Montréal, March 23, 2026 — Génome Québec is especially proud of the performance of Québec research teams in Genome Canada’s pan-Canadian competition, Genomics Applications Partnership Program (GAPP). A total of $8.4 million will be invested in genomics in Québec, including $2.7 million through Génome Québec.
Among the Québec projects, two received funding under the national stream of the GAPP, and four others under the regional stream. The announcement was made by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Economic Development Canada for Quebec Regions, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Economic Development Canada for the Quebec Regions. These investments will help accelerate the commercialization and application of innovations in genomics.
Public-private partnerships for significant benefits in key sectors
The results of the competition demonstrate the excellence and creativity of Québec teams in using genomic tools to remain competitive in a constantly evolving market. “Collaboration between academic and private partners will advance innovative projects, particularly in crop improvement and animal health and in the development of innovative therapies for refractory cancers and rare diseases, including RNA-based approaches. By leveraging genomics and the integration of advanced technologies, these initiatives will help generate tangible and sustainable benefits while strengthening Québec’s capacity for innovation,” says Stéphanie Lord-Fontaine, Vice President, Scientific Affairs at Génome Québec.
Congratulations to the recipients
Regional projects include:
- Saji George from McGill University in partnership with BioSun Solutions – Improving Cannabis Resilience and Quality Using Bacteria-Based Biostimulants
- Philippe LeFrançois from McGill University in partnership with TATUM Bioscience – IMMUpredict: A platform for intratumoral vaccination of skin cancers
- Serge McGraw from Université de Montréal in partnership with Boviteq – Molecular Markers for Healthy Calves: Optimizing IVF Conditions with Epigenetic Screening
- Jo Anne Stratton from McGill University in partnership RNA4RARE Therapeutics Inc. – Towards the commercialization of an omics-guided RNA-based therapy for neurofibromatosis
National projects include:
- François Belzile from Université Laval in partnership with Prograin Inc. – GenoPhAI: Combining genomics, phenomics and artificial intelligence to enable data-driven breeding in soybean
- Davoud Torkamaneh from Université Laval in partnership with Aplantex – SpectraLens: Intelligent Screening for High-Throughput Biotransformation in Engineered Biofactories
What is the Genomic Applications Partnership Program?
The GAPP promotes partnerships between Canadian companies and academic research institutions to accelerate the application of genomics and strengthen economic competitiveness.
The program involves two streams and an annual call for proposals:
- National stream: Administered at the national level, this stream supports high-potential, large-scale innovative projects with budgets ranging from $900,000 to $6 million per project. For more information, click here.
- Regional stream: Administered by regional centres, this stream supports more targeted projects with total budgets ranging from $300,000 to $900,000, with the aim of facilitating their commercialization by local companies. For more information on this stream in Québec, click here.
About Génome Québec
Génome Québec’s mission is to catalyze the development and excellence of genomics research and promote its integration and democratization. It is a pillar of the Québec bioeconomy and contributes to Québec’s influence and its social and sustainable development. The funds invested by Génome Québec are provided by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec (MEIE), the Government of Canada, through Genome Canada, and private partners. To learn more, visit www.genomequebec.com.
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Contact
Antoine Gascon
Specialist, Communications and Digital Media
514-377-5613
agascon@genomequebec.com