Open Competition Projects

"Decision support models for managing CWD in wild deer populations in Alberta"

Chronic wasting disease is spreading in wild deer populations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and parts of the United States. Dr. Evelyn Merrill and her team members from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Wisconsin are developing models to predict how deer behaviour and habitat might affect the transmission of CWD. They are also examining the effectiveness of harvest and herd reduction strategies in meeting Alberta's biological, social and economic targets for CWD management. As a result of this work, they will be able to recommend best practices to manage and control the spread of CWD.

"Discovering design rules for stabilized prion protein mutants"

Genetic mutations arise when the sequence of amino acids-the building blocks of protein- mutates or changes. Some known mutations have been shown to make prion proteins unstable and therefore more likely to misfold and cause disease. Other mutations are known to increase the stability of prion proteins and thereby decrease the risk of prion disease. The molecular structure of several disease resistant prion mutants and disease resistant prion strains has been documented through X-rays and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Building on this knowledge, Dr. Maria Stepanova and her team will use complex mathematics and computer-based technology to develop theoretical models of prion proteins. They will manipulate these models to reflect mutations induced by making small changes to the arrangement of amino acids, and theorize whether these changes are likely to make prion proteins more or less stable. Theoretical modelling is faster and more cost-effective than live-animal experiments, and the knowledge gleaned can be used to develop selective breeding programs for prion disease-resistant animals.