisateurs pour tous les efforts qu’ils ont déployés afin de soutenir les aspirations scientifiques des jeunes. »

Jon Fairest, le président-directeur général de Sanofi Canada et présentateur du premier prix national, a quant à lui déclaré : « Le groupe Sanofi est très fier d’être l’un des commanditaires fondateurs du Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada (DBSC) et de participer à ce concours de premier plan. Fort de ses 20 ans d’histoire, le DBSC prouve l’importance des partenariats pour faire progresser les sciences et les talents au Canada. Le DBSC compte d’une part sur le mentorat assumé par des professeurs dévoués et d’autre part sur le soutien des gouvernements et du secteur privé, faisant en sorte qu’il se démarque véritablement comme un modèle de partenariat. Le DBSC est les étudiants hors pair qui y participent nous inspirent tous à réfléchir différemment à notre avenir et à nous assurer d’avoir de solides fondations en place afin de créer un système de soins de santé durable au Canada. »

Le DBSC donne à de jeunes scientifiques l’accès à des laboratoires professionnels et à des mentors du monde universitaire afin de les encourager à poursuivre leurs études et projets de carrière en biotechnologie, un domaine en forte croissance au pays.

Chacun des étudiants a travaillé pendant des mois; menant ses recherches et collaborant avec des mentors universitaires.
* * * * *
Des recherches visant la création de nanobombes faites d’or pouvant vaincre efficacement le cancer
Aider la communauté scientifique à développer une nanobombe pouvant vaincre le cancer est la vision futuriste d’Arjun Nair, un étudiant du secondaire âgé de 16 ans résidant à Calgary.
Ses « bombes » sont composées de nanoparticules d’or qui, une fois injectées dans un patient, s’accumulent dans les tumeurs cancéreuses. En utilisant de la lumière, il est possible de réchauffer rapidement les nanoparticules d’or accumulées dans les tumeurs, détruisant ainsi uniquement les cellules cancéreuses. Connue sous le nom de thérapie photothermique (photothermal therapy, PTT), cette idée s’est avérée prometteuse, mais n’offre pas l’efficacité souhaitée, car les cellules cancéreuses se défendent en produisant des protéines de choc thermique afin de se protéger.
Arjun s’est penché sur l’utilisation d’un antibiotique (17-AAG) afin de vaincre ce système de défense des cellules cancéreuses.

La taille des nanoparticules est plus petite qu’un millionième de la taille d’un grain de sable, faisant en sorte que leur création et leur utilisation sont plutôt difficiles, affirme Arjun. Il a consacré les deux précédentes années à travailler sur son idée, incluant la dernière année passée dans les laboratoires de nanosciences de Simon Trudel et de David Cramb situés à l’Université de Calgary.

Il est rare qu’un laboratoire de hautes technologies permette à un étudiant du secondaire d’utiliser son équipement dispendieux afin de réaliser son travail, mais le Dr Cramb, le Dr Simon Trudel et le directeur du laboratoire Amy Tekrony lui ont offert l’accès au laboratoire ainsi qu’un mentorat d’une importance capitale, a-t-il déclaré.

« Des démonstrations de faisabilité ont été élaborées et testées afin de démontrer la viabilité de la thérapie photothermique », a affirmé Arjun. En outre, un modèle mathématique a été mis au point après l’analyse de la documentation afin d’évaluer un traitement synergétique théorique. »

« Je participe à des concours scientifiques depuis la 5e année. J’aime réellement prendre mes idées et les concrétiser dans le monde réel », a souligné Arjun, dont les autres intérêts comprennent, entre autres, les débats, les sports et le bénévolat.

Il rêve d’un parcours universitaire scientifique et possiblement d’entreprendre une carrière en recherche médicale. L’un des meilleurs éléments du concours est les grands liens d’amitié qu’Arjun a pu tisser. « Je fais partie d’une communauté d’étudiants qui aime partager des idées et discuter de sciences. »
* * * * *
Les neuf projets nationaux finalistes ont été présentés le lundi 8 avril au siège social du Conseil national de recherches à un jury d’éminents scientifiques canadiens :

• Dr Luis Barreto, MD, juge en chef, Bioscience Education Canada
• Dr Roman Szumski, vice-président, Recherche, Conseil national de recherches Canada
• Dr Paul Lasko, directeur scientifique, Institut de génétique, Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada
• Dr Robert Tsushima, doyen adjoint à la recherche, Faculté des sciences, Université York
• Dr Pierre Meulien, président, Génome Canada
• Dr Ron Pearlman, directeur scientifique adjoint, Fondation Gairdner
• Dr Jerome Konecsni, président, Innovation Saskatchewan

Siégeant également au jury : Mme Janelle Tam, 18 ans, de Waterloo en Ontario, lauréate nationale du premier prix du DBSC en 2012.

