Dr. Luc Varin: What one little plant can do...

Luc Varin was a mature student who became a brilliant scientist after an early career as a filmmaker and a sailor - an unorthodox profile that illustrates the strength and diversity of Concordia’s research talent pool. While it’s uncommon for universities to recruit faculty among former students, Varin did a post-doc at Université de Montréal, taught at Laval and worked in research in Germany before coming back to his alma mater. Today, he is Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Plant Molecular Genetics, part of an exciting cross-disciplinary team in the Centre for Functional and Structural Genomics, and a budding entrepreneur.

He studies the molecular biology of a small oilseed plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. Although this little sister of canola is considered a weed, its sequenced genome makes it a perfect research subject. Varin and his colleagues seek to understand the genes that make it more resistant to pathogens or stress, and the ones that control its flowering process. This kind of understanding has historically helped farmers develop hardier breeds, but it has never before been possible at the molecular level.

Varin’s laboratory work (previously funded by Novartis now known as Syngenta Seeds, and now by his emerging company, Florisys) is aiming at creating commercially viable plant varieties that can withstand Canada’s harsh weather and the new stresses created by rising pathogens stimulated by climate change. The economic impact could be great, and universities are uniquely positioned to bring the needed basic research to the table.

Varin says: “Concordia’s research environment has made great strides in recent years and has enormous potential that increases with funding. But its greatest strength is its capacity to think outside the box about people, and the stimulating, collaborative climate that results. That’s why our work is delivering beyond Quebec’s relative weight in this sector.”