The King's Connection Magazine Volume 23 Number 3//Spring 2013 | Page 8
Campus News
campus news
Edmonton biotech firm gets
significant funding for
HIV/AIDS fight
Pictured: Daniel
Van Heyst and The King’s Guild President Jenny Van Belle with
The King’s Guild Christmas Art & Craft Sale
O
n February 5, Metabolistics, an Edmonton-based biotech
firm with a strong connection to The King’s University
College, announced significant funding for its efforts to fight
against HIV/AIDS, in a news conference in a science classroom
at the institution.
Metabolistics received almost $500,000 in funding from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a new measure of
recent HIV infection, and from the National Research Council of
Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program to develop a
clinical test for detection of early HIV infection.
“The funding is truly humbling and serves as further motivation
to apply our work to assist in the global fight against HIV,” says
Dr. Carolyn Slupsky, founder of Metabolistics.
King’s has developed a strong and beneficial relationship with
Metabolistics: a portion of the lab work is done using King’s
facilities; Dr. Hank Bestman, Dr. Kris Ooms and
Dr. Leah Martin-Visscher have all been acknowledged
as aiding through discussions on technical aspects; and,
alumnus Mark Blackburn (B.Sc.) was a full-time lab
technician for two years. In his time with the company,
Blackburn was instrumental in the development of
Metabolistics’ procedural manual.
“The Metabolistics project is an outstanding example of fruitful
collaboration between a start-up company with great ideas
and a small university committed to research,” says President
Fernhout. “We are particularly pleased and proud of the
research opportunities this kind of collaboration provides for
some of our students.” In an email to Metabolistics, Blackburn
wrote, “being a student at King’s fully prepared me for the
demands of ‘real life’ laboratory work and Metabolistics
provided further opportunities to learn and grow in the field.”
guild provides needed support
K
Pictured: Dr.
Carolyn Slupsky and Steven Slupsky
The grant will be used by Metabolistics to closely examine the
pattern of metabolites (small molecules) found in the urine of
HIV positive individuals. Because Metabolistics looks at the
effect of the virus, rather than the virus itself, it can differentiate
between urine samples from newly infected individuals and
chronically infected individuals. The sensitivity of this test will
facilitate measurement of HIV incidence, which is the number
of new infections in a population. Incidence is important for
measurement of the efficacy of HIV prevention programs.
Another advantage of Metabolistics’ approach is that multiple
diseases can be screened using one urine sample. For
example, a single urine sample could be used to test for HIV,
tuberculosis, and other diseases. Moreover, urine-based rather
than blood-based testing is easier and safer to provide in
developing nations. Metabolistics’ goal is to have each test cost
less than one dollar. ?
ing’s continues to be thankful to the The King’s Guild, a
group of dedicated women, for their faithful support. In
addition to purchasing the painting, The King’s Guild Christmas
Art & Craft Sale by Daniel Van Heyst, Professor of Art
and Drama, in the past year the Guild has also bought a water
fountain with water bottle refill station for outside the gym;
promotional material for community engagement; a large paper
cutter (to accompany the Library’s large format printer); a winter
cab cover for Facilities Services’ snow blower; and, a paper
folder for Development. As well, they c ? ?X?]Y?[?[?????H???[X\?H???\?^X?] [[ZY?[? ?H\? ???[??YX?][??H?[???&\??Z[[??? H [?]?\??] H??Y?H ??] \? ?\??H ? Y[? ?;??B??? Y[? ???Y\?[??\ H]?\? ??B????\??Y[?[? YY\? ? Y[? ?XX??[??YH?]?? ??X?[?H?????[?\??HX??]\?[? ???H ? ?^?\????\? [?\??Y X]H ??\??] H?\?\???]?\?[?? H?[?YX[?\????X][???[??\\??
??Q?B????\?[??H[] H[?]?\??] H?]??Y?H???HX\??
?NK???'?x?&\?H ?\?H ??Y?XX??[??YK?X?[?H[?\??K8?'H ?^\\????X]H ??\?????[??\ H ??ZX?Y[?\??\??8?'\????\?[??H[?? YY?[??\ H\\?Y[? ?[?[??\?\????[?YH[?? Y[?? H[?]?\??] H?[?\?K[?]?\??] H???]\???? [X?XK[?]?\??] H??X??XK ?[?] H?\?\??[?X[?B?[?K????[???&\? ? Z?H???\?? X?H[? ?[??\?]\] B?[?\??Y X]H]?[\?H?X]??\???'B?XX??[??YH?]?? ????\? ??\?8?'H[??\??Y[?[??\??? \?[??H ??[?[??[?[??Y[???&\? ??]X\??Y? ?Z[ ?[??]^ [??[? ??X?8?'K??X?[?H?????[?\??B?X??]\?[? ????YHH ?^?H?? Z\? ??\?8?' ?\ [?? ?N???]\? ??\??] H[?????H?Y]???[? x?'K?????]?? ?????[?X??]\?[? H ??\?? ?\?HB??\]Z\?[Y[??? Z\?S???
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
??