Victoria Professor Wins Major Canadian Science Award

All in the gene family

(Ottawa, Ontario) – Dr. Ben Koop's favourite "families" are complex mixes that leave him wondering who's the parent and who's the child. Not that these families are necessarily dysfunctional. It's that they're all genes. And Dr. Koop is the family genealogist.

The familial genetic diversity that the University of Victoria molecular biologist is discovering has led to insights on everything from better ways to manage British Columbia's wildlife to potential cancer therapies.

It's groundbreaking science for which Dr. Koop is receiving a 2001 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Steacie Fellowship – one of Canada's premier science and engineering prizes.

The award is one of six announced today by The Honourable Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and Dr. Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC.

"With the NSERC Steacie Fellowships, six of our best scientists and engineers will do what they do best – pushing forward the frontiers of innovative research and improving the quality of our lives," said Minister Tobin. "Dr. Koop's research shows just how interconnected science is today. Basic research can touch so many areas that are important to us all."

How does a researcher deal with topics as diverse as the genes of the human immune system and the evolution of deep-sea snails?

"The common thread in all my research is the study of molecular evolution," says Dr. Koop, who originally hails from Fort St. John, B.C. "When you look at the evolution of genes, you can look at how genes have evolved independently in one species, but also how genes evolved in different species."

For Dr. Koop, the human immune system provides an excellent point of focus for the study of the evolution of a "family" of related genes.

"The reason the immune system works as well as it does is because there are so many genes that have duplicated and specialized to identify the vast array of foreign particles that can invade our bodies," Dr. Koop says.

It's also an area of enormous practical medical value. Understanding the basic mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancers, can be used to develop potential therapies.

Dr. Koop's success in this quickly developing, information-intensive field is fuelled by his strong technical skills. In 1996, he collaborated in documenting what was then the largest human genome sequence, a segment of the human beta T-cell, a key part of the immune system.

What the award means: As a Steacie Fellow, this eclectic thinker will continue research to characterize a highly gene rich, yet "fragile" area – prone to breaking and recombining – of the human genome known as 7q22. The region's specific genetic properties include a possible tumour suppressor gene.

It's also an area that's attractive to Dr. Koop because it involves the kind of diverse gene families that belie simple answers.

"Now that the human genome has been roughly mapped, the real future in genetics research is to determine how genes interact in thousands of ways in a synergistic manner to create an organ or even thought," says Dr. Koop.

Cold facts revised: Except for parts of the Yukon, Canada was under ice during the last ice age. Right? Maybe not, says University of Victoria molecular biologist and 2001 NSERC Steacie Fellow Dr. Ben Koop. His scientific team's genetic research indicates that a diverse community of animals and plants survived the last ice age on ice-free Queen Charlotte Islands. The evidence is in modern British Columbian animals' genetic diversity, says Dr. Koop. It indicates three post-glacial sources for B.C. animals – from the north, south, and the Queen Charlotte Islands. If proven true, the findings have important implications for wildlife management, says Dr. Koop. "It's important to maintain these source populations."

The Prize: NSERC Steacie Fellowships are awarded to the most outstanding Canadian university scientists or engineers who have earned their doctorate within the last twelve years. Nominations are received by NSERC from universities across Canada and judged by a distinguished panel of independent experts. The award includes a payment to the University of Victoria towards Dr. Koop's salary, and increased research funding from NSERC, freeing him to pursue his research full-time.

The five other award winners this year are:
Dr. Simaan AbouRizk (University of Alberta);
Dr. Peter Grütter (McGill University);
Dr. Arokia Nathan (University of Waterloo);
Dr. Sarah Otto (University of British Columbia); and
Dr. Warren Piers (University of Calgary).

Contacts:

Dr. Ben Koop, University of Victoria, (250) 721-7091, bkoop@uvic.ca.

Francis Lionnet, NSERC, at (613) 992-9001, fzl@nserc.ca.