Biomedical Innovation / en ‘We need to prepare’: 91Թ’s Christine Allen on investing in biomanufacturing, life sciences research /news/we-need-prepare-u-t-s-christine-allen-investing-bio-manufacturing-life-sciences-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">‘We need to prepare’: 91Թ’s Christine Allen on investing in biomanufacturing, life sciences research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT18898_0626ChristineAllen003_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ZwcEF7ru 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/UofT18898_0626ChristineAllen003_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qxOyLQWt 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/UofT18898_0626ChristineAllen003_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YFSGPtul 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT18898_0626ChristineAllen003_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ZwcEF7ru" alt="Christine Allen"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-05-12T15:52:14-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 12, 2021 - 15:52" class="datetime">Wed, 05/12/2021 - 15:52</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/biomedical-innovation" hreflang="en">Biomedical Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mitacs" hreflang="en">Mitacs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">91Թ Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">91Թ Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="text-align:justify">With an eye to supporting Canada’s pandemic recovery and preparing for future threats to public health, the federal government recently announced $2.2 billion in investment over seven years in the life sciences.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">“These growing fields are not only critical to our safety, but are fast-growing sectors that support well-paying jobs and attract investment,” <a href="https://www.budget.gc.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html">the budget document reads</a>.</p> <p>The investments are welcomed by the 91Թ and will help the university to modernize critical lab infrastructure, support cutting-edge research and industry partnerships, and train the next generation of researchers, says <strong>Christine Allen</strong>, associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives and professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.</p> <p>She added that, with the new investments in these key areas, there is a need to work together across sectors to develop a pan-Canadian bio-innovation and life sciences strategy.</p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><i>91Թ News </i>recently<i> </i>spoke with Allen about what the federal budget means for 91Թ and life sciences research in Canada.</span></p> <hr> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>Why is it necessary to invest in life sciences and biomanufacturing?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">The pandemic has highlighted the importance of investing in research and innovation in our society. Within less than a year from the first case of COVID-19, two vaccines were developed by researchers around the world and later approved by Canadian regulators. That was only possible because the vaccines were not developed from a standing start. They were based on research that had been underway for decades.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Investment in biomanufacturing – the manufacturing of biological therapies such as vaccines – is critical to ensure the health security of the population, support the development of therapies including biologics and cell-based therapies, and prevent locally developed biomedical technologies from moving outside of Canada for manufacturing and commercialization.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">But biomanufacturing capacity can’t thrive on its own. A strong biomanufacturing industry requires upstream investments in areas such as training a capable workforce. Where can this be done better than in academia?</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Entrepreneurship is another key element to ensure bio-medical discoveries are translated into effective treatments by the creation of startups and attracting large companies and venture capital. At 91Թ, we have numerous industry partnerships that provide students and post-doctoral researchers with opportunities to commercialize discoveries and develop skills in demand by industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">It’s important to invest in a pipeline of innovative research, so you have something to bio-manufacture. These breakthroughs take place in academic labs.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">We need each of these elements for a successful national biomanufacturing strategy that fosters a vibrant local industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>How will some of the measures announced in the federal budget affect 91Թ?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">We advocated very strongly for investments in the life sciences, including funding for discovery research and infrastructure. The government came through with $250 million toward a new biomedical research program to be delivered by our federal granting agencies, which we expect will provide a big boost to our researchers.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">On the infrastructure side, we were quite hopeful to see an investment in biomedical lab infrastructure. There are specified containment levels required to work with certain viruses or infectious agents. For SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus responsible for COVID-19, you need to work in a containment level three (CL3) lab.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Our CL3 lab at 91Թ is the go-to facility in the GTA, used by leading researchers, hospital partners, government agencies <a href="/news/u-t-tests-show-canadian-made-mask-deactivates-99-sars-cov-2-virus">and industry throughout the pandemic</a>. It is the only operational CL3 facility that researchers at 91Թ and the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) can use, so it’s a very important facility. However, it’s more than 20 years old and in need of renewal.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">The facility was underutilized and struggled to remain operational prior to the pandemic because the funding for that type of research dried up after the SARS outbreak. But since COVID-19, research in this area has become very popular – and urgent – all over again.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify">We fortunately did see $500 million in the federal budget earmarked for the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the research infrastructure fund. Further details about the fund are still to come, but it appears it could provide a mechanism to help us renew and modernize our facility.<span style="background:white">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>In its budget documents, the government says it’s making these investments to prepare for the next pandemic. How will they improve Canada’s readiness?