• Genome BC
• Genome Alberta
• Genome Prairie
• Ontario Genomics Institute
• Génome Québec
• Genome Atlantic

Genome BC

• Check out Genome BC's revamped website, featuring a new Genomics & Society space.
• Published in March, Genome BC's latest Genomics & Society Newsletter focuses on health, with a feature on Genome BC's Strategic Research Initiatives Workshop Program funding opportunity.
• In April, Genome BC hosted seminars by Dr. Brian Wynne on "Climates & Genomes: How do we put the social into science for sustainability?"
• Genome BC continued its 'Knowledge Translation' workshop series:
  • Dr. Dan Weary and PhD student Elisabeth Ormandy engaged members of animal care committees in a discussion on new Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines on genetically-engineered animals.
  • Dr. Emily Marden and Dr. Ed Levy discussed open science and alternative intellectual property models with scientists and representatives from technology transfer offices (TTOs) and industry. (Marden and Levy were featured in the fall 2009 issue of Impact.)
• Genome BC co-sponsored a workshop with UBC's School of Journalism on the under-reporting of genetics and aboriginal health issues in the media. See the summary, podcast and live blog.

Genome Alberta

• Building on the success of the award-winning Imagining Science, GE³LS Principal Investigator (PI) Timothy Caulfield, with brother Sean Caulfield and Elizabeth Ingram, professors in University of Alberta's Department of Art and Design, are leading a second highly interdisciplinary project, Science, Social Controversy and Art: An Interdisciplinary Exchange, exploring the impact of popular culture and art on public perceptions of biotechnology.
• In March, GE³LS PI Peter Phillips co-sponsored and presented at a two-day symposium on Intellectual Property in Florence, Italy, in collaboration with colleagues at the Universities of McGill, Alberta and Ottawa.
• GE³LS PI Dr. Peter Philips and Research Associate Sidi Zhang are working to complete research on Access and Benefit Sharing policies related to traditional knowledge. A complete report is expected this spring.
• GE³LS PI Dr. Edna Einsiedel recently prepared a report for Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, "Bioproducts and the emerging bioeconomy: an analysis of the public debate," exploring the 'food-versus-fuel' controversy and its potential impact on the development of biofuels. PhD student Amanda Boyd is developing a national online survey to examine how the Canadian general public perceives conventional and bio-based energy sources.
• GE³LS PI Dr. Michele Veeman and PhD student Yulian Ding are studying consumers' behaviour towards food risks, for example food with health-related attributes (omega-3 content), that may be associated with genetically modified (GM) ingredients.
• Commentaries from the 5^th International DNA Sampling Conference: The Age of Personalized Genomics have been featured in Personalized Medicine (2009, 6 (6): 617-619) and the Journal of International Biotechnology Law (2009), 6: 262-263). The first paper of the conference's special journal series will be published in the June 2010 issue of Public Health Genomics.

Genome Prairie

• Change to the Seeds Act? Genome Prairie is watching the debate on Bill C-474 – a bill calling for changes to the process through which genetically engineered seeds are approved in Canada – with interest. The enactment would require that, before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted, an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted. The second reading of the bill occurred on April 14, 2010 and is now scheduled to go before the Agriculture Committee for further discussion.
• Genome Prairie and the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge – Saskatoon Region sponsored a public talk by Robert Sawyer, renowned science fiction writer and futurist. Sawyer explored the future of biosciences and outlined the ethical implications researchers should consider before performing any type of research.
• In April, a SIGNet (Societal Impact of Genomics Network) workshop was held in Saskatoon to engage industry, academia and governments on how they can work collectively to address challenges in taking innovative ideas in crop and bioproduct genomics to the marketplace. Dr. Peter Phillips, Dr. Stuart Smyth and Darcy Pawlik (VP, Life Sciences and Regulatory Affairs, Ag-West Bio Inc.) led the discussion. Invited attendees included representatives from crop and bioproduct companies and groups interested in innovation from the standpoints of policy, intellectual property management, regulation, technology transfer and public perception.

Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI)

• Dr. Shane Green, previous Director of Outreach and lead GE³LS advisor at OGI, has accepted a position at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health as Program Leader in Ethics. Dr. Caitlin Hammond is now the lead GE³LS advisor at OGI.
• The OGI GE³LS Network, a network of Ontario-based GE³LS researchers, now counts over 70 members from varying social science and humanities disciplines, other areas of academia, and the public and private sectors. To join the network, and benefit from funding announcements and cross-disciplinary collaborative efforts, contact Dr. Caitlin Hammond.
• A new Socio-Economic Impact of Genomics Prize (SIG Prize) annual competition was launched In May, 2010, to recognize "best-in-class" research publications co-authored by scientists and GE³LS researchers, reflecting integrated research approaches. Applicants must be funded by OGI. For more information, contact Dr. Caitlin Hammond.
• Dr. Jennifer Pelley and Dr. Marc Saner recently published an in-depth review of international policy development and regulatory activities on nanotechnology, "International Approaches to the Regulatory Governance of Nanotechnology". The report is also featured on the NanoWerk website.
• Dr. Jennifer Pelley, Dr. Abdallah Daar and Dr. Marc Saner recently published "State of academic knowledge on toxicity and biological fate of quantum dots".
• OGI-funded GE³LS researchers Dr. Fiona Miller and Dr. Robin Hayeems, along with J.P. Bytautas, recently co-published "What is a meaningful result? Disclosing the results of genomic research in autism to research participants". (Miller and Hayeems' GE³LS project is featured in the fall 2009 issue of Impact.)
• After presenting at GeneBanc's 2009 International Conference, "New Challenges for Biobanks. Ethics, Law and Governance", Dr. Kerry Bowman, Maxwell  Smith, Lisa Austin and Trudo Lemmens have written book chapters on "Culture, Identity and Consent for Genomic Research" (Bowman and Smith) and "Privacy, Consent and Governance" (Austin and Lemmens), published in Challenges for biobanks: Ethics, law and governance.

Génome Québec

• The first Café scientifique Génome Québec – Concordia University, on "Genomics and Infectious disease", was held April 1 in Montreal, facilitated by Patrick Masbourian, a Radio-Canada journalist. Dr Jean-Pierre Routy, Dr Maurice Boissinot, Dr Claude Laberge, and Billie-Jo Hardy were guest speakers. Ms. Hardy, a PhD candidate, spoke about the numerous issues (e.g., political will, individual leadership, genomic sovereignty, knowledge-based economy and local health benefits) linked to the integration of genomics in the developing world (Mexico, India, and South Africa).
• The second Café scientifique Génome Québec will take place in the fall, and will address the implications of genomic research for the environment and agriculture. For more information, contact Anick Dubois, GE³LS Program Manager.
• The annual meeting of the international consortium P3G (Public Population Project in Genomics), entitled "Harmonization in Practice: A Platform Based on 50 Studies from 18 Countries", was held April 26-27, 2010 in Montreal, led by Bartha M. Knoppers. Numerous international and national guest speakers discussed a range of issues related to biobanking and data harmonization, large scale project development, and the communication of results to participants.
• Our congratulations to Yann Joly, the lead investigator of the GE³LS team integrated into the genomics project "Genomics and proteomics platforms for vaccines and immune therapeutics discovery and development" (financed by Génome Québec, PRIVAC competition), for his publication on "open access" as an alternative or complement to patenting in biotechnology, in Nature Biotechnology (vol 5, no 5, May 2010).
• Our congratulations also to Denise Avard, a researcher on the large scale GE³LS project "Genomics and Public Health (GPH): Building Public "Goods"?", which ended June 2009, for her publication on "Informed Consent and Multiplex Genetic Screening" in Encyclopedia of Life Sciences in January, 2010.

Genome Atlantic

• Genome Atlantic partnered with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs to present the final lecture in their 5-part national series, "Trust in the New Sciences: Remaking the Human". The 5^th session, delivered in Halifax by Dr. Evelyn Fox Keller, was on the topic of "Genes, Genomics and Human Nature". Over 200 people attended the event.
• Genome Atlantic is working with the social sciences community of Newfoundland's Memorial University to develop a pilot project to engage young researchers in topics related to GE³LS.
• At Genome Canada's Where Genomics, Public Policy and Society Meet (GPS) event in April, Dr. Daryl Pullman (Memorial University), lead GE³LS researcher on the Genome Canada-funded Atlantic Medical Genetics and Genomics Initiative (AMGGI), presented a policy brief with Dr. Trudo Lemmens (U of T) on "Revisiting Genetic Discrimination Issues in 2010: Policy Options for Canada".
• Dr. Pullman and Dr. Lemmens also published "Keeping the GINA in the bottle: assessing the current need for genetic non-discrimination legislation in Canada", in the April 2010 edition of Open Medicine.