Main Menu
Main Menu
Menu

Kraken Sense

by

Overview

Kraken Sense (Oakville) is developing new technologies to speed up detection of new and existing variants of different viruses and bacteria to maintain public health and safety.

What they’re doing: Their automated and autonomous qPCR-based pathogen detection system eliminates the need for manual sample processing and they’re working on expanding automated technologies to also identify possible new variants, all in under an hour.

How will this be used in the real world? Future applications include the quick detection of existing and new variants of different viruses (i.e. SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza virus) and bacteria!

Index Biosystems

by

Overview

Index Biosystems (Burlington) is working on BioTag technology to make food products safer and cut down on food recalls by verifying sustainability, product quality and source-of-origin.

What they’re doing: BioTags are microscopic fingerprints made from baker’s yeast that are applied directly to products to track them. They’re primarily used to verify sustainability, product quality, place-of-origin and food safety. Index Biosystems’s goal is to develop detectable BioTags, methods for their production and identification protocols for successful commercialization.

How will this be used in the real world? BioTags have the potential to dramatically reduce the impact of product recalls in Ontario’s food systems by tracing agri-food products and identifying the source of problems faster. They can also be used to verify the ethical and sustainable sourcing of products.

Genecis Bioindustries

by

Overview

Genecis Bioindustries (Toronto) has engineered a bacteria that breaks down food waste to make cheaper bioplastics.

What they’re doing: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers that are ideal substitutes for petroleum-based plastics but are too expensive to produce. Genecis is working to improve the performance of bacterial strains used on low-value organic waste to produce cost competitive PHAs.

How will this be used in the real world? Genecis’ engineered strain that produces PHAs has dramatically reduced the cost of making bioplastics by using a zero-cost feedstock, rather than expensive carbon sources.

Ceragen

by

Overview

Ceragen (Kitchener) is helping farmers increase crop yields through microbiome engineering.

What they’re doing: This biotech company is developing probiotics for plants to increase hydroponically grown lettuce, kale, cucumbers, and basil crop yields by 20-30%. The plant growth promoting bacteria in this product helps increase nutrient uptake and improve plants’ response to environmental stress.

How will this be used in the real world? These products have the potential to increase food production in Ontario by at least 36,000 tons, which represents an $83 million annual revenue increase for farmers.

BioFect Innovations

by

Overview

BioFect Innovations (Toronto) has designed a microorganism to mass produce a sugar substitute.

What they’re doing: Due to lack of availability, mass production of the sweetener, brazzein, is not currently possible. But through synthetic biology and precision fermentation, BioFect has designed a microorganism that can produce large quantities of brazzein through a method that is economical, efficient and sustainable.

How will this be used in the real world? Along with the potential to replace/reduce the dependence on traditional sugars in many food products, this technology can make brazzein a key ingredient in eco-conscious food and beverage products.

AIMA Laboratories

by

Overview

AIMA Laboratories (Hamilton) is speeding up the diagnosis of endometriosis by creating a home test.

What they’re doing: This FemTech company is focusing on women’s health and providing unique solutions to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Endometriosis is one of the leading causes of chronic and debilitating pelvic pain and infertility. Because of ambiguous symptoms and pain normalization, it can take 5-12 years for women with endometriosis to get a diagnosis.

How will this be used in the real world? The first blood test for endometriosis that can be done from the comfort of home to give women and their physicians more clarity and a quicker path to diagnosis!

Ontario Genomics-CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science

by

Ontario Genomics-CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science

We are pleased to open the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Ontario Genomics and CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship, establishing another joint Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science.

This Fellowship, now in its third year, will support the work of an early-career investigator pursuing research in the areas of genomics and data science with an emphasis on genomic medicine, including, but not limited to, methodology, application, and translation of genomic prediction tools such as polygenic risk scores; human-computer interactions; or novel genomic computational approaches to therapeutic identification.

Proposed projects should be innovative, generalizable across applications, and not restricted to developing a predictive tool for a single application.

The Fellowship offers two-year salary support for up to $50,000 per year for postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research at a CANSSI Ontario partner university or their affiliated research institutes.

Candidates are responsible for selecting, contacting, and securing the commitment of two faculty members to jointly supervise them in their project, where at least one is a faculty member with a PhD in statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, computational biology, genomics, or computer science. The second supervisor can be from any other field.

