The Provincial Government is supporting Memorial University in its purchase of a state-of-the-art piece of equipment not widely available in Canada which will give researchers the ability to support innovative health research in the province. The equipment is essential to conduct cutting-edge studies and further explore the potential causes of chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis. This infrastructure will not only pave the way to treat such diseases but also assist health researchers in identifying areas of pharmaceutical importance.
The Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, announced an investment of $453,676 from the province's Research and Innovation Fund towards the purchase of an Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry system. The Provincial Government's investment helps to leverage a further $695,578 towards the purchase of this equipment.
The equipment will enhance Memorial University's research capabilities for future generations through the establishment of a Multidisciplinary Metabolomics Laboratory at the Core Sciences Facility. Through the project, researchers plan to train upwards of 45 professionals over the next five years, including laboratory technicians, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students, thereby increasing the number of skilled personnel in the field.
The creation of the metabolomics laboratory is being spearheaded by Dr. Shyamchand Mayengbam, Dr. Kapil Tahlan, and Dr. Guangju Zhai, who specialize in biochemistry, biology and biomedical sciences. They have also worked extensively and contributed towards metabolomics-based studies in the area of nutritional biochemistry, microbial metabolism, and clinical settings. Their objective is to study small molecules of biological origin which are of critical importance to human health, microbiology, agriculture, and aquaculture, with hopes of laying the foundation for the development of new dietary interventions and the discovery of novel microbial metabolites and antibiotics.
Quotes
"Our support for this new laboratory will help our scientists conduct groundbreaking research while also training our next generation of scientists, technicians and researchers. This will bring world leading infrastructure to Memorial University and will progress research programs specific to obesity linked diseases, chronic diseases, and osteoarthritis."
Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology
"Our Provincial Government is modernizing a health care system that was designed in the 1960s. We are creating modern environments and settings for today's heath care professional. An investment in a Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry system is an investment that helps ensure our province's health care professionals have modern technology, which will help improve the care they provide to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians."
Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services
"This funding will facilitate the establishment of a laboratory for identifying and quantifying small molecule compounds of biological origin, as well as understanding their roles in chronic disease development. Additionally, it will enable the investigation of microbial metabolites to uncover novel compounds with potential therapeutic applications."
Dr. Shyamchand Mayengbam, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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