Centre gets new name; Change in ag priorities; U of S VIDO research
Centre gets new name
BMO has acquired the naming rights to the recently expanded Roundup Centre in Calgary’s Stampede Park for the next 10 years.
The Calgary Stampede and BMO Financial Group announced the sponsorship deal March 9.
The BMO Centre is a 265,000 sq. foot, year-round meeting and consumer trade show facility that hosts 700,000 visitors at 600 events annually. Earlier this year, it received the Consumer’s Choice Award as Calgary’s favourite banquet and reception hall.
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BMO also announced it is increasing its Stampede sponsorship, a move that will establish the company as the exclusive financial services provider to the Calgary Stampede.
BMO employs 2,700 people in Alberta and has financed Stampede operations since 1912.
Change in ag priorities
The Alberta Agriculture and Food Council has published a new report outlining progress and changes to the province’s agri-environmental policies.
Called Agri-Environmental Perspectives: Land Use and Stewardship Policy in Alberta’s Agri-Food Industry, the report provides agri-environmental priorities that the industry and government should consider.
Kenton Ziegler, chair of Alberta’s Environmental Policy Initiatives Project, said the report covers nine years of provincial efforts to identify issues and present solutions for land use and stewardship in Alberta said.
The full report is available at www.agfoodcouncil.com.
U of S VIDO research
University of Saskatchewan scientists have developed a new tool to allow them to analyze the function of a crucial set of proteins in animals.
The tool, developed by a team of researchers and graduate students at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), could help develop new drugs to treat a variety of human diseases, including cancer.
The research was described in a Jan. 20 article in the prestigious journal Science Signaling.
The new tool – called a species-specific peptide array -involves affixing segments of protein molecules to a glass slide. It will help scientists analyze kinases, which are key regulatory molecules in cells.
While only a small percentage of human genes code for protein kinases, mutations in many of these genes are at the root of many human diseases.
The technology is expected to be rapidly adopted by scientists in a wide range of disciplines and will likely replace the mouse model for some types of research.
The new research tool has already shed light on Johne’s – a cattle disease possibly linked to Crohn’s disease in humans but whose mechanism has long stumped scientists.
The research team has already received inquiries from scientists interested in the technique. VIDO hopes to offer the new peptide array as a commercially available kit.
The research is funded by Genome Canada, the Beef Cattle Research Council and the Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund.
