Vancouver, BC (Rural Roots Canada) – The federal government is investing nearly $900,000 in a Vancouver biotechnology company developing alternatives to antibiotics for poultry, part of an effort to combat antimicrobial resistance while improving animal health and food safety.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says it will provide up to $892,122 to Amphoraxe Life Sciences, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to support research into antimicrobial peptides – naturally occurring molecules that can kill bacteria – as potential replacements for conventional antibiotics used to treat diseases in poultry.

The project will focus on developing and testing peptide formulations to combat avian pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella enterica, two bacteria that pose significant health risks to poultry flocks.

Read more: Taking Aim at Bacterial Threats in Poultry Farming

Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said the investment supports the development of new tools to help producers address the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

“Projects like this will help farmers protect poultry health, strengthen food safety, and reduce the need for antibiotics in our food system, MacDonald said in a statement.

Dr. Inanc Birol, scientific lead for the project and chief scientific officer at Amphoraxe Life Sciences, said resistance is reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics relied on by poultry producers.

“With this project, we are using advanced genomics, AI, and peptide engineering to build a new, Canadian-made toolbox so farmers can keep flocks healthy, protect food safety, and stay competitive without depending on traditional antibiotics,” Birol said.

Amphoraxe Life Sciences, based in Vancouver, specializes in AI-enabled peptide technologies for livestock production. The research project is being carried out in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority and the University of Victoria