Bioscience Is Really a Household Word
Janet, an 18-year-old Nova Scotian, eats a bowl of yogurt for breakfast. She uses dish soap to wash the bowl and spoon, and then pulls on her favourite pair of faded blue jeans. Janet doesn't know it, but she has already been affected by bioscience three times today, and it's not even 8 a.m.
When hearing the term bioscience, most Canadians envision genetic engineering, cloned sheep and bionic vegetables. The bioscience seen in the news tends to be the stuff science-fiction thrillers are made of -- unknown and a little bit scary.
Barry Martin is president and CEO of Caduceus Health Care Ltd., a Nova Scotian telemedicine company and an InNOVAcorp client. He feels the media version is due to the interest people show in the bizarre aspects of bioscience.
The bioscience shown in the news "is not mainstream -- it's on the edge," says Mr. Martin. "It sort of tweaks everybody's curiosity."
The truth is that bioscience has practical applications that span far beyond the sensationalized ones that get the most attention, and more are being discovered every day, right here in Nova Scotia.
Bioscience, one of several life sciences sectors, is a set of technologies, or tools, that use living organisms to make products and solve problems. It is used in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, forestry, chemicals, household products, manufacturing, environmental cleanup, and food processing, to name a few possibilities.
To change the public image of bioscience, Mr. Martin says he thinks more education is needed. "I think you have to show the benefits and be able to somehow articulate that to the public," he says, noting that most people might not even know what bioscience is.
Humans have been using bioscience for years. Traditional animal and plant breeding, and the use of bacteria and enzymes to make yeasted breads, cheese, beer and wine are all examples of bioscience at work. In this century, bioscience has moved from the farms and kitchens to laboratories, where it is used for more complex breeding, to make or modify products, or to develop micro-organisms for specific uses.
Bioscience touches everyone's life in some way. For example, the yogurt Janet ate came from bacteria culture. The soap she used to wash the dishes was made using engineered bacteria that produces enzymes to break down the food she was washing off. Her blue jeans were faded by dye-cutting enzymes produced by genetically engineered bacteria.
Bioscience could affect her in many other ways. If Janet was a diabetic, she would take insulin that came from genetically engineered bacteria. If she thought she was pregnant, her pregnancy test would work by manipulating the cells of the human immune system. And if she wanted her brussels sprouts to taste a little sweeter, bioscience could help her too.
Barry Martin believes the local bioscience industry shows great potential. "Nova Scotian bioscience companies are doing a lot of positive things. I think it will be an area to watch for quite awhile."
With all of its potential uses, it's no wonder bioscience is such a high-growth industry in Nova Scotia and across the country. Recent statistics indicate Nova Scotia's bioscience industry is growing at more than double the national rate of 10 per cent annually. Scientists are working constantly to create new uses, methods and products using these technologies that will improve the quality of life.
NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo opportunity to accompany this feature will be available June 24 at 1721 Lower Water St., Halifax, InNOVAcorp's newest business incubator.