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">If you were to speak to <b>Scott Gray-Owen</b>, a professor in the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, who runs the CL3 facility, he would say we would have been in a much different place if we had continued to do the research we had started during the SARS outbreak.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">There will be another pandemic at some point, and we need to prepare ourselves so that we’re not scrambling. At the same time, there are other emerging concerns such as antimicrobial resistance. These investments will bolster a life sciences ecosystem that can respond to these threats and create high-quality jobs and growth.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:5px">The budget also contains more than $1 billion in funding to support company creation, scale up and training activities in the life sciences sector, including investments to grow clinical research capacity.</p> <p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:5px">At 91Թ, we have over 230 life sciences startups that have emerged from our ecosystem and they have raised capital in the billions. However, there is an increasing desire to see domestic sources of capital for our growing firms, and the government has earmarked new funding through the renewed Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative to try to incentivize more Canadian venture capital for life sciences startups.</p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>Could the new investments benefit other 91Թ infrastructure needs?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">As I mentioned earlier, the other area requiring investment is biomanufacturing.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">There’s significant interest – not just on behalf of 91Թ, but also our industry partners – in setting up a biomanufacturing lab for training and innovation that includes modular, flexible equipment for process improvement, automated platforms to accelerate discoveries and pilot facilities to transfer academic innovations into industrial-scale manufacturing processes.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Such a facility would hold tremendous value in the training of students and post-doctoral fellows as well as retraining of individuals who have been out of the workforce, or who work in that space but need to learn new techniques or approaches.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>The federal government is investing $365 million in Black, women and Indigenous entrepreneurs and innovators? How will that help 91Թ support a diverse research ecosystem?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">This is very welcome news – and it aligns well with some of the work that we’re doing at 91Թ. We recently launched <a href="https://ediri.utoronto.ca/resources/research-networks/">an Indigenous research network and a Black research network</a> at the university.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">We also have Black post-doctoral fellowships and strategies to recruit Black and Indigenous faculty members.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Several 91Թ professors and researchers, including <b>Maydianne Andrade</b>, vice-dean faculty affairs, equity and success at 91Թ Scarborough and a Canada Research Chair in Integrative Behavioural Ecology, were involved in the creation of t<a href="/news/researchers-seek-improve-representation-canadian-black-scientists-network">he Canadian Black Scientists Network this spring</a>.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">We’re also doing work in the entrepreneurship space, with a Black Founders Network in development.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white"><b>How will these federal investments affect students?</b></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">Students are the next generation of talent, and we’re going to be relying on them to address the next pandemic and a host of other challenges. They are critical to the growth and development of our economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">This has been a really challenging time. The major investment we saw in this area was through Mitacs, <a href="https://www.mitacs.ca/en">a national nonprofit that aims to support research and training</a>.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">The <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/budget-2021-invests-in-canada-s-next-generation-of-innovators-808723640.html">federal investment will support 85,000 work-integrated learning placements</a> – that's incredible.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">What I like about Mitacs is it brings post-secondary institutions and industry together. Now more than ever, we need to be working together across industry and academia to ensure that research is focused on practical solutions to real-world industrial challenges.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">It’s a win-win for students and industry partners. It provides students with hands-on training in a real-world setting, while companies gain access to new knowledge, techniques and approaches.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="background:white">The hope is that students will be hired on a permanent basis beyond their training period or gain experience that will serve them well in the future.</span></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 12 May 2021 19:52:14 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301343 at With vaccines top of mind, 91Թ brings together experts to address Canada's biomanufacturing gaps /news/vaccines-top-mind-u-t-brings-together-experts-address-canada-s-biomanufacturing-gaps <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With vaccines top of mind, 91Թ brings together experts to address Canada's biomanufacturing gaps</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1232606942.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mIsxyL2u 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1232606942.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ToAFHIKO 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1232606942.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=E2rHBvUq 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1232606942.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mIsxyL2u" alt="Scientists in a cleanroom manufacturing vaccines"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-05-04T12:48:19-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 4, 2021 - 12:48" class="datetime">Tue, 05/04/2021 - 12:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>&nbsp;(Photo by Christian Charisius via Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/yanan-wang" hreflang="en">Yanan Wang</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/biomedical-innovation" hreflang="en">Biomedical Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The 91Թ is bringing together researchers, pharmaceutical innovators and government partners to address gaps in Canada’s biomanufacturing ecosystem and discuss solutions for public health challenges such as COVID-19.