Les présentateurs de la cérémonie nationale se déroulant au siège social du Conseil national de recherches du Canada le 9 avril 2013 :

• Prix récompensant le projet ayant la plus grande valeur commerciale – Dr Ron Pearlman, directeur scientifique adjoint, Fondation Gairdner
• 5e place – Dr Alison Symington, vice-présidente, Développement ministériel, Institut de génomique de l’Ontario/Génome Canada
• 4e place – Dr Spriros Pagiatakis, doyen adjoint à la recherche et aux partenariats, Université York
• 3e place – Dr Alain Beaudet, président, Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada
• 2e place – John McDougall, président, Conseil national de recherches du Canada
• 1re place – Jon Fairest, président-directeur général, Sanofi Canada

À propos du Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada (DBSC)
Le Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada (DBSC) est un concours national de recherche en biotechnologie qui encourage les étudiants du secondaire et du cégep à poursuivre leurs études et projets de carrière dans le domaine passionnant de la biotechnologie. Cette initiative est parrainée par Sanofi Pasteur Limitée, Sanofi Canada, le Conseil national de recherches Canada/National Research Council Canada (CNRC-NRC), les Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (IRSC-CIHR), l’Université York, Génome Canada et le programme Sensibilisation jeunesse du gouvernement du Canada. La réputation bien établie au Canada du Défi BioGENEius Sanofi Canada a inspiré des concours analogues aux États-Unis et en Australie.

Pour plus d’information, prière de consulter Wikipédia [offert uniquement en anglais]), de visiter le site defibiogeneiussanofi.ca et de nous suivre sur Facebook ou Twitter @BioscienceEdCan #SBCC2013.

À propos de Sanofi
Sanofi est un leader mondial et diversifié de la santé qui recherche, développe et commercialise des solutions thérapeutiques centrées sur les besoins des patients. Sanofi possède des atouts fondamentaux dans le domaine de la santé avec sept plateformes de croissance: la prise en charge du diabète, les vaccins humains, les médicaments innovants, les maladies rares, la santé grand public, les marchés émergents et la santé animale. Sanofi est coté à Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) et à New York (NYSE : SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, la division vaccins de Sanofi, met à disposition plus d’un milliard de doses de vaccins chaque année, permettant de vacciner plus de 500 millions de personnes dans le monde. Sanofi Pasteur est un leader mondial avec la plus vaste gamme de vaccins contre 20 maladies infectieuses. L’expérience de Sanofi Pasteur dans le domaine des vaccins qui protègent la vie des gens remonte à plus d’un siècle. C’est aujourd’hui la plus importante société entièrement dédiée aux vaccins. La société investit plus d’un million d’euros par jour en recherche et développement. La société investit plus d’un million d’euros par jour en recherche et développement. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez visiter www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us.

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Terry COLLINS
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Kara LATTA
CASACOM Toronto
klatta@casacom.ca
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Martine VENNE
CASACOM Montréal
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British Columbia winner of the 20th annual Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada Selin Jessa, of Coquitlam, BC, with Robert Quesnel, Vice President and General Counsel, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Sanofi Canada (left) and MP Andrew Saxton, MP for North Vancouver and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification Canada (right) at the Vancouver Convention Centre last night. Selin engineered a specific mutation in a protein of HIV-1 that may one day help HIV patients fight the infection without medication.

20th annual SBCC National Awards take place in Ottawa on April 9 with the Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology

TORONTO, ON, April 5th, 2012 – After months of preparation, research and collaboration with top university mentors, an elite group of 11 high school whiz kids from across the country will be in Ottawa April 8-9 competing for Canada’s ultimate student biotechnology science prizes in the 2013 Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC).

Over 4,500 young scientists have participated in the “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada” since its inception 20 years ago. The SBCC varies from other science competitions as students are given access to high quality lab equipment and are paired with mentors. For the last 20 years, the competition has been giving aspiring young scientists the chance to develop research that can lead them towards a career in science, making it a win for all of those involved.

The National SBCC Awards ceremony will be held April 9, 1 pm EDT, at the National Research Council Headquarters, Ottawa, with the Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources Skills Development Canada as keynote speaker. The Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology will also be in attendance.

