The Globe and Mail - The heated global hunt for polar microbes

As countries such as Norway plunge into the quest for a genetic Holy Grail in the Arctic, Canada is just getting its feet wet in the study of polar microbes, with potentially lucrative use in everything from laundry soap to cancer medicine…

"Certain nations have decided that they would invest some significant research dollars toward polar bio-prospecting," said Lyle Whyte, a McGill microbiologist who collects microbes from Nunavut's Axel Heiberg Island. "I've had discussions with a few companies here about my research, but not much has come of it."

By contrast, representatives from a Norwegian company are touring Canada, soliciting ideas for using Arctic enzymes in its dairy products. "The field is maturing in Canada, but we're still behind," Dr. Whyte said.