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Ontario’s Biotech Sector is Booming

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With $30 million in follow-on funding so far, more companies are joining the BioCreate accelerator

Eight new start-ups have been welcomed into BioCreate, an $11.6-million business accelerator giving financial and commercial support to Ontario biotech companies that are creating game-changing solutions in the food and agriculture, health, and cleantech sectors.

BioCreate was established by Ontario Genomics through a Government of Canada investment of more than $5.6 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

Each highly vetted company in the program gets $150,000, 18 months of business mentorship, access to critical infrastructure and the chance to pitch to potential investors. Since the program started in 2023, BioCreate companies have raised $30 million in funding and earned sales and revenue of $8.8 million.

Here are the newest BioCreate start-ups:

  • Ardra Bio is a business-to-business biotech company focused on creating sustainable and ethical ingredients that are used in food and cosmetics products.
  • Epiloid is a biotech company focused on finding effective treatments for neurological conditions through data analysis and personalized medicine.
  • Inteligex is a genomics company hoping to change the way traumatic spinal cord injuries are treated by developing drug and stem cell therapies for patients.
  • Materia Bioworks is revolutionizing the way eco-friendly materials are being made by simplifying the process for companies to produce biomaterials like sustainable plastics and packaging.
  • Material Futures is taking all-natural dyes to a new level by using the power of microbes to engineer colourants for a variety of industries including food, cosmetics and fabrics.
  • Mediphage is a genomics company that has created trademark DNA technology to improve the quality of key ingredients in genetic medicines.
  • Noa Therapeutics is a biotech company working to create better treatments for the millions of people struggling with illnesses like eczema, ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
  • ProteinQure is looking to lead the charge in making Ontario a thriving hub of drug development and research, while focusing on breast cancer therapies fuelled by peptides.

BioCreate’s Program Director, Elizabeth Gray, says, “Getting into BioCreate isn’t easy. Our acceptance rate is only 15% because of a stringent selection process that includes a panel of outside experts to make sure our companies have the greatest potential to succeed and get their technologies scaled up and into market quickly.”

“Congratulations to the eight companies that have joined the BioCreate program,” says the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). “They will be working hard to improve the lives of Canadians and it is our government’s priority to support our budding companies so they have access to the tools they need to succeed in important sectors like health, food, agriculture and cleantech.”

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About Ontario Genomics
Ontario Genomics is a non-profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario and other partners. Since 2000, we’ve been involved with cutting-edge science to find homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare. Find out more at OntarioGenomics.ca.

About FedDev Ontario
For 14 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts
Maggie Blood
Innovation Communications and Public Affairs Manager
mblood@ontariogenomics.ca

Pillar 1 of the Canadian Precision Health Initiative – Generating population-level genomic data

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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

Engineering Biology: Repurposing life’s vast toolkit for better products

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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.

Up to 60% of the physical inputs of the world's economy could be produced by biological means

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!
Many of the products we use every day are made up of carbon, which we extract from naturally occurring sugars or petroleum/oil

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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Low Carbon Footprint: As biomanufacturing largely relies on biological processes, it results in a smaller carbon footprint compared to conventional manufacturing methods.  
Advantages of synbio in biomanufacturing

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!

Ontario Genomics Welcomes New Board Member

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Ontario Genomics Welcomes New Board Member

We’re delighted to introduce you to Lyndal Walker, the newest member of Ontario Genomics’ Board of Directors. Lyndal will enhance the board with a wealth of insight, experience, and expertise in the health and therapeutics space, all of which will help us achieve our strategic vision.

Lyndal Walker

Lyndal Walker is currently the General Manager of Sun Pharma Canada’s Branded Business.

As General Manager, Walker oversees the company’s increasing market investment and expansion of its wide range of medicines, particularly in dermatology, ophthalmology and oncology. Walker is focused on optimizing the power of Sun Pharma’s people, innovative products, global network, and localized research, to accelerate Sun Pharma’s growth in Canada. With over 25 years of experience in global healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, she continues to unlock value for Canadians and address the unmet needs and gaps in the healthcare system. Read more about Lyndal Walker

Ontario Genomics is also thankful to our retiring board members for their years of deep commitment to our board.

  • Deb (Deborah) Stark served on our board for seven years and played an invaluable role as Chair of the board for five years. Deb brought a wealth of government and agriculture sector experience, while supporting vibrant board development and governance. We are especially grateful to Deb for her steady leadership throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Mark Lundie served on our board for six years and brought fantastic expertise in rare disease and a global pharmaceutical sector perspective. Mark greatly supported our private sector and commercialization programs.
  • Jehoshua Sharma advanced our board with insights into the student perspective while supporting our training initiatives over the past four years. Thank you to our past board members for your contributions to OG!

To learn more about the new member and additional changes to our Board please see our governance page.

