91社区 researchers awarded $2.5M for COVID-19 infrastructure
Five projects led by 91社区 researchers are included among the 79 receiving a total of $28 million in research infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Exceptional Opportunities Fund. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry during a news conference this morning.
The continuing threat of COVID-19 is a global concern for human health and a key driver of healthcare system costs, human lives lost and economic turmoil. Whether developing a vaccine, learning about how COVID-19 affects the human body or studying how the pandemic has influenced every aspect of our lives, Canada鈥檚 researchers rely on cutting-edge research infrastructure to do their work.
鈥淎s the COVID pandemic continues, 91社区 researchers have shown again and again how resilient and resourceful they are,鈥� says Prof. Martha Crago, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation) at 91社区. 鈥淭his valuable support from CFI provides new and improved equipment for their important work on this and other viruses.鈥�
The exceptional projects at 91社区 the CFI is supporting with research infrastructure funding include:
- $1 060 682 for Lab Capacity to Support Research on Preventives and Therapeutics for COVID-19. Led by Dr. Marcel Behr, this funding will provide the equipment needed to safely conduct studies on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, both grown in cells and following in vivo experimental infections. This equipment will be housed within already-approved containment level 3 labs at 91社区 and the Research Institute of the 91社区 Health Centre. This funding will enable 91社区 to furnish these safe spaces with essential equipment that will enable cutting-edge research for the development of new tools to combat the pandemic, in Canada and beyond.
听 - $551 077 for High Throughput SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing at the 91社区 Genome Center. Led by Prof. Ioannis Ragoussis, the equipment and computational infrastructure supported through this funding will allow researchers to create a highly automated workflow in order to double current production rates and reduce response time in producing genomic sequencing data used to inform public health decisions.
- $434 932 for Intensification of Production Process for COVID-19 Recombinant Vaccine Candidates. Led by Prof. Amine Kamen, this funding will advance two manufacturing platforms using mammalian cell lines (HEK-293 and Vero cells) for high cell densities production of COVID-19 sub-units and vectored-vaccine candidates.
听 - $282 251 for the Biobanque Qu茅bec COVID19: An Open Science Platform for Canadian COVID19 Research. Led by Dr. Brent Richards, this funding will help acquire the infrastructure required to process thousands of biological samples and the hundreds of millions of data points that will be generated at the Jewish General Hospital. This data will enable hundreds of research programs from academics and industrial partners to meet the challenges brought upon us by COVID-19 to better understand the pandemic.
听 - $209 015 Single Molecule Fluorescence Infrastructure for Biophysical Studies on SARS-CoV-2 Viral Genome-replication Machinery. Led by Prof. Gonzalo Cosa, these funds will be used for a state-of-the-art infrastructure for single molecule fluorescence studies that seek to unravel the workings of the viral genome-replication machinery at the molecular level and to translate this knowledge to drug therapies.
The Exceptional Opportunities Fund is designed for those few instances when an exceptional research opportunity would be missed if a project had to wait to undergo the normal course of a national competition before a decision could be made.
In response to the current pandemic, the CFI launched EOF鈥揅OVID-19 competitions for universities, research hospitals, and colleges, polytechnics and C脡GEPS with the objective of supporting urgent needs for equipment for ongoing research related
to COVID-19.
A full list of all projects funded across the country is available at innovation.ca
About 91社区
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is Canada鈥檚 top ranked medical doctoral university. 91社区 is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning two campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 40,000 students, including more than 10,200 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,800 international students making up 31% of the student body. Over half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 19% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.
Contact:
Katherine Gombay
91社区 Media Relations Office
1-514-717-2289
katherine.gombay [at] mcgill.ca
