October 2024 - Ontario Genomics

Genome Canada has launched a new funding opportunity for generation of population-level genomic data, which will be the first pillar of its soon-to-be announced large-scale precision health initiative. The goal of Genome Canada’s planned investment in the first pillar of the initiative is to sequence the genomes of at least 100,000 Canadians, reflecting Canada’s unique and diverse population. This will provide the rich dataset needed to advance research, drive innovation and improve health-care outcomes for all Canadians.

For more information or to apply, please contact Laura Riley, Director, Sector Innovation & Programs, at lriley@ontariogenomics.ca. Letters of Intent are due to Ontario Genomics by 10:00 AM, October 28, 2024.

Download full funding opportunity guidelines

In the pursuit of a greener and more sustainable future, biomanufacturing has emerged as a revolutionary approach with the potential to transform industries while minimizing their environmental impact.

Biomanufacturing, also known as bio-based manufacturing or bio-fabrication, is the process of using living things, mostly in the form of micro-organisms (bacteria, yeasts, algae etc.), cells, or enzymes, to produce a wide range of products, including chemicals, fuels, materials, food and ingredients, and even medicines. The applications of biomanufacturing are vast – it has been estimated that up to 60% of the physical inputs of the world’s economy could be produced by biological means! (Ref 1) Using the power of living organisms, biomanufacturing offers an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional manufacturing methods that rely heavily on non-renewable resources and produce harmful byproducts.

Ref 1 – The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies,
and our lives, McKinsey & Company (2020)

So how does this work? The first thing to understand is that most of the materials, medicines, and foods we use every day are made up primarily of carbon, like all living things. Most of the carbon we use for manufacturing comes from either naturally occurring sugars or petroleum/oil. Living things have evolved to use carbon in almost infinite ways, giving us an equally vast ability to produce carbon-based products using natural means. So, most of the things we already make can be made by living things!

But what if we can’t find an organism that naturally creates the product we’re looking for? What if we find one, but it doesn’t produce enough of our molecule of interest to make economic sense? Here is where synthetic biology (synbio, or engineering biology) comes in. Synbio is a multidisciplinary field that brings together biology, chemistry, engineering, and computer science to turn micro-organisms into tiny factories that churn out products better than their natural counterparts. Synbio enables scientists to engineer micro-organisms and other biological systems to perform specific tasks with remarkable precision.

Canada is rich in natural resources, which has led to the development of numerous industries. However, the outcome is that waste produced is often disposed of in less-than-ideal ways. Fortunately, MetaCycler BioInnovations, is looking to change this narrative. The company, which is a spin-off from wasteCANcreate project member Dr. Trevor Charles’ lab at the University of Waterloo, is looking to divert food waste from landfills and produce valuable bio-plastic polymers that are being developed to have the same favourable characteristics as traditional oil-based plastics without creating harmful byproducts along the way. Similarly, YZymes Inc., a start-up company from Dr. Emma Master’s lab (also a wasteCANcreate project member) at the University of Toronto, produces chemical precursors for the production of bio-nylon and various commercially important resins, coatings, and adhesives, from tree biomass and leftover distillers’ grains, which are byproducts of the forestry and corn-based ethanol industries.

Key Advantages to Synbio in Biomanufacturing

Customization: Synbio allows researchers to tailor micro-organisms to produce desired compounds efficiently. This level of customization means that biomanufacturing can be adapted to a wide array of applications, from sustainable materials to biofuels, catering to the needs of a wide variety of industries. It will even allow us to create materials that don’t currently exist.
Resource Efficiency: Biomanufacturing relies on renewable resources, such as plant biomass or waste streams, as feedstock for micro-organisms. This approach reduces dependence on fossil fuels and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions which is less harmful to the environment.
Waste Reduction: Traditional manufacturing often generates significant waste and harmful byproducts. But biomanufacturing has the potential to create products and processes with minimal waste, making it more sustainable and efficient.
Low Carbon Footprint: As biomanufacturing largely relies on biological processes, it results in a smaller carbon footprint compared to conventional manufacturing methods.

Biomanufacturing holds the promise of revolutionizing the way we produce goods and achieve sustainability goals. With synbio platforms as its backbone, this emerging field presents a viable pathway to address the severe climate challenges our planet faces today. By embracing biomanufacturing technologies, we can move closer to a more sustainable world, where economic prosperity goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility. However, there are still challenges that need to be overcome before biomanufacturing can truly revolutionize our world – we’ll talk about that another time on the blog!

In case you missed it, we discussed “Turning Waste into Value: A Pathway to Upcycling” in our last post – check it out!

Key Advantages to Synbio in Biomanufacturing

Receive Email Updates from Ontario Genomics

What’s Happening in Real-Time

Archives for October 2024

Key Advantages to Synbio in Biomanufacturing

Receive Email Updates from Ontario Genomics

What’s Happening in Real-Time