OUR WORK
Koonkie develops solutions across sectors:
Innovating with Microbes in Mining
Sensitive to change, microbial communities are the earliest indicators of the effectiveness of remediation efforts at reclaimed mine sites.
Biocement made by microbes can solidify and stabilize tailings—an environmentally friendly, cost effective, and durable solution to a major mining challenge.
Microbes are cost-effective and sensitive indicators of mining impacts and recovery, allowing companies to intervene early and meet regulations.
Native microbes with unique capabilities can be used to remediate mining wastes, bypassing the need for expensive and harsh processes.
Soil microbes can effectively indicate buried mineral resources, serving as an alternative to costly and time-consuming traditional prospecting methods.
Supported by Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, this platform is accelerating microbial solutions to some of mining’s biggest challenges.
Advancing Tools for Public Health
As an Illumina certified and preferred bioinformatics provider, we created a diagnostic tool for a Canadian hospital to run a cancer detection pipeline.
This nature-published genomics tool enables breakthroughs in disease prevention and intervention for several significant human diseases.
We developed a published, peer-reviewed predictive model to predict the development of allergies and asthma in children based on their gut fungi.
Exploring New (Microbial) Environments
We discovered a new genus of species living in Hawiian lava tubes—an important finding when looking for life in similar lava tubes on Mars.
Microbial communities in oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) that are integral to marine ecosystem health are currently facing disruption.
A glimpse into life on distant planets? - We’ve discovered microscopic life beneath Antarctica's ice sheets, a place similar to environments in space.
Harnessing Microbes for Better Agriculture
Building Platform Solutions & Applications
Mapping terroir-specific yeast profiles allows winemakers to cultivate these local strains for fermentation to produce high-quality wine with regional flavors.
This visually stunning (free!) app tells fascinating stories about how 4 letters form the building blocks of all life - from an elephant to an onion and so much more.
We support proprietary work, and many of our projects generate intellectual property that is not public. At Koonkie, we are committed to best practices in data ownership and this value is at the forefront of our consulting services.