Showing Businesses How to Use Science to Their Advantage

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A new online course teaches companies to partner with colleges to test their technologies

Micro-Credential Program_Fundamentals of Applied Research copy

It’s a nagging problem countless companies have faced: they have a great idea to improve their products or processes but don’t know how to make it a reality. That’s where Ontario Genomics and Loyalist College come in with a four-course Fundamentals of Applied Research micro-credential program that can get businesses from the idea stage to the testing phase.

The first course is now available and the best part is, it’s online and open to companies across the province. This 10-week, 25-hour, go-at-your-own-pace course walks through the process of how businesses can connect with local college researchers, design, fund and deliver a project that tests the new product or technology they want to incorporate into their operations.

Whether it’s creating a natural food product or ingredient, figuring out more sustainable packaging or improving crop production, applied research projects are a win-win for the community since it’s a lower-risk option that allows local businesses to produce homegrown innovations more efficiently, while also giving college researchers projects to work on.

Fundamentals of Applied Research micro-credential program

Ontario Genomics Strategic Partnerships Manager Michael Dorrington, says, “Most companies don’t realize local colleges offer this kind of access to lab space and expertise to test their ideas. This micro-credential goes through all the steps businesses need to take advantage of this invaluable support available to them.”

Amy Harder, Loyalist College Senior Director of Business Development, says, “We’re proud to support businesses and entrepreneurs by offering targeted corporate training programs like this course. It’s through these initiatives that Loyalist strengthens the regional economy and fosters local growth.“

Ontario Genomics is a non-profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario and other partners. Since 2000, we’ve been involved with cutting-edge science to find homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare. Find out more at OntarioGenomics.ca

Blog: When life sciences meet innovation, the world can heal itself

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SiREM’s groundbreaking work in Ontario for the world

The marvels of biotechnology are what drive the ground-breaking bioremediation work being done at Guelph-based company SiREM.

You’re probably familiar with bacterial cultures in dairy products like yogurt that give them their trademark taste, smell and texture. SiREM, and their partners at the University of Toronto and the Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), have been developing and scaling up bacterial cultures of their own to help various industries clean up chemicals left over from their operations in a safer way that is better for the planet.

SiREM: When life sciences meet innovation, the world can heal itself

The idea is to do away with the destructive “dig-and-dump” method of dealing with contaminated soil and use SiREM’s bioaugmented bacterial cultures instead. Injecting their sustainably produced microbes into groundwater to quickly and naturally break down toxic substances is a far more environmentally friendly and efficient way to clean-up common contaminants in the oil and gas sectors.

Ontario Genomics started supporting this exciting work back in 2016 with a $1 million in funding through the Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP), which according to SiREM’s principal scientist, Sandra Dworatzek, has boosted their success.

Sandra Dworatzek, Senior Scientist at SiREM

Their bioaugmentation cultures have received approval for use by Environment Canada and Health Canada and are currently being used at 15 sites across North America on a wide range of chemicals including chlorinated solvents, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes.

Download the SiREM pdf

Getting organized, the genomics way!

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Two new hubs will make research easier to manage and access for scientists and industry

Groundbreaking research has the power to move humanity forward in many ways, but it doesn’t do much good if it’s not organized and easy to access. A new $15.8 million program creating two supporting hubs will do away with that problem by getting researchers and industry partners on the same page to turn solid research into real-life use that we can all enjoy.

As part of the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems (CSAFS) program, nine Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICTs) across Canada are doing critical work to find solutions to climate change and its ravaging impact on our food supply. Ontario Genomics is among a group of investors in these two new organizational hubs that help scientists compile their cutting-edge genomics research in the most efficient way possible.

Climate-Smart Data Collaboration Centre
Climate-Smart Data Collaboration Centre

This $11.1 million data hub will give the ICTs a common framework for data handling and management, so it’s easier to access and share, while also keeping track of their progress.

Researchers: Dr. William Hsiao at Simon Fraser University; Dr. Michelle Edwards at University of Guelph; Dr. Claude Robert at Université Laval

Partners: Ontario Genomics, Genome British Columbia and Génome Québec

Agricultural Genomics Action Centre
Agricultural Genomics Action Centre

This $4.6 million knowledge mobilization and implementation hub will take research from the ICTs and showcase and disseminate the information so that it’s accessible and usable in the real world by partners in the farming, food and beverage and agriculture sectors, as well as policymakers and government.

Researchers: Elizabeth Shantz and Jessica Bowes at University of Guelph; Dr. Nancy Tout at the Global Institute for Food Security, University of Saskatchewan; Dr. Lupin Battersby at Simon Fraser University

Partners: Ontario Genomics, Genome Prairie and Genome British Columbia

Ontario Genomics is a non-profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario and other partners. Since 2000, we’ve been involved with cutting-edge science to find homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare. Find out more at OntarioGenomics.ca

Unlocking the future of food: The FAO and Ontario Genomics uncover the challenges and opportunities

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SynBio2024: Bonus - New Food Innovation Opportunity on Oct 10

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, alongside Ontario Genomics, is giving you a global perspective on the future of innovation in food, cleantech, and health. Join us in Toronto, from October 7-9, for the sixth edition of Canada SynBio 2024 as we explore how to break through barriers and focus on “Unlocking the Future,” so the bioeconomy can thrive, for Canada and the rest of the world.