The Fellowships offer two-year salary support for up to $50,000 per year for postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research. Candidates are responsible for selecting, contacting, and securing the commitment of two mentors to jointly supervise them in their project.

Eligibility and Requirements

Read all eligibility and all required materials at the Eligibility and Application Guide

  • Postdoctoral fellows with a PhD in the fields of statistics, computational biology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, epidemiology, genomics, or other related quantitative fields
  • Applicants must be undertaking full-time research during the term of the postdoctoral fellowship at a CANSSI Ontario member university or any of their affiliated research institutes.
  • Research projects that focus on statistical methodology and tool development, including computational tools, may be considered. We encourage applications from candidates combining ’omics data with other data to overcome challenges, especially as it applies to the environment and climate change. Final selection is at the discretion of the adjudication panel.
  • Funding eligibility of submissions will be assessed based on defined eligibility criteria related to scientific excellence and innovation by a joint adjudication panel.

Funding and Tenure

  • Funding Availability: Up to two years.
  • Maximum Fellowship Value: $50,000 per year for up to $100,000 over two years.

* We expect to fund the highest-ranked candidates.

Landing Pad Investment Program (LPIP)

by

This competition is closed. All submitted proposals will be assessed according to the process outlined in the competition timeline, and results will be announced as indicated.

Call for genomics or engineering biology start-ups solving global challenges in therapeutics, future of food, biomaterials, biological tools, diagnostics and bioinformatics/AI-based technologies

The Ontario Genomics (OG) Landing Pad Investment Program (LPIP) seeks to provide investment and support to help Ontario-based genomics and engineering biology1 companies to start and scale successfully. To enable this, OG is offering support to start-ups that attend an approved International Accelerator Program and return to Ontario upon completion. The Landing Pad Investment Program partner IndieBio (San Francisco & New York), offers a minimum of $275,000 USD upon acceptance to their program, and is backed by the global venture capital firm SOSV.

  • Successful applicants will receive a $100,000 investment from Ontario Genomics
  • Companies will benefit from mentorship which may include: regulatory pathway assistance, global outlook and connections, understanding of export markets, business model strategy, technical development, funding and foreign investment.
  • Companies can be connected to Ontario’s leading incubators and support organizations such as Velocity, Synapse, McMaster Innovation Park and Ryerson’s SDZ.

How it works:

Icon of a lightbulb with text below: "Contact OGif your genomics or engineering biology start-up has potential for large impact. Key icon: Attend an international Accelerator Program to qualify for the LPIP. Rocket Icon: Apply for LPIP for investment, connections to lab space and mentorship

*Impacting at least 1B people or is part of a $1B market

Get Started

  • Step 1: Contact Britney Hess, Ontario Genomics Manager, Investment and Venture Development, if you have any questions about the program or your eligibility!
  • Step 2: Fill in the application form (linked above) and send it to Britney Hess by December 1, 2021.
  • Step 3: Eligible top-ranked applicants will pitch to an expert panel on December 15, 2021. Top-ranked applicants will undergo a due diligence process.
  • Step 4: Successful applicants will receive $100,000 in investment from Ontario Genomics, as well as opportunities for mentorship and connections to lab space.

1.Genomics can encompass proteomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics and other related disciplines that involve systematic, comprehensive and high-throughput procedures to study cellular constituents and function. Engineering (or synthetic) biology is a convergence of genomics and molecular biosciences with computing, automation, miniaturization, artificial intelligence (AI), and the application of engineering principles to biological systems. See OG Engineering Biology Whitepaper for examples

Industry Challenge 2020 Program

by

This competition is closed. All submitted proposals will be assessed according to the process outlined in the competition timeline, and results will be announced as indicated.

Industry challenge program banner, a man standing with his hands on his hips and looking at a whiteboard that has DNA drawn on it
Healthy Lives, Healthy Economy, Healthy Planet through Genomics

Open Call for Challenges

Purpose

With the Industry Challenge Program, Ontario Genomics will provide teams with funding for novel and innovative projects to solve pressing challenges and address industry opportunities through the application of genomics-based solutions across key sectors of the Ontario economy with the intent to drive economic growth, improve quality of life and Ontario’s global leadership.

