Life sciences economy targets an improved quality of life

Imagine filling up your vehicle with diesel fuel enhanced by canola, or ethanol enhanced gasoline from wheat; building with paper or wallboard made of straw; adding a designer grain-fibre shirt to your wardrobe; or writing with inks made from flax and canola.

These scenarios aren’t as far-fetched as they might seem. In fact, they are part of a biological revolution called the life sciences economy. Built on an integrated approach to the use and development of life sciences and information technology, this revolution is set to change the way we live.

According to Dr. Yilma Teklemariam, Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, life sciences will bring benefits to consumers, farmers, ranchers, and food manufacturers.

“The life sciences economy also has the potential to help the agriculture sector withstand the extremes in commodity cycles which so frequently jeopardize farm incomes. Creating products for more diverse markets will create more stability and options for the industry.”

Farmers and Ranchers

Dr. Teklemariam says farmers and ranchers are already highly skilled in the extraction of goods and services from renewable resources. “They will build on their current knowledge and experience to expand into and become major players in the new life sciences economy.” He sees the demand for farm products expanding beyond the conventional food and fibre sectors. Both new and traditional products of the land will find new uses in the production of energy, health products and industrial materials. In the near future, producers will grow distinctive crops for specific uses.

The advantages to producers with life sciences products will be cleaner and more cost-effective crop protection products. Consumers can look forward to higher quality, more nutritious foods with obvious health benefits.

Food manufacturers

What makes Canada’s food and beverage processors different from other industries is that they are engaged in processing and adding value to products delivered from living things like plants and animals – renewable resources.

Fermentation technology plays an important role in making everything from champagne to yogurt to pickles by relying heavily on living microorganisms. The best quality champagne and spirits owe their taste and flavour to the particular species of organisms used and the precision with which the fermentation process is controlled.

“Certain microorganisms are active in waste management by breaking down organic wastes from processing plants,” says Dr. Teklemariam. “Potential opportunities for the food manufacturing sector include improvements in the quality and safety of existing products, as well as product diversification into new areas. Food processors will use their skills and understanding of age-old technologies to branch out into new sectors like bio-health, bio-energy and bio-materials.”

Consumers

Life sciences technologies offer the potential to increase the efficiency, quality, nutrition and safety of food and fibre products. Dr. Teklemariam provides an example:

“Microorganisms also play vital roles in nitrogen fixation for plant growth. They break down organic matter and recycle nutrients in the soil. They are critical in making silage for cattle feed and in converting grain and other roughage into proteins in beef and milk. New scientific advances now suggest that better understanding of microorganisms can also be used for more rapid detection of harmful bacteria in food.”

Everything old is new again

“Life sciences is old and new,” says Dr. Ron Dyck, Executive Director Research, Innovation and Research, Government of Alberta. ”Old because it’s dealing with the sciences that have been exploring the building blocks of life. But what makes it new is that scientists from the biological and medical sciences, engineering and computer sciences are all working together and directing their research towards enhancing our knowledge and to creating innovations that will improve our quality of life.” “Life sciences is now a key driver for agriculture,” states Peter Matthewman, Vice President, Life Sciences with Alberta Research Council. “We are moving beyond the primary production we have done traditionally and diversifying into new crops, livestock and value-added processing. We will capture the value-adding right here in the province rather than shipping raw product out. That way we generate revenue, provide more jobs requiring new skill sets and enhance the economic well-being of the province.”

As the life sciences-based economy grows, the demand for farm products may expand beyond the conventional food industry. For example, new applications for traditional and new products could be found in the production of energy, health and industrial materials.

New crops? Been there, done that

Dr. Bob Church is chairman of Alberta Science and Research Authority, a founder of the School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the fourth generation of ranchers to work the family land near Balzac. He is an enthusiastic advocate of biotechnology and he’s seen life sciences evolve to transform agriculture in Alberta.

“During WWII, we grew oilseed rape and sold it as industrial oil. Then western Canadian scientists took the hazardous components out of oilseed rape and called it canola, now the safest and healthiest vegetable oil available. This is a genetically enhanced crop,” he says.

Dr. Church explains that more recent genetic modifications to canola mean less herbicides are required to grow it, making farming more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. And with the biological revolution, Church and other farmers are finding other markets for their crops. Alberta companies, like SemBioSys Genetics Inc., are applying advanced technology to crops grown locally to produce pharmaceuticals, like oral vaccinations, supplements and foods people and livestock can use to provide immunization against disease.