In total, judges chose nine cutting-edge biotechnology research projects from 123 projects presented by 208 high school and CEGEP students across Canada. Now in its 20th year, the SBCC gives young scientists access to university labs and academic mentors, encouraging the pursuit of future studies and careers in the country’s fast-growing biotechnology sector.

“The 20th anniversary is a huge milestone for the ‘Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)” said Mark Lievonen, President, Sanofi Pasteur Canada, which originally founded the event. “The competition has grown tremendously over the years, first starting as a side event to the international BIO conference in Toronto. Now having expanded Canada-wide, the SBCC gives aspiring young scientists the chance to develop research that can lead them towards a science career. Through our partnership, we’re able to nurture talented young Canadians to develop potentially commercial ideas.” Watch Mr. Lievonen’s video.

This year’s regional finalists:

• British Columbia: Selin Jessa, 17, Grade 12, Dr. Charles Best Secondary School, Coquitlam, researched how genetic mutations naturally help some HIV patients escape symptoms. View the project profile.
• Alberta: Arjun Nair, 16, Grade 11, Webber Academy, Calgary, aimed for an effective cancer-killing bullet made of gold nano-particles. View the project profile.
• Saskatchewan: Saruul Uuganbayar, 17, Grade 12, Centennial Collegiate, Saskatoon, invented a molecular remedy for mutated cells with the dream of curing cancer. View the project profile.
• Manitoba: Daniel Huang, 16, Grade 11, St. John’s Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg, discovered a potential new tactic to fight the world’s deadliest brain cancer. View the project profile.
• Southwestern Ontario: Melanie Grondin, 17, Shawn Liu, 18, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, found a marker in medicine’s quest for the holy grail of leukaemia treatments: limitless supplies of healthy stem cells. View the project profile.
• Greater Toronto: Lauren Chan, 17, Grade 12, University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, described a potential new therapy to reduce the severity of diabetes. View the project profile.
• Eastern Ontario: Adamo Young, 16, Grade 11, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, found that altering its nitrogen supply appears to tame a toxic fungus that ruins billions worth of grain worldwide. View the project profile.
• Quebec: Eunice Linh You, 17, Grade 11, Laval Liberty High School, Laval, investigated how to potentially tailor a more effective stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease. View the project profile
• Atlantic: Jared Trask, 18, Kaitlyn Stockley, 17, Grade 12, Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay South (Newfoundland), demonstrated a novel idea to improve thick biofuels by adding a thinner made from fish oil. View the project profile.

The project finalists will be judged on April 8-9 at the Ottawa headquarters of the National Research Council by a panel of pre-eminent Canadian scientists:

• Dr. Luis Barreto, MD, Chief Judge, Biotech Education Canada
• Dr. Roman Szumski, Vice President Research, National Research Council, Canada
• Dr. Paul Lasko, Scientific Director, Institute of Genetics, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Dr. Pierre Meulien, President, Genome Canada
• Dr. Robert Tsushima, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Science, York University
• Dr. Ron Pearlman, Associate Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation
• Dr. Jerome Konecsni, President, Innovation Saskatchewan

The judge’s panel also includes Waterloo’s Janelle Tam, the 2012 national SBCC first prize winner. Last year she detailed the anti-aging potential of a nano compound found in wood pulp, capturing media attention in at least 36 countries. She aspires to begin studies at Princeton this fall.

In addition to their regional competition winnings, Canada’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place national winners will receive $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively, with $500 prizes for honorable mention. A special $1,000 prize is awarded to the project deemed by the judges to have the greatest commercial value. The top two single person projects advance to the Sanofi-sponsored International BioGENEius Challenge to be held in Chicago, IL on April 21, in conjunction with the BIO Annual International Convention.

About the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)
The Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC) is a national, biotechnology research competition that encourages high school and CEGEP students to pursue future studies and careers in the exciting field of biotechnology. Coordinated by Bioscience Education Canada since its beginning in 1994, the initiative is supported by Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Sanofi Canada, Genzyme Canada, the National Research Council Canada/ Conseil national de recherches Canada (NRC-CNRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (CIHR-IRSC), York University, Genome Canada and the Government of Canada’s Youth Awareness program. Canada’s respected Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada has inspired counterpart competitions in the USA and Australia.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company’s heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us

For more information, please visit sanofibiogeneiuschallenge.ca, follow us on Facebook or Twitter @BioscienceEdCan #SBCC2013

Media Contacts:
Kara LATTA
CASACOM Toronto
klatta@casacom.ca
Tel: 416-944-2145

Martine VENNE
CASACOM Montréal
mvenne@casacom.ca
Tel: 514-286-2145 ext 228

Terry COLLINS
tc@tca.tc
Tel: 416-878-8712; 416-538-8712

Newfoundland, Jared Trask, 18, Kaitlyn Stockley, 17, Grade 12, Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay South

Bio-energy seems to be in the blood of two high energy Newfoundland high school bioscience wizards, Jared Trask, 18, and Kaitlyn Stockley, 17.