You’ll want to book an extra night’s stay in Toronto because on October 10, the FAO, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), will hold a stakeholder roundtable meeting on cell-based food production and precision fermentation. This is the third meeting in the series that includes developers, producers, and researchers to apply and present their original products. The call for presenters is open until July 1, additional details here.

Join us and be part of the solution as we address challenges and highlight opportunities for Canada to strengthen its leadership in the ecosystem, and how innovations and engineering biology-based technologies can truly revolutionize society on a global scale. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tech and Science Meet to Create Medical Marvels

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New government funding for projects includes world-class cancer diagnosis tools and the medicinal magic of mushrooms

May 29, 2024, Toronto –

With the goal of unlocking the healing abilities of science and technology the Canadian government through Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics are giving over $13.5 million in funding to five projects in Ontario that will improve our healthcare system and ensure biodiversity in our ecosystem.

With more than 600 new cancer cases diagnosed every day in Canada, researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital have joined forces on a $6 million project to grow their tumour classification system. This platform allows doctors to identify difficult to diagnose cancers with near perfect accuracy to get patients the right care they need, faster. They also plan to expand the types of cancers it can identify and share this lifesaving technology with other countries.

Some families have a heightened risk of colon, brain and gynaecological cancer that is passed on in their DNA. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre researchers are getting nearly $800,000 to create an affordable, less invasive test to dramatically cut down on diagnosis wait times and life-long screening for people with this condition.

CGEn researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children, McGill University and the BC Cancer Research Centre are developing new technology to meet the needs of the scientific community. This $3.3 million project will develop advanced genomic services and analysis for nearly 3,000 research labs, companies and not-for-profits.

Mushrooms are more than just great on pizza, they can actually be the basis of new medicines! McMaster University researchers and B.C. biotech company, Kapoose Creek Bio, are using AI and synthetic biology to explore fungal compounds in a $2.2 million project to discover new drugs.

Most of the things we buy in the grocery store have a barcode, and Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph researchers are applying that concept to DNA of all species. Their $1 million analytics project allows scientists to identify all the animals and insects around us and track changes in their population and movements. This technology can be shared with other researchers around the world to ensure biodiversity and sustainability.

Ontario Genomics is a non-profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario and other partners. Since 2000, we’ve been involved with cutting-edge science to find homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare. Find out more at OntarioGenomics.ca.

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Maggie Blood

Innovation Communications and Public Affairs Manager

mblood@ontariogenomics.ca

Ontario Genomics Part of Province’s Research & Innovation Investment

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Funding renewal means more support for game-changing solutions

May 29, 2024, Toronto –

Ontario Genomics is receiving $5 million over two years to continue our work in finding homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare.

Since our start in 2000, we’ve raised more than $3.7 billion for genomics applied research in the province which has created more than 20,000 jobs. We have over 330 projects and more than 500 partnerships. For the past 24 years, we’ve been providing the critical support researchers and entrepreneurs need to develop, protect and commercialize their IP, ensuring their innovations, and the associated wealth and jobs they create, stay here in Ontario.

Genomics is all about DNA, and it’s DNA that tells us about life in all forms. It’s the basis of biology which is fuelling biotech innovation and getting us focused on sustainability and away from petroleum-based production methods.

The time to act is now and because of this investment from the Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities, we can continue to support researchers and start-ups with their game-changing solutions so they can be scaled up and put into real world use as quickly as possible.

Ontario Genomics CEO Stephen Cummings, says, “With this provincial investment, Ontario Genomics leverages matching funds to drive game-changing innovations in Food, Agriculture, Cleantech, and Health. Our work generated a significant return on investment, created over 11,000 direct jobs and added more than $1.8 billion to Ontario’s GDP since 2013. By leading genomic applications across multiple industries, we are tapping into the Bio Revolution, a multi-trillion-dollar global market opportunity as projected by the McKinsey Global Institute. With ongoing support, we will establish Ontario as a leader in biotech and life sciences, benefiting everyone in Ontario today and into the future”.

“The Ontario government is proud to support homegrown research and innovation at Ontario Genomics,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “This funding is helping researchers solve some of the biggest challenges of our time that are making a very real difference in the lives of Ontarians.”

Ontario Genomics is a non-profit organization funded by the Government of Ontario and other partners. Since 2000, we’ve been involved with cutting-edge science to find homegrown solutions to challenges the world faces like climate change, food insecurity and in healthcare. Find out more at OntarioGenomics.ca.

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Maggie Blood

Innovation Communications and Public Affairs Manager

mblood@ontariogenomics.ca

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