NRC launches $10-million nutraceuticals program

The National Research Council (NRC) has rolled out another piece of its cluster and community-based innovation strategy with a $10-million nutraceuticals research program. The investment over five years is being made in the NRC’s Plant Biotechnology Institute in Saskatoon. Initial participants in the research program include the Saskatchewan Nuturaceuticals Network, Univ of Saskatchewan and Bioriginal Food and Science Corp. In addition, new partners in the innovation chain are being actively sought. Research will focus on nutraceuticals, functional foods and molecular farming — technologies underpinning the emerging plant biotechnology cluster. The market potential for Canadian firms is estimated to be $1.5 billion within three years....

In other NRC news, a new recruitment initiative has been launched to attract 50 outstanding researchers over the next five years. New Opportunities - New Horizons is billed as a so-called “star catcher program”. It encourages NRC staff to to act as ambassadors for the NRC by seeking established or promising researchers worldwide. Since its launch in mid-September, more than 500 applications have been received and the first hire has already been made....