Ontario Genomics is issuing an “Open Call for Challenges” for genomics and engineering biology innovators to solve industry and other end-user identified challenges within and across agriculture and agri-food, human health, industrial biotechnology and natural resources and the environment in one or more of the five areas identified below.

  • Sustainable Food and Biomaterials Production
  • Rapid Genomic Diagnostics in Healthcare, Food Safety & Agriculture, and the Environment
  • Biomanufacturing and Scale Up from the Lab to the Factory
  • Roadmaps for Reducing Red Tape, Regulatory Burden or other Barriers
  • New Paradigms for Rare Disease Treatment

The Industry Challenge 2020 Program intends to catalyze and support collaboration in the application of genomics and engineering biology solutions to solve challenges identified by industry. This “industry-pull” approach is designed to enable market-informed outcomes and maximize the impact of these projects. This program is open to creative partnerships and collaborative teams (e.g. teams comprising industry, industry-academia, industry-industry, industry-other) that are in the position to address the identified challenge or opportunity and implement the results from the project.

Project outcomes should enable the applicant to implement the next steps, e.g. follow-on investment, increase technology readiness through next level applied research, validate a new business opportunity, obtain future partners etc. It is expected that the knowledge generated will have a high potential for future implementation by the industry, resulting in a marketable or translatable asset and will ultimately create social and/or economic benefit for Ontario, including the creation of jobs.

Funding

Ontario Genomics will provide up to twelve (12) individual awards of $25,000 each for teams to be used for short duration (up to 12 months) research projects. Each project must be matched with a minimum of $25,000 contribution from the industry (cash and in-kind acceptable), to a total project size of $50,000 or more. Higher funding could be requested in exceptional cases and would have to be matched dollar for dollar by the industry partner. Applicants must ensure that the research funded through the Industry Challenge Program is independent of current funding or is incremental to previously funded projects.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Industry Challenge 2020, a proposal must conform to the following criteria:

  • The proposal must respond to the objectives and intent of the Industry Challenge 2020 program (as described above)
  • The project must address an industry-identified challenge within one or more of the five areas identified above that can be solved with a genomics or engineering biology solution
  • The team must comprise of an Ontario-based industry or other industry partnerships (as described above)
  • If the industry is a company, the company must be incorporated prior to the application date
  • Funded research must be performed in Ontario, and awarded funds will not flow outside of Ontario
  • Ontario Genomics funds must flow to the industry team member. In exceptional cases, it may go to another team member and only if agreed upon by all parties
  • Co-funding is required from the industry, at a minimum of $25,000 (cash and in-kind acceptable)
  • Project duration should not exceed one year in length unless agreed upon by all parties

How to Apply

The Industry Challenge Competition will consist of a three-stage gated application process:

  • Intent to Apply (screening calls with Ontario Genomics, see below)
  • Submission of Written Application and
  • Pitch to Expert Panel.

Potential applicants must contact Elaine Corbett, Director of Strategic Partnerships to discuss their project idea. Ontario Genomics will help determine eligibility, positioning of the project and will provide an invitation to apply for eligible applicants.

Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3)

by

This competition is closed. All submitted proposals will be assessed according to the process outlined in the competition timeline, and results will be announced as indicated.

Ontario regional priorities partnership program (ON-RP3)

Rapid advances in genomics research and their application within Ontario’s diverse agriculture and agri-food sector have the potential to dramatically impact and improve both Ontario’s economy and the well-being of its people. Genomics, which to date has been applied primarily in major field crops and select livestock species, offers tremendous untapped potential to enhance the productivity, sustainability and profitability of many more segments of this sector. Ontario is well-known for its extensive research community and robust private sector, which have led to highly successful industry-academic partnerships. Through partnerships like these, Ontario is uniquely positioned to lead the application of genomics/genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to advance the agriculture and agri-food sector.

