March 15, 2015
With funding from Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), Vineland Research and Innovation Centre will conduct research on developing a Norway maple tree “that is no longer invasive.”

The funding announcement on the Norway maple research came on Feb. 11, by OGI, which describes itself as “a private, not-for-profit corporation focused on using world-class research to create strategic genomics resources and accelerate Ontario’s development of a globally-competitive life sciences sector.”

The Vineland project received $30,000. Vineland’s Travis Banks and Darby McGrath will work on the Norway maple tree project.

A press release by OGI, states, “Having fallen out of favour because of invasiveness, Norway maple was used extensively as an urban tree, which thrives in polluted and compact soils, withstands hot summers and cold winters, and suffers few diseases. This funding will enable DNA sequencing of the Norway maple genome and update methods to identify new Norway maple plants that are unable to create fertile seeds.”