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Our bodies are made of trillions of cells that form tissues and organs. The genes inside the nucleus of each cell code for proteins that determine a cell’s structure and function, as well as instruct a cell when to grow, divide and die. Normally, our cells follow these instructions, but if a cell’s DNA mutates it can cause the cell to divide and grow out of control. Cancer is fundamentally a disease of uncontrolled cell growth and regulation, and all cancers ultimately are caused by mutations to the genes that regulate cell division, growth and differentiation.

A world-leading University of Waterloo spinoff company, that decodes blood samples for potential treatments for illnesses like cancer and COVID-19, is expanding operations with the help of a $5-million USD investment.

Bin Ma, a University of Waterloo computer science professor who cofounded Rapid Novor in 2015, says the company’s technology is the most advanced in the world when it comes to deciphering the complex workings of antibody proteins, a process called sequencing.

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a powerful new online tool that allows users to navigate through an interactive microbial tree of life, and to generate new scientific hypotheses and discoveries.

By integrating data across thousands of microbial genomes, “AnnoTree” provides a comprehensive framework for exploring the evolution of microbial genes and functions, and can be used to advance research across a wide range of industries including microbiology, biotechnology, industrial products, biofuels, and food science.

Cheriton School of Computer Science Professor Bin Ma has received $462,998 in research support from Genome Canada for an ambitious three-year project titled “Software for peptide identification and quantification from large mass spectrometry data using data independent acquisition.” Additional funds, including a $154,327 grant from the Ontario Research Fund, bring the total amount to $925,987.

Professor Anita Layton has been named a Canada 150 Research Chair as part of the Government of Canada’s Canada 150 Research Chairs Program. She is the chairholder for her work in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.

A $350,000 investment per year for seven years will support Professor Layton’s research on the mathematical and computational modelling of blood flow dynamics and kidney function. Her computational methods have been adopted by others to solve mathematical equations arising in combustion, blood flow and other problems.