The $10,000 annual award honours U of S researchers who have brought new and commercially viable technology to the U of S Industry Liaison Office (ILO) for development into marketable products.
Giesy, who is also a professor in the WCVM's Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, co-developed an assay test that evaluates the effects of chemicals on hormones. The H295R Steroidogenesis Assay evaluates the effects of chemical compounds on a much wider range of hormones. The test will allow regulators to determine which chemicals cause harmful hormone effects and enable them to develop regulations to minimize them. Giesy was instrumental in designing the regulation with environmental regulators in the United States and Europe.
The assay was developed with financial support from Western Economic Diversification and has been approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The U of S recently set up a wholly owned subsidiary to market this test world-wide.
The winner of the Award of Innovation will be announced May 18 during a gala event at TCU Place in Saskatoon, Sask. For more details, please read the U of S news release announcing the three award nominees.