Thank you for the question.
Yes, if approved, we will receive funding of $800,000 for very specific activities. As you suggested, genomics provides a new tool that is potentially extremely significant to some of the work we do.
To give you an example, we currently use genomic techniques in support of wildlife conservation, to look at how genes interact with environmental stressors or specific contaminants. In fact, I had the opportunity to visit our lab that is co-located here at Carleton University, which is doing some of this work.
It provides a tremendous new tool to look at the impact that contaminants may have, for example, on migratory birds. It's helpful in terms of strengthening our environmental monitoring. When we look at indicators within key aquatic or land-based ecosystems and species, we can look at the impact of various contaminants on aquatic species in terms of their genetic impact.
It also can enhance our tool kit in terms of compliance and enforcement, because using genomic methods we can do more efficient analysis of fauna and flora. It's a very powerful tool that we're beginning to make greater use of.
The costs associated with it are also coming down significantly, as you're seeing in other areas.