To this end, Ontario Genomics (OG) has partnered with Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) and Genome Canada (GC) to deliver the new Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3). Funding through this program will support co-led industry-academic, proof-of-concept stage projects within Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector. These projects will deliver genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes for industry-identified challenges and opportunities. The outcomes of these projects will position teams for successful implementation within two years or less of project completion.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the ON-RP3 are to:

  • Develop industry-academic partnerships that will drive the adoption of genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to advance the Ontario agriculture and agri-food sector
  • Address industry-identified challenges and/or opportunities in the agriculture and agri-food sector and demonstrate the readiness of genomics solutions for implementation
  • Achieve the benefits of genomic discoveries by bridging the gap between applied research and implementation

Key Parameters of the Program

The ON-RP3 program is open to Ontario-based, co-led industry-academic projects. Industry includes for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations actively operating in the Ontario agriculture and agri-food sector. Proposed projects must address real-world challenges and/or opportunities in Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector by using genomics/genomics-derived solutions.

  • Eligible Projects: Proof-of-concept stage projects with a clear plan for implementation within two years or less of project completion.
  • Eligible Applicants: Projects must be co-led by an Industry Lead and an Academic Lead, both based in Ontario.
  • Funding Available: Up to $2 million.
  • Project Size: $375,000 – $500,000 total project budget; smaller projects of at least $150,000 will be considered if they are well-justified and still meet the review criteria.
  • Co-funding: 1/3 of the total project budget must be obtained from eligible sources including the Industry Lead. A minimum of 1/6 of the total project budget must be in the form of cash obtained from the Industry Lead.
  • Funding Duration: One to three years, beginning no earlier than July 1, 2019 and ending no later than June 30, 2022.
  • Communications Plan: Projects must present a strong plan to communicate the project outcomes to a broad audience.

ON-RP3 Public Education and Engagement Initiative: Successful project teams that are selected for funding will be required to work collaboratively with OG, AAC and GC on a common, group-identified public education/engagement-themed initiative. The aim will be to identify and implement an initiative that benefits all projects. This initiative is expected to begin in the summer of 2020 and will be financially supported by OG, AAC and GC.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible, projects must:

  1. Respond to the objectives and intent of the ON-RP3 program
  2. Have an eligible Industry Lead and Academic Lead located in Ontario and demonstrate that the project being funded will be performed in, and benefit Ontario
  3. Put forward a genomics or genomics-derived solution (technologies, tools and processes) for an agriculture and agri-food sector-driven challenge or opportunity
  4. Align within one or more of the outlined strategic priorities listed below
  5. Build on existing research/preliminary data to demonstrate proof-of-concept by the end of the funding period
  6. Provide a plan that demonstrates how implementation will be achieved within two years or less of project completion
  7. Provide a communications plan

Proof-of-concept stage projects are defined as projects that build on existing discovery research and/or preliminary data towards Research & Development (R&D) that demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the genomics/genomics-derived solution. With the proof-of-concept data generated by end of the project, teams should be well-positioned to execute their defined implementation plan.

Discovery research with a seed sprouting icon, proof of concept with a growing sapling icon, implementation with a tree icon

Strategic Priorities

Projects must align with one or more of the strategic priorities outlined below, that are  based on the recommendations from the sector strategy report, Genomics for Agriculture & Agri-Food: Ontario’s Strategic Opportunity.  This report was prepared by Ontario Genomics following extensive sector review and consultations with academic, government, industry and other sector stakeholders:

  • Multidisciplinary Research – Augment multidisciplinary R&D using a systems biology approach, with a focus on increased understanding of microbiomes and their interconnectivity to human health
  • Sustainable Agriculture & Food – Prioritize programs for sustainable agriculture and food that consider the economy, the environment, and society, for crop production and livestock
  • Advanced Processing Systems – Enhance advanced manufacturing and processing systems for both food and industrial bioproducts, including fermentation and traceability
  • Rapid Diagnostics & Biologics – Develop rapid diagnostic methods to support regulation and trade, rapid disease detection and traceability in crops and livestock, and biologics to reduce the use of antimicrobials
  • Address Barriers to Adoption – Address barriers to the adoption of genomics innovations including issues related to data sharing, intellectual property, regulation and public acceptance
  • Leverage Computational Biology & Artificial Intelligence – Leverage Ontario’s strengths in computational biology and artificial intelligence to accelerate the development and application of agricultural genomics-based innovations

Application Review Process

The ON-RP3 application process includes three stages, as follows:

  1. Registration (Eligibility Assessment)
  2. Application Submission
  3. Application Review