The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the University of Guelph's Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (U of G – BIO) will partner to create tools to use genomics and DNA barcoding to improve species identification for early detection of plant pests and mislabelled fish and seafood.
Additionally, the funding will support the development of a program to help enhance cooperation between CFIA and (U of G – BIO) scientists, leverage opportunities in genomics to modernize regulatory programs, and prevent entry of invasive plant pests.
The CFIA is contributing $323,000 over 18 months to support this collaboration.
Canada is at the forefront of genomics and DNA barcoding for species detection and identification. The ability to accurately detect and identify species is a key component to ensuring a safe and accessible food supply and plant resource base.
