[February 04, 2013]

Life Science Association of Manitoba (LSAM) Honours Innovation and Expertise in Manitoba

LSAM has its work cut out for itself when trying to choose winners for their highly coveted awards program.

"This is an industry of innovators, so choosing just a few of them to receive recognition is challenging," says Tracey Maconachie, President, LSAM. "But, what a fantastic position to be in. The whole industry is becoming a major success story for our province and this year's winners showcase the best and the brightest we offer to the world."

The life science industry in Manitoba, which now accounts for 7% of the province's GDP, covers a wide range of core businesses. The over 100 LSAM member companies can be grouped into three primary categories: agriculture and food products, health products and industrial bio-products.

This year's winners exemplify that variety of expertise in a very real way.

"With such a big range of businesses covered by life sciences our awards program is truly representative of the breadth and impact of this industry," says Earl Gardiner, Board Chair, LSAM. "From a green pulp and paper company to life saving medical equipment, the awards showcase the far reaching impact our province is having on the world outside our borders."

Winners were chosen in several categories: outstanding leadership in research, life science company of the year, life science award for innovation (health), life science award for innovation (agriculture) and most promising life science student.

"We're honoured to have been recognized for our accomplishments to date, and for our further potential going forward,"�said Christopher J. Moreau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Miraculins, winner of the Life Sciences Company of the Year award. "We are proud to share news of this award and this recognition with our shareholders, our investors, and our customers. Furthermore, we are pleased to be acknowledged amongst the many deserving companies in Manitoba and we are proud to be a part of this important industry in a region with a true appreciation for innovation."

The Life Science Association of Manitoba (LSAM) presents its annual Life Science Awards as a way to recognize the leaders and innovators of the life science community.

All awards are being presented at the Life Science Association Award Gala, February 13, 2013 at the Winnipeg Winter Club. Key note speaker James Robbins is a motivational speaker and adventurer whose new book Nine Minutes to Monday is the Globe and Mail's #1 business book for 2012. He is sharing how to transform leadership in just minutes a day.

For more information please contact:
Stephen Szczerba
(204) 291-8146

About LSAM

LSAM is the voice and organizational nucleus for the life science industry of Manitoba.

This innovative industry, which now accounts for nearly 7% of Manitoba's GDP, is extremely diverse and wide-reaching. The industry's core businesses can be grouped in three distinct categories: agriculture and food, health and industrial bioproducts.

LSAM focuses on attentive, proactive, and timely services and programs to over 100 member organizations. They constantly strive to understand which products, services, and support their members value most, and create partnerships and programs to deliver them.

LSAM's activities are focused on four key areas:

• To be a connector for people, information, and ideas;
• To support the development of Manitoba's human resource capacity;
• To strengthen the business environment for members; and
• To provide a strong voice for the life science industry in Manitoba.

For more information go to www.lsam.ca

AWARD WINNERS

Outstanding Leadership in Research - Dr. David Levin

This category is for the individual who demonstrates exemplary vision and leadership in life science research in Manitoba in such areas as public awareness, scientific discovery or commercial pplication.

Dr. David Levin, University of Manitoba, Biosystems Engineering

David�B.�Levin�is�an�Associate Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba, where he leads a multidisciplinary research group focused on "bioengineering for biofuels and bioproducts.

Dr. Levin holds an NSERC Discovery grant focused on "Bioengineering approaches to high-solids cellulose fermentation for biofuel production". Dr. Levin co-leads the Genome Canada funded project on Microbial genomics for biofuels and co-products from biorefining processes with Dr. Richard Sparling (Department of Microbiology). Additionally, Dr. Levin leads the Hydrogen Production and Purification theme of the NSERC funded Hydrogen Canada (H2CAN) network, and is the Prairie Platform leader within BioFuelNet, a pan-Canadian research network funded by the Network Centres of Excellence (NCE) program.

Contact:
David Levin, Ph. D., Associate Professor
E1-354 Engineering and Information Technology Complex
University of Manitoba
Phone (News - Alert): 204 474 7429
Email: levindb@cc.umanitoba.ca

Life Science Company of the Year - Miraculins

This category celebrates a private sector company based in Manitoba that has made a positive impact on the sector in the past year and is active in paving the road toward future wealth and job creation in the region. This company has distinguished itself from its peers with strong overall performance as a company, demonstrated leadership, and shown significant achievement.

Miraculins Inc.

