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Alberta and Varian, Inc. collaborate on disease diagnosis research
Government funds second phase of the Magnetic Resonance Diagnostics Centre

01 Feb 2006 - Alberta's Magnetic Resonance Diagnostics Centre at the University of Alberta is getting a boost for continuing collaborative disease diagnosis research using the emerging science of metabolomics. The Alberta government and Varian, Inc. are extending their research agreement to study metabolomic profiles associated with disease.
 
A memorandum of understanding was signed which builds on a prior investment by the Alberta government and the University of Alberta to establish the Magnetic Resonance Diagnostic Centre.
 
The Centre was created in 2004 to research diseases using the emerging science of metabolomics. Metabolomics uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy applied to body fluids such as blood and urine to determine the flux of metabolites in the human body in response to systemic stresses that occur during illness or in reaction to drug intake.
 
The Centre is receiving $1.5 million in funding to provide Albertans with faster and more accurate diagnosis of diseases such as pneumonia and asthma. The extension of this agreement continues the collaboration that began in 2004 between the Alberta government and Varian, Inc. in funding the diagnostics centre. The Alberta government is contributing $400,000 and Varian, Inc. is supporting the project with in kind contributions, as well as leveraging its relationships with other industry partners to further the development of NMR spectroscopy with relation to metabolite research. The remaining project support will come from other industry and government partners.