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A Biomanufacturing Training &amp; Innovation Workshop hosted by 91Թ recently drew nearly 100 attendees from academia, government and industry to discuss strategies and priorities related to biomanufacturing training, research and innovation, knowledge translation and infrastructure.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Participants said the ongoing pandemic has tested Canada’s vaccine production capabilities and highlighted the need for a national strategy.</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt="Christine Allen" class="media-element file-media-original lazy" data-delta="1" height="300" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/UofT83859_PRiME-Symposium_Christine_Allen.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="200"> Christine Allen</p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“If there ever was a time to work together across sectors, it is now,” said <b>Christine Allen</b>, 91Թ’s associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“I believe that we must not only build biomanufacturing capacity in this country, but also revitalize our life sciences ecosystem, such that our country will be able to face a future pandemic armed with the supports that we need to ensure the health security of Canadians.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The workshop aimed to identify key training and knowledge gaps that must be overcome for the advancement of Canadian biomanufacturing in areas such as digital manufacturing and engineering biology. It also sought to enhance connections between 91Թ’s expertise, government strategies and &nbsp;industry working in the field.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Expertise and facilities at 91Թ – including the Containment Level 3 lab, which can handle infectious pathogens – have played a key role in <a href="/news/working-local-biotech-u-t-test-drug-may-prevent-fatal-covid-19-lung-damage">testing COVID-19 treatments</a> and <a href="/news/u-t-tests-show-canadian-made-mask-deactivates-99-sars-cov-2-virus">other solutions</a>. At the same time, the federal <a href="https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/151.nsf/eng/00002.html">government is consulting widely</a> on the investments necessary to expand biomanufacturing capacity and the related life sciences ecosystem.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Acknowledging that the race for COVID-19 therapeutics has underscored the need to translate biopharmaceuticals research into manufacturing capacity, Allen noted the importance of a strong innovation ecosystem – one that trains a capable workforce, supports clinical trials and fosters startup creation.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Darryl Patterson, director general of the biomanufacturing strategy implementation team at Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, said the pandemic was an “inflection point” that has underscored the pressing need to enhance Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. In response, the government has acted quickly to invest in domestic vaccine production, he said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Universities have an essential role to play in the success of these investments added Michelle Gravelle, director general, science programs and partnerships at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Representatives from pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur and pharmaceutical equipment supplier Sartorius, as well as laboratory equipment giant Thermo Fisher Scientific, gave presentations on their companies’ respective plans for developing collaborations between academia and industry.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“It is a very good step for 91Թ to reach out to industry partners,” said Yan-ping Yang, head of bioprocess research and development North America at Sanofi Pasteur.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;“There is a lot of value that university partners can bring. Universities have a lot of in-depth knowledge. Although it is very theoretical, that knowledge is very valuable. And as industry partners, we are very practical – we have real problems, real challenges. It will be very useful for us to combine our resources.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;“The workshop was very well-organized and well-attended. I could see that all the participants were eager to understand one another and to form partnerships.”</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt="Christopher Yip" class="media-element file-media-original lazy" data-delta="2" height="300" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/UofT84103_pearson-scholars-with-dean-chris-yip_48842221112_o.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="200"> Christopher Yip</p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Christopher Yip</b>, dean of 91Թ’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, said 91Թ is well-positioned to drive partnerships with industry.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He envisioned research infrastructure and pilot facilities that provide companies with access to 91Թ experts who can help overcome scale-up challenges faced by industry – all while giving 91Թ students and researchers exposure to the latest biomanufacturing technologies and processes.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“This addresses the ability to transition students from the academic to the industry environment,” Yip said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Yip also pointed to emerging opportunities in digital manufacturing, digital biology and engineering biology. Rapid prototypes can now be developed through digital modelling, automation and artificial intelligence, he said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Following the main presentations, the workshop’s participants discussed how university-industry collaborations can address professional training gaps and industry-relevant research challenges.</p> <div class="image-with-caption right"> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt="Krishna Mahadevan" class="media-element file-media-original lazy" data-delta="3" height="300" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/XPRA03891-crop.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="200"> Krishna Mahadevan</p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Krishna Mahadevan</b>, a professor in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in 91Թ’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, said post-secondary students will play a key role in advancing Canada’s biomanufacturing capabilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“One of the things we are hoping this workshop will crystallize is the potential for setting up a national biomanufacturing institute – or cluster of institutes with different hubs across the country – that focuses primarily on training, research and innovation and that can train students on all the gaps we have identified.”</p> <div> <div> <div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript">&nbsp;</div> </div> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 04 May 2021 16:48:19 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301413 at