The frequency of harmful cyanobacteria blooms in the world’s aquatic environments is increasing due to climate change and growing urbanization. Exposure to the toxins produced by certain cyanobacteria can lead to acute and chronic health problems in humans and animals. There is an urgent need for rapid diagnostic tools that can effectively detect and identify these cyanobacteria.
This project will develop an innovative metagenomic tool for field monitoring of cyanobacteria in Quebec. It will implement field sampling and analysis procedures for rapid detection in water bodies. A bioinformatics platform featuring an easy-to-use cyanobacteria sequence database will also be set up at the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP).
Municipalities across the province will be able to validate and implement this tool, which could reduce the time needed to identify harmful cyanobacteria from four days in some cases to less than 24 hours. The overall aim of the project is to extend its use to other jurisdictions. A comprehensive and rapid information system for observing and predicting harmful cyanobacteria blooms could be worth at least $130 million a year to Canada.
Lead Genome Centre : Génome Québec
User :
| Daniel | Verreault | Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) |
Article (In french)
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2103335/cyanobacteries-adn-cours-deau-inrs