Miraculins is a medical diagnostic company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing non-invasive tests for unmet clinical needs. A significant number of promising diagnostic opportunities remain un-commercialized because of the sizable gap between the discovery stage, when research institutions are typically involved, and the commercialization stage, when the larger commercial enterprises become interested. Miraculins has direct experience in bridging this gap. The Company's PreVu^® technology is a revolutionary new coronary artery disease risk assessment technology that measures cholesterol levels in a patient's skin non-invasively, painlessly and without the need for fasting. Miraculins is also advancing a suite of biomarkers to aid in the early detection of the devastating disease of pregnancy known as preeclampsia. The Company's preeclampsia program is partnered with Alere Inc., one of the world's largest diagnostic companies. For more information visit www.miraculins.com.

About the PreVu Non-Invasive Skin Cholesterol Test

The PreVu^® Non-Invasive Skin Cholesterol Point of Care (POC) Test is a non-invasive, risk assessment technology designed to measure Skin Cholesterol - an important new biomarker in assessing risk of coronary artery disease ("CAD"). The PreVu^® POC Test is completely painless, non-invasive, involves no blood draw or needles, and requires no overnight fasting. Elevated Skin Cholesterol has been shown in clinical studies to be strongly associated with significant CAD as measured by treadmill stress testing and coronary angiography, as well as measured by testing for coronary calcium, carotid artery thickening, and carotid artery plaque. For more information visit www.prevu.com.

Contact:
Christopher J. Moreau
President & Chief Executive Officer
Unit 201- 179 McDermot Ave.
Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3B 0S1
Phone: 204 477 7599
Email: cmoreau@miraculins.com

Life Science Award for Innovation (Health) - Cubresa

This award recognizes a company based in Manitoba that has achieved a technological breakthrough or innovation in the past year.

Cubresa

Founded in 2011, Cubresa is a Winnipeg based and privately held, emerging medical device start-up specializing in medical imaging. Cubresa offers a small and MR safe gamma camera for pre-operative and intra-operative surgical oncology imaging. Their unique technology is targeted for the head and neck oncology surgical market and is provided on OEM, Custom and End Market basis.

In November 2012, Cubresa announced the advance product release of the MRG1502 system. The MRG1502 is suitable for fixed radioisotope distributions, and uses an MR Conditional Gamma Camera Head GCH1501, an Interface Module IFM808, and Core software running on a PC. The MRG1502�is available for�shipping to early customers. The�advance release�does not have FDA regulatory clearance.�It is suitable for application evaluation and research work.

Contact:
James Schellenberg, PhD
Suite 3 - 1767 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB�R3J 0E7
Phone: 204 771 5799
Email: jschellenberg@cubresa.com

Life Science Award for Innovation (Agriculture) - Prairie Pulp and Paper Inc.

This award recognizes a company based in Manitoba that has achieved a technological breakthrough or innovation in the past year.

Prairie Pulp and Paper Inc.

After 14 years of extensive research and development, market investigation, laboratory work and successful engineering, Prairie Pulp and Paper Inc. recently launched its Step Forward Paper™ nationwide in Canada at Staples (News - Alert) Stores and on Staples.ca. Step Forward Paper™ is an 8.5" X 11", 80% tree-free paper sheet made from wheat straw waste and bleach using an elemental chlorine-free sequence (ECF). The paper is FSC and Rainforest Alliance certified.

Prairie Pulp and Paper Inc.'s future plans include the construction of a factory on the Canadian prairies to utilize the millions of acres of straw available to produce a new 100% tree-free chlorine-free paper. The company has world-wide patents pending on its process and has the potential to establish Canada as an international leader in ag-fibre paper production.

Prairie Pulp & Paper Inc. was recently recognized by the Canadian printing community with two awards: the Gold award for Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology and the Bronze award for Most Environmentally Progressive Vendor in Canada.

Contact:
Jeff Golfman, President
162-2025 Corydon Ave. Suite #251
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 0N5
Phone: 204 951 5165
Email: jeff@golfman.net

Most Promising Life Science Student - Alexandra Kuzyk

This award recognizes an individual from a post-secondary institution who has demonstrated potential to pursue a career in life sciences. The student may come from any discipline and will be selected based on aptitude, academic success and involvement in the Manitoba life science community.

Alexandra Kuzyk

Alexandra began medical school at the University of Manitoba in the fall of 2009 and entered the university's graduate program in the spring of 2010 to pursue a doctorate in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, with a specific area of focus in cancer genetics. By the spring of 2016, Alexandra hopes to graduate with an M.D./Ph.D. degree. Alexandra's research involves identification of markers of tumor aggressiveness that may lead to the development of clinical screening tests.

She is the Vice President External of the Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada, the Judging Chair of the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium and a member of the MD/PhD Program Advisory and Admissions Committee. Her future goal is to become a clinician-scientist and ultimately, to contribute to diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools that can bring laboratory techniques to the patient's bedside.

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