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Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics (TRT) is a start-up company that is developing umbilical stem cell-based treatments. TRT will use the PBDF investment to conduct proteomic and transcriptomic analyses to further understand their mesenchymal stem cells. These studies will provide valuable information needed for regulatory approval to conduct human clinical trials and further differentiate their product from those of competitors.
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Rna Diagnostics Inc, an early stage molecular diagnostics company, is developing assays aimed at assisting in the management of cancer chemotherapy. The company will use the PBDF investment to further develop and validate their lead product, the RNA Disruption Assay™ (RDA™). This assay is designed to monitor a patient’s response to chemotherapy earlier in treatment than current methods, and has the potential to be a valuable tool in terms of helping provide a personalized approach to chemotherapy management.
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Global soybean production is threatened by an aggressive fungus responsible for Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), which can cause yield losses of up to 80 percent. Fungicides currently control ASR, however resistance to these chemicals has been observed. Dr. Charles Després (Brock University) is developing an alternative mode of action to protect the crop by identifying activators designed to stimulate soybean plant immunity. These chemicals can be used alongside traditional fungicides to ensure long-term global food security. With the help of the PBDF and support from Syngenta, Dr. Després will validate his product. This technology platform holds the potential to enable the agriculture industry to identify new chemicals that will optimize production and protection from ASR, thus facilitating better decision making and higher yields through precision agriculture.
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Formation Biologics Inc. (formerly AvidBiologics) is an oncology drug development company dedicated to anti-cancer biologics. Through PBDF funding, the company aims to develop AVID200, a novel anticancer agent targeting a protein expressed by a variety of solid tumours including lung, breast, and head and neck. Specifically, Formation Biologics is developing antibodies that are linked to highly toxic chemotherapeutic drugs, and these antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) target a specific cell surface receptor known to contribute to the etiology of various cancers. ADCs can selectively recognize specific proteins in cancer cells without damaging most normal tissues. This type of cancer therapeutic has the potential for superior safety and efficacy compared to older generation treatments. The company will perform a pilot safety study of this ADC to accelerate their drug development process for AVID200. “We are very grateful to have received an investment from the Ontario Genomics Institute to further development of this important anti-cancer therapeutic,” said Ilia Tikhomirov, President and CEO of Formation Biologics. “Programs like OGI’s Pre-commercialization Business Development Fund are crucial to the success of early stage biotechnology companies in Ontario.”
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Tecta-PDS (Pathogen Detection Systems), collaborated with Drs. Heinz-Bernhard Kraatz (University of Toronto) and R. Stephen Brown (Queen’s University) to develop a DNA biosensor for simple, low-cost, fast, on-site detection of bacteria in water samples. Culture-based techniques for water monitoring are time-consuming and expensive, which can lead to delayed results and decision making for users that manage water resources. The PBDF funding supported proof-of-concept experiments to assess the performance of the DNA biosensors with environmental samples.
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PrecisionHawk is an unmanned aerial systems company that provides a complete solution for aerial data gathering, processing and analysis in a number of markets, including agriculture and forestry. Drs. Ingo Ensminger (University of Toronto) and Nathalie Isabel (Forest and Environmental Genomics at Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service (CFS) – Quebec region) are partnering with PrecisionHawk to develop a suite of next generation genomic resources for improved tree breeding and selection. The funded project will help PrecisionHawk develop and deploy a software application that will enable breeders and forest managers to aerially assess tree phenology and performance during both the growing season and in response to pressures such as water deficits.
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Nicoya Lifesciences, a nanotechnology sensor company that builds novel products for the life sciences industry, has created OpenSPR, a label-free, real time molecule sensor, and the world’s only benchtop SPR instrument. This flagship product, which can be used to monitor and analyze proteins, antibodies, nucleic acids, and small molecules, has broad-ranging applications from basic research and medical diagnostics to industrial sensing.
To expand its market reach into medical diagnostics and enter new markets such as food quality monitoring, Nicoya is developing a new LSPR sensor chip technology that enables the accurate measurements of samples from crude or complex media such as water, food matrices, human saliva and more. With a granted patent on this technology, and demonstrated experimental proof of concept, Nicoya will utilise Ontario Genomics’ PBDF investment to begin to commercialize this novel sensor technology for the proteomics and genomics industry.
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Rapid Novor, is a Kitchener-Waterloo based biotech company that provides rapid, accurate, de novo protein sequencing services across Canada and internationally. Rapid Novor currently offers monoclonal antibody protein sequencing to biopharmaceutical companies and academic labs where antibody development is key to their research, e.g. immunotherapy development. Rapid Novor will utilize the investment from Ontario Genomics to support expansion of this proteomic and bioinformatics-based technology to enable sequencing of polyclonal antibody proteins. Development of this novel antibody sequencing platform will address an unmet need for many R&D groups, allowing the company to increase its competitiveness and grow its revenue.
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Ardra is a specialty chemicals company focused on the production of natural ingredients for the cosmetics and flavour and fragrance industries. Their synthetic biology platform uses designer biochemical pathways to produce a large portfolio of high-value products. The cosmetics and flavour and fragrances industries are dominated by petrochemical-derived ingredients, as natural ingredients have fluctuating and high prices along with seasonal variations. Ardra’s processes use renewable feedstock such as agricultural or forestry biomass, and engineered microbes to allow for low cost production and a steady supply of natural ingredients at a constant price. The investment from Ontario Genomics will advance the development of natural leaf aldehyde, a green leaf volatile used in green apple flavour, and as a scent in perfumery.
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Toronto start-up Bright Angel Therapeutics is developing novel treatments for fungal diseases, a global public health problem. Data compiled by the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) show that “over 300 million people are afflicted with a serious fungal infection and 25 million are at high risk of dying or losing their sight.” Mortality due to fungal infections is primarily due to the development of resistance to the few available anti-fungal compounds. Ontario Genomics’ investment will help Bright Angel Therapeutics develop new compounds that exploit a novel strategy to treat fungal infections. By targeting a stress response mechanism that enables fungi to become drug-resistant, this strategy will transform existing antifungals from ineffective to highly efficacious against all the leading fungal pathogens, enabling the company to tap into the existing very large antifungal market.
