NRC Annual Report 2001-2002

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N R C – F R O M D I S C O V E R Y T O I N N O V A T I O N...46Puffer fish poisonings solvedAnalytical chemists at NRC-IMB successfully identifiedsaxitoxin as the causative agent in near fatalpoisonings in the United States associated witheating Atlantic Puffer fish, a species never previouslyassociated with toxicity. Apart from therapid resolution of the poisoning mystery, thisexpert research in marine toxins has resulted inincreased awareness of a potential new source ofseafood poisoning.Helping identify the victims of theWorld Trade Center attackIn the aftermath of the September 11 attack onthe World Trade Center, health officials in NewYork City were faced with the unprecedented challengeof identifying the thousands who died whenthe twin towers collapsed. American firm GeneCodes Corporation, a leading company in thecreation of DNA sequencing software and databases,was chosen for the task. Gene CodesForensics, a wholly owned subsidiary of GeneCodes Corporation, was created for the solepurpose of handling the specific needs of thisproject.To help manage the tremendous amount of datagenerated by the project, Gene Codes recruitedthe leader of NRC’s Canadian BioinformaticsResource specifically for his world-leading expertisein genetic database management. UsingNRC’s expertise, new software was created thatcould rapidly catalogue, search, and compare vastamounts and different types of genetic information,with the ultimate goal of identifying victims.By using different DNA sequencing techniques, aunique DNA signature could be developed foreach victim and compared to samples taken froma missing person’s personal effects, such as atoothbrush or hairbrush. The software was thefirst of its kind able to handle such a vast array ofinformation and data with the goal of identifyingthe victims as quickly as possible.As the world came to terms withthe September 11 tragedy, a teamof experts was called upon toinvestigate and report on theperformance of the affected buildingsin the vicinity of Ground Zero.Among them was an NRC expertin building performance – the onlymember from outside the U.S.invited to join the study.
Talent for CanadaPC ae po ap cl iet ySkills and learning are the foundations ofCanada’s Innovation Strategy. It is our knowledgeand skills that lead to new concepts and originalproducts and services. This strategy is aboutequipping all Canadians with the tools they needto participate in Canada’s workplace… Theirknowledge is now the currency of our economy andthe factor that will ensure our continued socialdevelopment.47The Honourable Jane StewartMINISTER, HUMAN RESOURCESDEVELOPMENT CANADAS C I E N C E A T W O R K F O R C A N A D A
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Page 15 and 16: Protein folding - better understand
Page 17 and 18: NRC’s construction R&DThe constru
Page 19 and 20: Wave impact and scaling - better sh
Page 21 and 22: Advances in manufacturingCutting co
Page 23 and 24: Value for CanadaTaking technology t
Page 25 and 26: Intellectual propertyThe importance
Page 27 and 28: Meningitis-Cvaccine approved for Ca
Page 29 and 30: One of NRC’s newest industrypartn
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NRC Annual Report 2001-2002

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