New organisms clean industrial waste

One of the research projects ongoing in Alberta is creating microorganisms that carp and other bottom feeders eat and placing them in industrial sludge ponds to clean up the water. Another project will identify native plant species able to survive in adverse soil conditions. Once identified, Alberta farmers will grow them for seed to sell for reclamation projects on abandoned industrial sites.

A further impact of the new life sciences economy is how it is revolutionizing medicine and pharmaceutical products. Dr. Dyck recalls a meeting he attended with scientists working in medicine. The talk focused on new treatments available to treat cancer and heart disease.

“Look at what’s happening with the advances being made to fight cancer,” he says. “Indeed, biotechnology creates great potential to improve the well-being of people, enhance the nutrition of the food we eat and expand our ability to diagnose and treat diseases.

“I continue to be amazed with what is possible. Life sciences helps us understand the mysteries of life and to create innovations for the future to enhance the quality of life for everyone.”

Agriculture, meet health care

Dr. John Kennelly, Chair, Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, says investment in the agri-food sector in the province will complement the health care sector. He maintains that health care costs could be reduced by focusing on preventative medicine and linking food and health, instead of emphasizing the treatment of diseases.

“Alberta has set an ambitious target of creating a $20 billion value-added agri-food sector by 2010,” he says. ”Research and development is integral to that and we need to get the level of investment up to realistically achieve that target.”

Alberta’s life sciences economy is still in its infancy, with about 35 companies employing about 1,000 workers. But there is optimism the sector will thrive because of Alberta’s prolific scientific community, its educated population, a vibrant economy and a technological foundation that grew from the advanced information technology, oil and gas and agriculture industries.

But before the industry can fully grab hold of these new opportunities, there are challenges to overcome. An adequate supply of personnel highly trained in the life sciences who are both motivated and wellequipped is essential. For the industry to be able to commercialize its products, research and innovation are necessary. And the willingness on the part of the private sector to invest in the facilities and resources necessary to move the industry forward is crucial.

Don Macyk, Director of Research, Alberta Agriculture Research Institute, sums it up.

“Doing things in a better way – by utilizing bio-materials and bio-energy, by introducing renewable resources and not utilizing our depletable resources – is critical to our economic well-being,” he says. “We can’t waste time, because if we stand still, we’re losing. And we stand to lose a lot.”

Seven pillars of life sciences

The life sciences economy is defined as an economy based on new and alternative products derived from, or related to, biological (natural) material. In real terms, life sciences have the potential to create huge improvements in our quality of life through the production of more effective vaccines, improved food inspection technologies, better nutrition, the development of bio-pharmaceuticals to treat diseases, and environmental advances.

Today, there are seven areas of concentration in life sciences. Here’s a quick look at them.

1. Conventional Foods
Life sciences technologies are providing new ways to produce conventional foods with greater efficiencies, using less land and fewer fertilizers and crop-protection products. As well, life sciences are creating significant improvements in food safety, nutrition, and quality.

2. Functional Foods
Functional foods (foods like oat bran that can reduce cholesterol and the risk of disease) are used therapeutically or preventatively to promote health and prevent diseases. Advances in technology are helping to increase the concentration and impact of beneficial ingredients in functional foods.

3. Nutraceuticals
Products isolated or purified from foods and sold in medicinal forms, nutraceuticals have physiological benefits and provide protection against chronic disease. Life sciences research is focusing on new ways to discover and extract these ingredients.

4. Bio-energy
Bio-energy is the process of replacing non-renewable sources of fuel with energy from renewable sources like bio-waste, or ethanol from grains. For example, bio-diesel can be produced from rendered livestock fats and used cooking oils. Methane from manure or sewage can be used to generate electricity.

5. Bio-health
Bio-health products include modified animals and crops that are used to produce pharmaceuticals or “designer proteins.” Bio-pharmaceuticals are used increasingly in vaccines, cancer treatment and the treatment of rare genetic conditions.

6. Bio-materials
Bio-materials are products made from living materials (e.g., strawboard, printer’s ink, cosmetics, paint, chemicals, fibres and bio-plastics). Today, many of these products are petroleum-based. Life sciences are pursuing new ways to create these materials from renewable resources like crops and livestock.

7. Environmental Protection and Bio-remediation
This field of life sciences study is looking at new ways to reduce impact on the environment through the use of natural control agents like bacteria to break down waste, integrated pest management, forest pest management, replacement and reduction of vaccines or antibiotics in livestock.