$8.1-million Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility Officially Opened

Memorial University held an event today to celebrate the official opening of the boreal ecosystem research facility. The Honourable Tom Marshall, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Gary Kachanoski, President and Vice-chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland, attended and unveiled a ceremonial plaque this morning to officially open the new facility at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University in Corner Brook.

The new 500 square-metre facility will provide high-level research resources to support or inform federal, provincial, university and private sector research priorities in forestry, agriculture and the environmental sector. The facility, with its three interconnected analytical research laboratories, will build capacity in analytical research with a particular focus on soils, plants, air and water.

“I am pleased to congratulate Memorial University on the official opening of this facility, which will create an enhanced capacity for R&D that will help enrich and develop growth industries in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our government is committed to supporting innovative initiatives such as this one, which drive opportunities for growth and economic development in the forestry, agriculture, agri-foods, and environmental sectors.”
- The Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador and Minister of State (ACOA)

The university invested $4 million in the construction of the facility, and a further $1 million in equipment. The facility will house five new research professors, including an agronomist, soil scientist, plant/crop specialist, agriculture/forestry resource economist and hydrologist. The Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), contributed more than $2 million towards the initiative. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has contributed $1 million through the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

“Memorial University has a long-standing reputation of excellence in research. This new boreal ecosystem research facility at Grenfell Campus is another example of the university leading the way in the fields of forestry, agriculture and environmental studies. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to invest in our students and in our post-secondary infrastructure as we know a vibrant economy depends on it. This new facility will help attract students and train them for the forestry and agriculture sectors. It is also a key piece to continuing to build world-class research capacity within.”
- The Honourable Tom Marshall, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

The development of this facility at Grenfell Campus is an essential element in a multi-faceted approach designed to build research capacity, create expertise in strategic sectors, attract highly qualified personnel to enhance Grenfell’s teaching and research reputation, develop new graduate programs in environmental sciences, and attract an increasing number of new students. In May 2013, Memorial University signed a collaborative research agreement with Natural Resources Canada, regarding sharing of expertise and resources in the forestry field – an important step in fostering research partnership at Grenfell Campus.

Dr. Kachanoski is also delighted that part of the university’s investment includes a donation from The McCain Foundation; this gift of $100,000 is earmarked for lab equipment.

“The new facility will enable the university to expand academic programming and research in the areas of forestry, agriculture and the environmental industry. It will spur innovation, enhance co-ordination and collaboration, and attract and train graduate students to build on that knowledge base. We are grateful to our federal and provincial governments for their vision and their support of research and research-based teaching.”
- Dr. Gary Kachanoski, President and Vice-Chancellor of Memorial University

QUICK FACTS

• The new facility will provide access to world-class expertise to provincial and national forestry, agrifoods and environmental industries’ key research areas in their sectors.
• Pre-process laboratory: Processing room for field samples and measurements in non-sterile conditions. This lab is isolated from the other lab areas to allow for preliminary processing and drying of raw samples that will be further extracted and analyzed in the other two labs.
• Extraction and standard chemical analyses laboratory: Two functions: 1) to extract analytical samples from the pre-process materials and 2) to carry out standard wet chemistry analyses for nutrients and soil chemistry.
• Molecular biology laboratory: Extracting and characterizing molecular compounds, DNA and RNA to allow genetic and metabolic analyses; culturing microorganisms, plant, and animal cells.
• Analytical laboratory: High-end analytical facility housing the most sensitive analytical instruments.

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2014 03 28             11:25 a.m.