Canada explores Arctic DNA for new medicines
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Canadian scientists are examining DNA from the Arctic permafrost to find new sources for drug development.
Researchers from Athabasca University and the University of Toronto are collecting environmental DNA from Arctic waters and permafrost cores. They aim to synthesize complex biological products in labs, avoiding direct reliance on the fragile Arctic ecosystem. The scientists are focusing on unculturable microbes, using advanced genomic tools to identify biosynthetic gene clusters that could produce novel antibiotics and other therapeutics.
While previous attempts to cultivate these microbes failed, new technologies like metagenomics and single-cell DNA sequencing allow researchers to reconstruct genomes from environmental samples. However, identifying the complete gene clusters responsible for producing specific compounds remains challenging, as the boundaries of these clusters are often unclear.
Srijak Bhatnagar of Athabasca University cautioned that Canada’s lack of participation in the UN Nagoya Protocol creates a risk of “biopiracy,” where foreign companies could profit from genetic resources originally known to Indigenous populations without providing benefits to them. He emphasized the importance of protecting Indigenous biocultural property and ensuring equitable access to the benefits of any discoveries.
