Microbiologists in the College of Biological Science are the first Canadian scientists to receive research funding from the Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), a charitable organization based in the United States. The $100,000, one-year award will aid in learning more about the bacteria that cause the disease, including pointing the way to better diagnostic tools, said Dr. Cezar Khursigara, a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB). Along with MCB professor Dr. Melanie Wills, Khursigara is testing a recent theory that the bug creates biofilms that help it resist the body’s immune defences as well as medications.