Discover Genomics with the Microcosmos App
This visually stunning (free!) app tells fascinating stories about how 4 letters form the building blocks of all life - from an elephant to an onion and so much more.
The Challenge
Microbes are the most abundant and diverse life forms on the planet - out numbering the total stars in the universe by several orders of magnitude. This “microcosmos”, a small part of the macrocosmos, more commonly known as the universe–plays an essential role in creating and sustaining the conditions for life itself. The diversity of microbes provides a vast reservoir of biological sequence data that can both teach us about ourselves, our environment and be central to much needed innovation as we begin to experience the consequences of climate change.
While genomics can be exhilarating for experts, the dense information produced by this field often overwhelms those without specialized knowledge or time for deep exploration. We make it fun to explore the world around us.
The Solution
We created the Microcosmos app as a labor of love - making it free to all. Bridging art and science, the app tells fascinating stories about how four letters form the building blocks of all life–from an elephant, to an onion, and everything in between.
Enter the Microcosmos to delve into genomic stories that bring science to life, meet tree-of-life members and explore their genomes through vivid visuals. Explore the intricate relationship between genes and human diseases like COVID-19 and Lyme disease. Use our genomics portal as a jumping point to other topics in this domain of nooks, crannies, and unexpected connections.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself” ~ Carl Sagan, an inspiration for the Microcosmos.
Read more or download (free) here: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/the-microcosmos/id1555443746
The Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M-MAP)
Supported by Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, this platform is accelerating microbial solutions to some of mining’s biggest challenges.
Industry-Sized Questions, Microscopic Answers
The global adoption of greener technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines requires the extraction of raw minerals at rates that exceed what traditional mining practices can deliver. Backed by Canada’s Technology Supercluster, this consortium-led project is revolutionizing the mining industry by looking for solutions to mining’s biggest challenges in their tiniest miners – the resident microbial community.
We worked with our consortium partners (including mining giants Teck Resources and Rio Tinto) to develop the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M-MAP), an online platform that is accelerating the development of eagerly-awaited microbial solutions for mining. With this platform, our team is extracting key information about microbial communities from mining-related environments to understand “who” is there and “what” they are doing. These insights empower mining companies to embrace next-generation biomining technologies, and to deploy custom data-backed solutions.
Microbiome analytics is catalyzing the development of state-of-the-art environmental practices across the mining lifecycle: a “green” approach to resource extraction and mine site remediation that aims to significantly reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the use of toxic chemicals, develop more efficient mining practices, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. M-MAP represents the largest investment in planned natural resource genomic bioinformatics in the history of the sector.
Learn more here: https://www.m-map.ca/