For the second consecutive year, the Grade 12 students at Holy Spirit High School in Conception Bay South, near St. John’s, have won the Atlantic Regional “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada” (SBCC) with a project that demonstrates a novel idea for creating fuels from natural biological sources.

Last year, they showed how to get biofuel from common algae grown in colder temperatures. This year they’ve shown how oil extracted from different fish species can be added to other biofuels to enhance performance.

Jared explains that many biofuels have the problem of being too viscous, and thick consistency limits their use. However, “the oil from fish waste, especially cod waste, can be blended into other fuels,” he says. “Meanwhile, the proteins in the fish oil have properties which act as an anti-freeze, helping other fuels work better in colder temperatures.”

Kaitlyn underlines the wider implications this project might have.

“At present fish waste — the heads, guts, etc — is just being dumped into the sea or used as land fill. If this project became large-scale, it would not only reduce dependence on fossil fuels, it would provide extra income for fish processors and cut down on waste.”

Dr. Kelly Hawboldt, Associate Professor, Process Engineering at Memorial University, mentored the pair. She guided them in setting up the process to extract the oil from the fish waste and analyzing the four types of fish they studied to compare lipid composition and cold flow properties.

“This is a unique project with real scientific and possibly commercial value,” she says, “These kids are very motivated.”

Interestingly, Jared and Kaitlyn weren’t the only ones from Conception Bay lauded by the national SBCC judges last year. During their presentation at the National Research Council of Canada headquarters in Ottawa, the duo described turning Jared’s family kitchen into an unheated biofuel lab for 69 days, using a centrifuge, chemicals and high frequency sound waves to extract oil from cold environment algae. That prompted the scientific jury to create a new certificate for the “most patient parent,” and its first recipient was Jared’s mom, Cheryl Trask.

Given that this year’s project involved fish waste, however, the pair conducted their work at Dr. Hawboldt’s lab at the Bruno Centre for Innovation and Research at Memorial University in St. John’s.

Quebec, Eunice Linh You, 17, Grade 11, Laval Liberty High School

As a kid, Eunice Linh You says, she was “always the curious type who asked too many ‘whys’ — why is the grass green? Why is the water wet?”

No longer a kid, that same curiosity still drives her but the questions have changed. Now she’s looking for an answer to Parkinson’s Disease.

Eunice, 17, a Grade 11 student at Laval Liberty High School, in Laval, Quebec, is this year’s winner of the Quebec regional “Sanofi BioGenius Challenge Canada” (SBCC).

She named her project “Shake hands over cures, not Parkinson’s Disease,” an illness she took an interest in last year. Working on another project involving pesticides, she learned of a link between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s.

Her school connected her to Liam Crapper, a doctoral candidate at the McGill University’s Psychiatric Genetics Group, a mentor Eunice calls “amazing.”

Parkinson’s, which affects around 5 million people worldwide, is caused by a degeneration of dopamine-producing brain cells. Since the 1950s, the main treatment has involved drugs that can slow the development of symptomatic tremors, muscle rigidity, slow movement, and cognitive and neurobehavioral problems.

Much research in recent years has gone into replacing degenerating brain cells with stem cells engineered to take over dopamine production. Despite progress, clinical trials have produced sketchy, uneven results.

Eunice devoted her research to improving the fit of transplanted stem cells to the patient, testing whether the introduction of growth stimulants at a later stage in the engineering process could produce better results.

Eunice is still excited working and learning new techniques in a real lab — and by the results.

“With a microscope you can actually see the way the cells form these neuron-rich patches with these long axons (nerve fibers) — that’s what dopamine-producing neurons look like.”

Her work has advanced the yardsticks of science and she still hasn’t come down from the thrill of winning the Quebec SBCC.

And she looks forward to continuing the study while planning a career in biotechnology.

“The panel of judges gave me really good feedback and I will be guided by that as I finish up my project.”

Eastern Ontario, Adamo Young, 16, Grade 11, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa

Adamo Young admits he was the “bug guy” at school.

