IMPACT CASE STUDY #1

Fighting Oyster Disease with Genomics

Building resilience against MSX and Dermo to secure the future of Atlantic oysters

Industry Snapshot

  • P.E.I. and N.B. produce over 50% of Canada’s oysters.
  • P.E.I. alone lands 6.5M pounds worth $10.3M annually.
  • Maritime oysters are world-renowned, sold nationally and exported abroad.
  • Key Players: L’Étang Ruisseau Bar in Shippagan, N.B. (largest hatchery) and Atlantic Aqua Farms on P.E.I. (largest grower/processor)

 

The Risk

  • MSX and Dermo are harmless to humans but fatal to oysters.
  • Discovery of the MSX parasite in July 2024 in P.E.I., followed soon after in N.B. Two decades earlier, MSX devastated the Bras d’Or Lake’s once-thriving oyster industry.
  • Thousands of coastal jobs and economies are at stake.

Genomic Solutions

  • Selective Breeding for Resistance: $3.1M, four-year project (Genome Canada, Genome Atlantic, Génome Québec, Université Laval, L’Étang Ruisseau Bar/Mallet Oysters) to develop MSX-resistant seed for Eastern Canada
  • eDNA Surveillance: $800K project (Genome Atlantic, Atlantic Aqua Farms, L’Étang Ruisseau Bar/Mallet Oysters, Gov. of P.E.I., CBU/Verschuren Centre, eDNAtec) creating rapid detection tools for MSX and Dermo

Impacts

  • Safeguarding livelihoods of growers, processors and communities.
  • Building resilience in a vital sector.
  • Turning science into defense against devastating diseases

Genomics is giving Atlantic oysters growers the tools they need to fight back and secure the future of a vital coastal industry.

IMPACT CASE STUDY #2

Driving salmon farming forward with genomics

Healthier, faster-growing salmon for a stronger aquaculture industry

Industry Snapshot

  • Atlantic Canada is a major producer of farmed salmon, producing more than 32,000 tonnes annually.
  • Salmon aquaculture contributes $964M to GDP, 8,500 jobs and $2.6B output annually to Atlantic Canada’s farmed salmon value chain (production processing).
  • Global farmed salmon production is expected to grow by 27% by 2030.

 

Challenges

  • Limited farm sites
  • High capital costs
  • Traditional breeding cycle takes 4 years – too slow to keep pace with industry needs

Genomic Solutions

  • DNA tools predict desirable traits like growth, feed conversion ratio, sea lice resistance, temperature tolerance
  • Faster results than traditional breeding – selection decisions can be made in year 1 instead of year 4

The Project

  • $4.6M Genome Canada-supported project (2022)
  • Co-led by Huntsman Marine Science Centre & Mowi Canada East
  • Supported by Genome Atlantic
  • Embedding genomics into breeding program

Impacts

  • Fast-tracked breeding program for salmon that grow faster, use fewer resources, and withstand stresses
  • Lower costs, reduced losses
  • Bolsters Atlantic Canada’s position as a global leader in sustainable salmon farming

Genomic selection transforms salmon breeding – accelerating gains in growth, health and productivity.

Impact Case Study #3

AtlanTIC: Stronger Forests through Collaboration

Building healthier, more resilient forests with genomics and teamwork

Industry Snapshot

  • Forestry contributes $1.7B annually to Atlantic Canada’s economy, and 20,000+ jobs.
  • Facing pressures from climate change, pests, diseases, limited land base

 

Challenges

  • Traditional tree breeding takes 20-30 years per cycle – far too slow in today’s changing climate
  • Fragmented tree breeding data among growers and no framework for sharing data
  • Limited ability of individual companies/provinces to scale research

 

Genomic Solution

  • DNA markers predict seedling potential in as little as 5 years
  • Boosts tree growth, disease resistance, climate tolerance
  • Potential productivity gains of up to 10% – higher profitability & healthier forests

The Project: AtlanTIC

  • Genome Atlantic helped establish the Atlantic Tree Improvement Council (AtlanTIC).
  • Pan-Atlantic partnership uniting industry, governments and researchers around best tree breeding practices including genomics tools
  • Field trails across diverse regions, climates and conditions to share robust datasets

 

Impacts

  • Growers across Atlantic Canada have access to latest tree breeding information.
  • Attracting significant new investments that would not have been possible if acting independently
  • Aligning forestry practices across Atlantic Canada
  • Faster-growing, climate ready trees
  • Forests that sequester more carbon, support biodiversity & reduce wildfire risk
  • Stronger, more competitive & sustainable forestry sector

AtlanTIC transforms genomics from a fragmented effort into a collective force – reinforcing Atlantic Canada’s leadership in sustainable forestry for generations to come.

Impact Case Study #4

Empowering Clean Tech Startups 

Small Investments. Big Impact.

Genome Atlantic’s Genomics and Clean Technology Program was created to fill a critical gap in early-stage funding for genomics-based clean technology in Atlantic Canada. Small-scale funding allowed companies to test and validate genomics-based solutions to clean technology challenges.

Catalyst for Growth

  • Funding helps de-risk early-stage technologies, build confidence, open doors to larger investments.

Strategic Partnerships

  • Delivered under Genome Atlantic’s Genomics Opportunity Review Program (GORP)
  • In collaboration with the Verschuren Centre, one of Canada’s premier bio-tech scale-up hubs
  • Connects start-ups to world-class expertise, facilities and networks

Start-Ups Powered

  • Dispersa – transforming food waste into natural, eco-friendly surfactants for soaps, detergents and textiles – reducing reliance on petroleum and palm oil
  • Material Futures – Harnessing micro-organisms as ‘mini dye factories’ to produce safer, petrochemical-free colourants for paint and textiles
  • Liven Proteins – Engineering animal-free collagen to improve the texture and nutrition of plant-based and sustainable protein foods

 

Outcomes

  • Even modest investments can be game changers. Program funding will help these startups move from lab-scale proof-of-concept closer to validated, market-ready technologies.

Targeted support today. Synthetic biology solutions for tomorrow.

Impact Case Study #5

Cracking the Code of Bipolar Disorder

Genomics offers new hope for early diagnosis and more effective treatments

Bipolar Disorder affects 1 in 50 Atlantic Canadians (approximately 51,000 people), is among the most heritable mental illnesses, and is associated with a high risk of comorbidities and a suicide rate 10-30X higher than average.

High Costs on Patients & Society

  • Life expectancy 9 years shorter on average
  • Major impact from lost productivity and unemployment

 

Research Initiative

  • $975,000 project led by Dalhousie & Nova Scotia Health Authority
  • Funded by Genome Canada, Research Nova Scotia Trust, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry, and Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
  • Supported by Genome Atlantic

Project Goals

  • Identify genetic risk markers for earlier diagnosis
  • Combine genetic insights with clinical assessments to select the most effective treatments faster
  • Reduce trial-and-error therapies that can take up to a decade

 

Impacts

  • Findings expected to shape Canadian clinical guidelines for bipolar disorder
  • Contributed to new tools that help doctors match treatments to patients more effectively
  • Publications in top journals and presentations at international conferences
  • Helped to position Dalhousie University as a global leader in genomic mental health research

Genomics is transforming mental health care – improving lives, reducing costs, and making Atlantic Canada a hub for innovation.

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