Agriculture Biotechnology
Develop plants to improve their nutritive value. Advance microbes to detoxify our environment. Engineer vaccines and medicines to combat disease. These are just a few opportunities available to you when you choose to minor in Biotechnology through Agriculture & Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan.
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology includes a range of modern techniques that are used in many types of agricultural research. Biotechnology can also be used to directly improve agriculture and our food by improving crop varieties, crop inputs, animal breeds and animal health while ensuring the safety and quality of our food.
Biotechnology has been used to develop over sixty percent of canola grown on the prairies. It is increasingly being used to improve other crops and also to develop improved meat and dairy animals. Biotechnology allows a crop’s resistance to disease and insects, and its tolerance to stresses such as cold and drought, to be better understood. It is used to produce microbial inoculants that help plants convert nitrogen into a useable form, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Microbes in the gut of animals can be manipulated to improve the conversion of feed into nutrients. Harmful and harmless bacteria are differentiated by their DNA, helping to maintain food and water safety. Biotechnology is used to produce nearly all of the houseplants purchased in Saskatchewan and to produce the enzymes essential to cheese production.
Choosing Agriculture Biotechnology will put you at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs and advancements.
Biotechnology is very interesting, and there are a ton of jobs in this field right now. I’m really glad biotechnology is offered as a minor—it gives you a lot more field knowledge. There are so many aspects to biotechnology—you are always learning something new.—Amy Breker, B.S.A.,
Hometown: Englefeld SK
Career Opportunities
A Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a minor in Biotechnology can take students in many directions. Potential breakthroughs mean great leaps in improving the human condition. Rapid expansion of technology means people are required to understand and deal with not only the science and research aspects of biotechnology but also the sociological, commercial and legal aspects. Biotechnology will soon affect every area of our lives and economy. A wide range of people will be required to manage growth in this emerging industry.
Whether large or small, multinational or local, many companies (e.g. Dow, Philom Bios, Biooriginal, Performance Plants, VIDO and Prairie Plant Systems) recruit employees who have a background in Agriculture and who are knowledgeable in the applications of biotechnology.
The U of S Advantage
The University of Saskatchewan is an internationally recognized centre of excellence in agricultural biotechnology. A growing cluster of institutions, companies, scientists and researchers located on or near campus make this a preferred place to be. The U of S campus is home to a world-class vaccine research centre, the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, POS Pilot Plant, Saskatchewan Research Council and Innovation Place. The U of S is home to one of the most comprehensive ranges of health science programs anywhere in Canada. In addition, Innovation Place has more than 100 companies that employ approximately 2,200 people.
The College of Agriculture & Bioresources at the U of S provides a learning environment with an innovative, hands-on approach to education, offered in world-class teaching facilities. In this unique environment, students learn from top-notch faculty, including teacher-practitioners, teaher-scholars and world-class researchers.
Small class sizes and friendly, supportive faculty are a plus. In addition to technical instruction, students will also receive essential leadership and professional training in computers, business writing and public speaking.
Choose Your Program
Changes in agriculture today are unprecedented in history. A Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with a minor in Biotechnology gives students a solid understanding of biotechnology and its effects on agriculture. The four-year Agriculture degree program is strongly grounded in modern biological science. The interdisciplinary nature of the program ensures a broad understanding of the social, economic, cultural and legal issues surrounding biotechnology.
After a first year of general courses, students have the option of specializing in one of the major areas in Agriculture & Bioresources–Animal & Poultry Science, Food & Bioproduct Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Plant Science or Soil & Environmental Science–with a minor in Biotechnology. Students can also enhance their studies by participating in co-operative work terms and study abroad options.
A Minor in Biotechnology
Students with a minor in Biotechnology can earn the following degree:
Students who begin their studies in other colleges or schools, such as Business or Arts & Science, may also enter these programs by transferring to Agriculture & Bioresources.
A Stepping Stone...
A minor in Biotechnology prepares students for a career in the emerging biotech industry.
A B.S.A. degree is an extremely useful and marketable background for studies in other areas such as business, communications, education, journalism, law and politics.
Graduates from this highly-regarded degree program also have excellent prospects as Master’s students at the U of S and other top universities across North America and the world.
Outstanding Faculty
- A team led by plant scientist Graham Scoles was awarded $19.4 million to look into the genetic basis of how wheat and canola respond to the rigors of the Canadian environment.
- Professor Louise Nelson is an authority on microbial inoculants to improve plant performance and holds an agricultural biotechnology research chair from the Agriculture & Food Innovation Fund.
- Professor Peter Phillips and co-author George Khachatourians have been recognized for their recent book Biotechnology Revolution in Global Agriculture: Invention, Innovation & Investment in the Canola Sector.
- Professors Jill Hobbs, Bill Kerr, James Nolan and Peter Phillips received a national research grant to examine the marketing of genetically modified crops.
- Researchers in the department of Animal & Poultry Science are conducting research aimed at improving livestock health and finding alternatives to antibiotics. Andrew Van Kessel, Associate Professor in Animal & Poultry Science was recently awarded an outstanding scientific achievement award by Ag-West Biotech for his research on how bacteria affects gene expression.
Laboratory & Research Facilities
Students are housed in the state-of-the-art Agriculture building, a prominent feature of the beautiful U of S campus. Here, students have access to outstanding laboratory, multi-media and study facilities and exceptional student resources, such as the CIBC Centre for Agricultural Entrepreneurship. Other highlights include:
- one of Canada’s leading mass spectrometry facilities
- an advanced computing facility equipped with geographic information system (GIS) software
- an atomic force microscopy lab
- a laser microscopy and digital imaging lab
- a gas chromatography lab
- a stable isotope lab
- soil microbiology labs
- North America’s largest indoor controlled environment facility
- a newly expanded, 2200 square metre greenhouse complex
- 120 hectares of crop research land adjacent to the U of S campus
- nearly 1,000 hectares of crop research land within a 20 kilometre radius of Saskatoon
- the W.P. Fraser Herbarium, housing one of Canada’s largest collections of native plants
Getting Involved!
Join the Biotech Club as a member or in an executive position. The Club provides opportunities for like-minded individuals to come together and discuss their interests in biotechnology. The club also coordinates social events, speaker sessions and networking between students and industry.
Admission Requirements
The following is a list of high school subjects required for admission. Please select the province/territory where you completed high school.
Additional Information
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