Concordia expands its sustainable biomanufacturing capacity with $5M CFI investment
Concordia has expanded its sustainable biomanufacturing capacities with upgrades to its Genome Foundry and Bioprocessing facilities, thanks to a $5 million Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund investment — funded 40% by the CFI, with matching funds from Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education (MES).
The enhancements position Concordia as one of Canada’s leading centres for synthetic biology and bioprocessing. They also strengthen the university’s capacity to develop bio-based products from start to finish — from designing microbial and mammalian cells to testing and refining new medicines and chemicals traditionally sourced from non-sustainable processes.
“Biomanufacturing is transforming sectors that matter to Canadians, including health, agriculture, chemicals and clean energy,” says Steve Shih, Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology co-director and associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“These upgraded facilities will allow researchers and partners to move faster, test more ideas and scale promising technologies into real-world applications.”
Practical benefits for Canadians
Concordia’s biomanufacturing facilities help create greener chemicals, bioplastics, sustainable biofuels, plant-friendly microbes, alternative proteins and new medicines. They also support efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, turn waste into valuable materials and develop affordable, sustainable foods and therapeutics.
By giving small- and medium-sized enterprises, academic partners and government collaborators access to this advanced infrastructure, the expanded facilities will also strengthen national research capacity. This access shortens the path from discovery to market and supports high-skilled jobs.
“Beyond the economic value, the environmental benefits of these technologies are enormous,” Shih adds. “From replacing fossil fuel-derived chemicals with renewable alternatives, to turning dairy waste into bio-based chemicals, every innovation we scale here at Concordia reduces carbon emissions and minimizes waste.”
Researchers at Concordia are now able to bring promising innovations from concept to pilot under one roof. These capabilities help reduce reliance on petrochemicals, limit waste and create scalable technologies that can benefit Canadians and global markets alike.
“We are creating solutions that Canadians can see and use in everyday life,” Shih says.
Strengthening national research infrastructure
Founded in 2016 with a CFI grant, the Genome Foundry has evolved from Canada’s first automated DNA design and assembly facility into a national hub for synthetic biology.
In 2018-2019, the Foundry expanded into mammalian cell engineering through a collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada, which included a foundational investment of $2.4 million through the Cell and Gene Therapy Challenge program to set up the high throughput mammalian genome foundry.
Between 2020 and 2022, bioprocessing capacity was added to link strain engineering — the process of modifying microbes like bacteria, yeast and fungi to produce useful products or perform new functions — with fermentation and purification.
Learn more about Concordia’s Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology.
