Vancouver-based agricultural technology company Terramera is leading a new research project that hopes to use machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to get ahead of COVID-19. The collaborative project hopes to avoid future pandemics via better forecasting and pre-design of effective vaccines, antibodies, and tests. Terramera plans to deliver computational models to identify and combat future mutants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. "Instead of playing catch-up again … we'll predict likely new strains with our machine learning models." British Columbia's Digital Technology Supercluster, backed by the Government of Canada, will support Terramera's effort with $1.8 million CAD in initial funding through its COVID-19 program, which seeks to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the country's economy "through the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies."

SFU researchers have received $300,000 in funding from Innovate BC's Ignite Program to develop technology that allows farmers to grow more food with fewer synthetic pesticides. The research project commenced earlier this year and involves a collaboration with Vancouver-based agtech company Terramera's Actigate technology platform, which aims to reduce global synthetic pesticide use by 80 per cent by 2030. "The growing world population needs more food and we need to grow food that is environmentally sustainable," says SFU computing science professor Martin Ester, who is the principal investigator for the project. "One approach is to develop organic pesticides that are as effective as chemical pesticides, but less harmful to the environment." Distinguished for his research in the fields of data mining and machine learning, Ester was named a Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Fellow last year.