Manley opens microbes-to-medicine company

The Hon. John Manley, Minister of Industry, joins UBC Prof. Julian
Davies Oct. 17 to launch TerraGen Diversity Inc., a company which
uses the genetic complement of previously unknown microbes for the
development of new drugs. Davies, TerraGen president and head of
UBC’s Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, said these microbes
(bacteria, fungi) have the potential to provide an unlimited supply
of biological compounds for new antibiotics and pharmaceuticals
or agents to combat pollutants in water or soil. Manley opens TerraGen
by activating a robot that can generate molecular reactions creating
up to 100 million copies of genes from soil DNA. TerraGen is in
the Gerald McGavin Multi-Tenant Facility at 2386 East Mall, UBC.

  • Contact: David Woods or Joe McDermott, TerraGen Diversity,
    (604) 221-8896

Rick Hansen set for Man in Motion anniversary

Rick Hansen plans to use the 10th anniversary of his around-the-world
trek to introduce a series of new initiatives and programs. Hansen
is currently working with premiers across the country to establish
a provincially based fund that would see a portion of relevant traffic
offence fines allocated to support spinal cord and head injury research
and rehabilitation and accident prevention programs.

  • Contact: Bill Crook, Associate Director, Life Skills
    Motivation Centre, 604.822.5888

Innovative program helps troubled teens

Crime, drug use and dropping out of school are youth issues which
have traditionally been tackled through separate prevention programs.
But because such behaviors tend to cluster, the West End Youth Project
— a collaboration of the Burrard Health Unit, the West End Community
Centre and UBC’s Institute of Health Promotion Research — has developed
broad-based community projects such as a youth-run community council,
a youth-run newspaper and youth elections to community boards and
associations.

  • Contact: Margaret Cargo, Researcher, Institute of Health
    Promotion Research, 604.822.1879

Computer guru ponders the future of reading

Will Net surfing replace book reading? That’s one of the questions
Michael Lesk will address when he delivers the 1996 UBC Library
Lecture next week. Lesk, who helped create the Unix computer operating
system, will also discuss the future of publishing, student access
to digital education and how universities can prepare to meet the
challenges presented by the Web. Lesk speaks on Thursday, Oct. 24
at 12:30 p.m. in room 110 of the Henry Angus Building, 2053 Main
Mall.

  • Contact: Stephen Forgacs, Public Affairs Office, 604.822.2048

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