New Lab Means More Leading Edge Research At WCVM

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The opening of the new Westgen Research Suite at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine is another leap forward for a facility with a long track record of producing results for livestock producers in Saskatchewan.

WCVM dean Dr. Charles Rhodes says the new lab will provide an enhanced base for the work the college has been known for over the past 30 years.

"The suite is primarily going to be concerned with research related to animal reproduction," says Dr. Rhodes. "It will focus on the common livestock species such as cattle, swine, sheep and horses."

The name of the new research suite honours Western Canada's Genetics Centre, a B.C.-based non-profit society owned by producers which promotes the development and use of assisted reproduction in dairy herds. Westgen contributed $640,000 toward the cost of the new laboratory building. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provided 60 per cent of overall funding, and the remainder was funded through Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.

"This is a tremendous improvement for us at the college," says Dr. Rhodes. "It provides added space that we need for research and for graduate students. More importantly, it provides the very latest equipment and dedicated space to do really cutting-edge research in this area."

The Westgen Research Suite comprises facilities such as cell culture rooms, storage space for liquid nitrogen, and more than $1.5 million in specialized equipment. It will also host scientists from the Canadian Animal Genetic Resources Centre, which is dedicated to preserving the diversity of genetics in Canadian farm livestock.

The new lab completes a research wing of some 1,468 square metres that is certified to handle lower-level biohazards such as food pathogens. It represents part of a multi-year expansion and renovation project at the college.

"Earlier this summer, we opened the Animal Care Unit, which is where we house the research animals - everything from mice to cattle," says Dr. Rhodes. "Beyond that, we have expansion of our clinical resources, and we're working on our diagnostic laboratory right now. It'll be a year and a half to two years before the entire project is completed."

In all, some $57 million will be spent to modernize and expand the WCVM facilities.

"We will have an increase of about 25 per cent in space and a renovation of a quarter of the existing space," says Dean Rhodes. "It's a huge, complex project, because we're trying to keep our clinics running, our diagnostics lab running, and our student teaching continues during the midst of all this."

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine today boasts enrolment of over 400 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled, and annual researching funding of more than $10 million from both public and private sources.

"Really, what you're talking about is enabling good people to do good things," says Dr. Rhodes. "In order to attract outstanding students and outstanding staff you need to have the facilities and equipment that they can apply to modern research."

For more information, contact:
Dr. Charles Rhodes, Dean
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
Phone: 966-7448
E-mail: Rhodes@usask.ca