BIOSCIENCE
Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Infection and Immunity, the province has been a longstanding hub for renowned researchers such as Allan Ronald, the late Frank Plummer, James Blanchard, Marissa Becker, Keith Fowke and current University of Manitoba Prof. Jason Kindrachuk, an expert on monkey pox and Ebola. “If you combine all of these pieces, both industrial partners and academic partners, and government partners, we should be able to serve as a coalescence point to attract companies to Manitoba,” Pinto says. One of the most critical components for expanding growth opportunities in Manitoba will be ensuring critical defence and security measures are in place. To address concerns regarding biological warfare, Pinto notes the prov- ince is well equipped with the Canadian Air Force, 17 Wing Winnipeg, Canadian Forces Base Shilo and the Royal Canadian Navy positioned in the Arctic. A proposal for a centre for biodefence
Dr. B. Mario Pinto, vice-president (research and international) at the University of Manitoba, is a Canadian chemical biologist and academic who is working to present Manitoba as a Maritime province. He believes through the Port of Churchill there is a tremen- dous opportunity to access Asia and Europe through shorter shipping routes and to open new entry points using the Arctic Ocean as the conduit. “I think that really is one of the untapped economic opportunities for Manitoba and I think we could play a leadership role in making Canadian his- tory,” Pinto says. “It’s really about living the adage coast to coast to coast of Canada.” Not only does it have geography on its side, but Manitoba’s biosci- ence industry has a history of leading expertise, especially in the field of infectious disease. As home to the National Microbiology Laboratory, the Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Emergent BioSolutions and, most recently, the
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