December 9, 2003 For Immediate Release

The Federal and Provincial Governments are supporting the establishment of a new research centre at UNBC focusing on molecular and population genetics.

Conceived by Biology professor Brent Murray, the centre will initially allow expansion of research activity on wildlife genetics, including fish and marine mammal immunology and its relationship to the environment. The centre will be unique in BC and also facilitate research on broader environmental issues and, with the development of the Northern Medical Program, research on genetic issues related to human health.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation and the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund are each contributing $155,000 to creating the Centre for Molecular and Population Genetics. The funding will significantly enhance and update UNBC's existing DNA analysis facility (originally acquired through a contribution from the Bank of Montreal) and the purchase of a mobile molecular laboratory. The new equipment will more than double the speed and capability of UNBC's genetic research capacity.

"The focus of my research is to better understand the evolution and function of immune systems in fish and marine mammals," says Dr Murray, who joined UNBC in 2001. "Understanding how the immune system response is different from ours is critical for the treatment and prevention of disease. This information will become more important as efforts intensify to 'farm' many fish species."

To date, Dr Murray's research has focused on the immune system genetics of marine mammals and fish populations. He has also examined the genetic evolution of fish in extreme climates, such as the Tibetan Plateau and Antarctica.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation and the BC Knowledge Development Fund has contributed significantly to increasing the research capacity at UNBC. Other projects that have received funding have included the Centre for Environmental Disturbance and Assessment Research, a multimedia lab for social science research, a high-performance computing facility, the I.K. Barber Enhanced Forestry Laboratory, and equipment for measuring the movement of airborne pollutants.