“When I was young, I really liked nature and living things: catching tadpoles and bugs. I joined a nature club and that helped me to broaden my interest. And in Grade 7, I started to do science fair projects.”

Now in Grade 11 at Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Adamo is on his way to finding a solution for a serious pest that damages wheat and other cereal crops, causing billions of dollars in losses for farmers in Canada and around the world.

Fusarium graminearum, is a fungus responsible for a disease dubbed Fusarium head blight. The fungus produces a toxin called deoxynivalenol (DON) that accumulates in the plant, rendering it unfit for animal or human consumption. DON suppresses appetite and livestock reject food contaminated with it. In humans, DON has anorexic effects — causing vomiting and diarrhea, for example.

Earlier research had shown that the fungus’ toxin production can be triggered by environmental stress. “I wanted to see the effects of four different stress environments on toxin production in three different (fungus) strains,” says Adamo.

Among other findings: regulating the nitrogen supply for one fungus strain appears to be an effective way of controlling its toxin production and crop contamination, a result that will “broaden our understanding of F. graminearum and lead us in new research directions,” he explains.

Crop research is something that has interested Adamo for several years. Living close to the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has allowed Adamo to do research in its lab for some time.

For the past few months, Adamo worked at the lab after school and the days when his high school teachers took time off for professional development.

With the help of mentor and research scientist Gopal Subramaniam of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (an affiliate of Carleton University), Adamo learned new techniques to use with very expensive equipment.

“Working in the lab is great. You learn real lab skills and work with real equipment. It was really cool. Learning some of the techniques was pretty difficult…I worked 12 hours straight at the lab the first time I tried one of them,” he explains.

Adamo also considers that the mentor is “key” as a person teaching the fundamental skills of the field.

But it paid off. Adamo won the top $2,500 prize in the Eastern Ontario SBCC, a $500 prize awarded by the Museum of Science and Technology, and a paid summer research position at University of Ottawa.

“The most rewarding part was doing an experiment no one has done before and getting results that no one has seen before. I put all this time and work into this project and was able to find something new.”

Adamo says that SBCC has helped to reinforce his passion for biology and considers his experience with SBCC as a “wonderful opportunity to do this experiment and work with a real scientist. It is a pretty unique experience.”

“I definitely see a career in biology in the future. This is really my passion.”

Toronto, Lauren Chan, 17, Grade 12, University of Toronto Schools

Worldwide, almost 350 million people — one in 20 — are afflicted with diabetes, a kidney-related disease that requires artificial insulin injections to control dangerous blood sugar levels.

How doctors might one day mitigate the long-term severity of diabetes by controlling different levels of kidney proteins early in the disease was documented this year by Lauren Chan, 17, a Grade 12 student at the University of Toronto Schools — research that earned her top prize in the 20th Greater Toronto “Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada (SBCC)”.
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Starting last July, Lauren spent from 830 a.m. to 5 p.m. every summer weekday and two afternoons a week through the school year working in the lab of mentor Dr. Darren Yuen, a kidney specialist and clinical scientist at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.

She studied the kidneys of diabetic rats that had been involved in other research pursuits by Dr. Yuen and colleagues.

Scientists knew that, activated in the onset stages of the disease, a pair of proteins (Robo 1 and Robo 4) cause blood vessels to either increase or decrease in volume, she says. And increased blood vessel volume works the kidneys harder (hyper-filtration), leading to damage and exacerbating diabetes later.

Lauren detailed how injections of extra amounts of another natural protein, called Slit 2, reduced rat kidney blood vessel production to more normal levels, suggesting a new therapy that one day could ease the impact of diabetes on hundreds of millions of people.

“My eureka moment came last summer when I realized I could actually contribute something to the lab. I was a high school student who had just finished Grade 11,” says Lauren, who adds that she was motivated in part by a desire to help a diabetic relative.

“Diabetes is so common as people get older and get less active,” she says. She plans to continue her work on the project.

Lauren will study science next year en route to her ultimate goal of a medical practice and research career but is unsure which university she’ll attend. Her prizes from the GTA competition: $2,000 for first place, a special $1,000 award from the Ontario Genomics Institute, and a $2,500 scholarship offer from four Toronto post-secondary schools.

She thanked her extraordinary high school biology teacher Meg O’Mahony for introducing her to the SBCC and says she was shocked to win anything given the calibre of her fellow Toronto competitors.

“The program really encourages students to go out of their comfort zone and to rise to the challenge. And my mentor has been truly amazing … this has played a huge role in my overall experience.”