A team of UNBC interdisciplinary researchers has received a federal grant of nearly $400,000 to further their study of local mushrooms as a potential cancer and diabetes prevention or treatment.

The $389,908 provided by the federal government’s Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund will allow UNBC Biochemistry Professor Dr. Chow Lee and his fellow researchers to expedite their search for new compounds derived from British Columbia’s mushrooms which have bio-activities that are relevant to cancer and diabetes.

“The CFI infrastructure funding grants (equipment only) to be set up will significantly boost our quest to find new medicinal compounds that can be potentially used for the treatment or prevention of two chronic diseases – cancer and diabetes,” said Dr. Lee who is the principal investigator of the research.

“The infrastructure includes equipment for chemical extraction of mushrooms, equipment for purifying and to help identify bio-active compounds, equipment for biological analysis (various types of microscopes and a cell sorter), and fridge/freezers for storing mushroom extracts and bio-active compounds.”

Lee was joined by Dr. Sarah Gray, an associate professor in the Northern Medical Program and Dr. Ranjana Bird as co-investigators.

The funding announced today by the federal government is from a fund designed to help universities attract and retain the best and brightest researchers from around the world by giving them cutting-edge research tools.

The investment at UNBC is part of $23 million in funding for 95 projects at 26 universities across Canada.

In July 2015, Dr. Lee and a team of UNBC researchers received $52,000 from the Genome British Columbia Strategic Opportunities Fund. UNBC provided matching funds, bringing the total to more than $104,172.

That funding allows for the team to find up to 100 wild mushroom species all across Northern B.C., genetically identify the species and perform initial chemical extraction. Different solvents are being used to extract specific mushroom compounds and generate what are known as fractions. Those crude fractions were then tested to see if they have any beneficial cancer-fighting properties.

The researchers are looking for mushroom fractions that can either block cancer cell growth on their own or can help stimulate the immune system and act as a catalyst to help the body fight the cancer.

The project brings together researchers from UNBC’s Chemistry and Biochemistry programs who have expertise in cancer and the Ecosystem Science and Management Program who have expertise in the biology and ecology of wild mushrooms and native trees.

Along with project leader Dr. Lee, the team also includes co-principal investigators Chemistry Professor Dr. Kerry Reimer, Ecosystem Science and Management Professors Dr. Keith Egger and Dr. Hugues Massicotte, and Chemistry Senior Laboratory instructor Dr. Tina Bott.

Pictured above are UNBC Biochemistry professor Dr. Chow Lee and Northern Medical Program associate professor Dr. Sarah Gray.