As I write this, Saskatchewan is in a deep-freeze, with the thermometer hovering around -30C (but hey, it’s a dry cold) and I’m thinking of how science affects our daily lives. How many of us have the knowledge to survive these temperatures on our own? We are kept warm by the energy that is ‘magically’ delivered to our cozy homes. Science and technology are so integrated into our lives that we rarely even notice them (until the furnace stops running).
Approaching the one-year mark of Saskatchewan’s first COVID-19 pandemic ‘shut-down,’ we are counting on highly trained scientists to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 so we can get back to normal. Saskatchewan’s own Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) will be adding its vaccine options to the toolbox for long-term protection against this new virus.
Science and technology are also key to the reliable sources of food that we enjoy in this part of the world. We who work in the industry are very aware of that fact, but many consumers take it for granted. It’s important to share our knowledge with consumers in order for them to have trust in our industry.
Ag-West Bio applauds the efforts of the provincial ‘ag awareness amplifier’ organizations – Farm & Food Care and Ag in the Classroom – whose mandates are to share information about modern agriculture with the public. We encourage industry stakeholders to support these organizations.
We also salute the many companies that are adding value to our agriculture industry – the entrepreneurs working hard to create companies to develop and commercialize products, and the service organizations that are supporting their efforts.
New Ag-West Bio initiatives are underway to nurture the development of Saskatchewan’s agri-value industry. The AWB StartUP Platform will help early-stage entrepreneurs map out their plan. Also watch for a new SaskAgrisource database being developed to showcase agri-value businesses – both are coming soon!
Our ABIC Speaker Series is lining up exciting speakers for two events this year! Mark September 21st in your calendar for the Fall ABIC event – featuring Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Jennifer Doudna, co-creator of the CRISPR gene editing technology. Stay tuned for the announcement of our spring ABIC speaker!
I hope you enjoy the following articles. We welcome our members to submit articles (please read the submission guidelines). Visit our event calendar and sign up for our Weekly Update to keep up with news and events in Saskatchewan’s bioscience industry; and of course, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our YouTube video channel.
