For immediate release

October 13, 2010

Kwantlen named only B.C. university to receive government grant for horticulture research

(METRO VANCOUVER, B.C.) Kwantlen Polytechnic University received a $200,000 government research grant under the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program, to research and develop biopesticides at its Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH). Following peer-reviewed competition, Kwantlen became one of 11 post-secondary institutions across Canada and the only university in B.C. selected to collaborate with the industry and expand its innovative research to benefit local communities.

“This grant is of great importance to the research program at the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture,” comments Deborah Henderson, director of ISH and Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF) Regional Innovation chair. “It will enable us to put our new lab into action, provide research experience for new grads and undergrads, help us reinforce our partnerships with industry groups, and work together towards a more sustainable future.”

Kwantlen’s two-year research project, titled “New Microbial Bioproducts for Horticulture. Phase 1 Fungal Entomopathogens,” will develop and commercialize environmentally friendly pesticides, which are created from naturally occurring fungal organisms, and solve pest problems in horticulture and agriculture. Furthermore, Kwantlen will partner with local small and medium-sized businesses to bring to market biological tools yielded from this research project for future food production and landscape preservation.

The CCI program is a collaborative initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Its objective is to increase innovation at the community and/or regional level by enabling Canadian colleges to increase their capacity to work with local companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. It supports applied research and collaborations that facilitate commercialization, as well as technology transfer, adaptation and adoption of new technologies.

The ISH research facility was established with a $2.27-million grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and a matching grant from the B.C. Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development. With an incubator facility that is the first of its kind in Canada, Kwantlen’s ISH has become an integral partner to the horticulture industry by participating in a growing number of projects with the common goals of promoting economic and environmental sustainability. ISH works with a network of collaborators and partners from industry, community and post-secondary institutions. For more information, visit kwantlen.ca/ish

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For more information about this research project, contact:
Deborah Henderson
Director, Institute for Sustainable Horticulture
LEEF Regional Innovation Chair
Tel: 604.599.3460
deborah.henderson@kwantlen.ca

OR

For more information about Kwantlen, contact:
Joanne Saunders
Director, Marketing & Communications
Tel: 604.599.2243
joanne.saunders@kwantlen.ca