What the facility does
Development and improvement of products, processes and procedures in the field of biotechnology in the healthcare, agricultural and industrial sectors.
Areas of expertise
InnovaCité BIOlab energizes the biotechnology sector by accelerating innovation in Canada through personalized support for the development and optimization of processes and products. This applied research centre at Collège La Cité stands out for its expertise in three areas of biotechnology:
- Industrial biotechnology: cellular agriculture, biodegradable plastics, and biomass recycling
- Health biotechnology: medical devices and biotherapeutics
- Agricultural biotechnology: environmentally resistant plants, controlled growth systems and bio-inoculants
Its highly qualified team offers expertise in microbiology, human health, cellular and plant biology, molecular biology and genetics, supporting partners at every stage of their projects.
InnovaCité BIOlab offers its business and organizational partners with:
- Access to specialized expertise
- Assurance of full intellectual property retention
- State-of-the-art facilities and equipment
- Access to financing
In addition to applied research projects, InnovaCité BIOlab offers hands-on training on state-of-the-art equipment and customized services such as sample analysis, technical support and more.
Research services
- Genetic engineering applied to industrial and plant biotechnologies (using CRISPR-Cas9 technology - clustered and regularly spaced short palindromic repeats - for example).
- High-throughput screening platform to optimize animal cell culture media and fermentation media.
- Development, optimization and validation of 3D cell culture bioprocesses (animal and microbial) for cell or macromolecule production (e.g., recombinant proteins).
- Bioprocess scale-up: animal cell culture (15L) and microbial cell culture (7L).
- Chemical analyses such as gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Biochemical analyses, including ELISA and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
- Development and optimization of medical diagnostic tools with the ethical collection of validated biological samples approved by the Collège La Cité’s Ethics Committee for Research Involving Humans and the CSanté Medical Clinic.
- Development and validation of biotherapeutics using animal cell cultures as disease models, with access to animal facilities.
- Development of conservation methodologies for elite varieties of cannabis or other plants.
- In vitro plant tissue culture to enhance plant production and accelerate varietal selection.
- Isolation, identification and characterization of beneficial microorganisms to promote plant growth.
Sectors of application
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Chemical industries
- Clean technology
- Consumer durables
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized Lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical chemistry | Agilent 6890C Gas Chromatograph (GC) with a 5975C Mass Selective Detector and a 7697A Headspace Sampler | Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) system for volatile compound analysis. Identification and quantification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via headspace sampling and mass spectrometry. |
| Shimadzu Prominence Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography (UFLC) system with UV/Vis Detector and an ABSciex 3200 LC-MS/MS 3200 QTRAP system | Compound analysis – Separation, identification, and quantification of small molecules using UV detection and tandem mass spectrometry. | |
| Thermo Scientific Dionex UltiMate 3000 UHPLC system with a quarternary pump, DAD-3000 Diode Array Detector, a RefractoMax 521 Refractive Index Detector and a 3100 Dual PMT Florescence Detector | Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) system for compound analysis for separation and quantification of non-volatile compounds using UV, refractive index, and fluorescence detection. | |
| BioTek Synergy MX Microplate Reader | Microplate analysis with multi-mode detection of absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence in microplate assays. | |
| Animal and microbial cell culture | Laminar flow hoods | Sterile work environment providing particle-free, sterile airflow for contamination-sensitive procedures. Biosafety Level II (BSL-2). |
| CO₂ incubators | Animal cell culture maintaining optimal temperature (10 - 37 C), humidity, and CO₂ levels for cell growth. | |
| Biolog OmniLog® PM System | High-throughput analyses of microbial and animal cell culture. Phenotypic profiling by analyzing metabolism and chemical sensitivity using phenotype microarrays. | |
| Biolog Odin VII Cellular Characterization System | High-throughput analyses of microbial and animal cell culture. Automated identification and characterization of microorganisms based on metabolic activity. | |
| Eppendorf DASbox® Mini Bioreactor Systems | Bioprocessing by parallel cultivation and monitoring of microbial or animal cell cultures under controlled conditions. Each system includes 4 250 mL vessels, one dedicated to microbial cell culture and another to animal cell culture. | |
| Getinge Livit Flex Bioreactor | Modular culture system for the sterile production of cells or microorganisms, featuring automated control of critical parameters such as temperature, pH, agitation, and oxygenation. Equipped with 3 L and 15 L vessels to accommodate various production volumes. | |
| Applikon Small Scale Bioreactors | Bioprocessing. Controlled cultivation of microbial or animal cells for research and process development. Systems include 1.5 L and 3 L vessels for microbial culture. | |
| INFORS HT Labfors 5 Lux LED Flat Panel | Photobioreactor. Flat-panel system for culturing photosynthetic organisms with uniform lighting. | |
| Microscopy | Zeiss LSM 980 Confocal Microscope | High-resolution imaging of fluorescent specimens using spectral detection, multi-channel acquisition, and advanced 3D rendering capabilities. |
| Olympus BX53F Fluorescence Microscope | High-resolution imaging of fluorescently-labeled specimens using multi-channel fluorescence and brightfield techniques. | |
| Genetic Engineering | Bio-Rad S1000 Thermal Cycler | Modular PCR system with fast ramping and gradient capability. |
| Bio-Rad CFX96 Real-Time PCR Detection System | Quantitative detection system enabling the amplification and simultaneous analysis of DNA with high precision. | |
| Plant tissue culture | VWR Plant Growth chamber | Controlled environment for the cultivation of plants or microorganisms under precise environmental conditions. |
| Microbiology | Plas Labs 888 Series Atmospheric Isolator/Glove Box | Automated anaerobic chamber with programmable atmosphere control for oxygen-sensitive work. |
| General lab | Labconco FreeZone 4.5 Liter Benchtop Freeze Dryer | Lyophilizer for preserving biological and pharmaceutical samples. |
| Beckman Coulter Multisizer Z4 Coulter Counter | Particle analysis. Measure particle size and count in liquid samples using electrical impedance. |
Private and public sector research partners
- 3DBioFibR
- AmacaThera
- Artenga Inc.
- Axcelon Biopolymers Corporation
- BioEureka
- Escarpment Labs
- GAIA Refinery
- GeneRxN Research Corporation
- Growcer
- InnoKore Solutions
- Liven Proteins
- Lyonleaf Cannabis Inc.
- Motigenix Inc.
- Multus Biotechnology
- Myo Palate
- New Treat Nutrition
- Plantaform
- Recherches Neuro-Hippocampe Inc.
- Réseau Aid’Solis
- Segra International
- Spiderwort Biotechnologies Inc.
- The Better Butchers