Genome Canada, a not-for-profit organization, has pulled its support for an international stem-cell consortium.

The International Regulome Consortium, which involves 12 countries and aims to understand the regulatory networks that guide cell behaviour, expected Genome Canada to provide Can$20 million (US$16 million) over 5 years towards the Can$80-million project.

Genome Canada's head Martin Godbout says that the organization decided not to continue its support after an interim review of the project's science, management and budget recommended substantial changes. The consortium head, Michael Rudnicki, says that the decision was made because the organization lacked the funds after receiving no money in Canada's 2009 federal budget (see Nature 457, 646; 2009).

"This is about the conservative government failing to support science," he says. Rudnicki says he is working to organize funding and revamp the structure so that the consortium can continue.