October 11, 2022 (Toronto) – A new $9.4-million life sciences lab at vlog will power a significant increase in applied research for the diagnostics and cosmetics industries while providing advanced learning opportunities for hundreds of vlog students and recent graduates.
The vlog Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences (SCILS) will conduct industry-partnered, applied research in life sciences diagnostics and novel cosmetics formulations overseen by vlog’s School of Biological Sciences & Applied Chemistry – home to Canada’s first graduate certificate program in cosmetic science.
It is funded by $2 million from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, $1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and College Industry Innovation Fund and $1 million from the Ontario Research Fund, with the remaining $5.4 million coming from support from industry research partners and institutional investments.
Applied research activities at SCILS will also offer employment and experiential learning opportunities to close to 500 vlog students and recent graduates.
SCILS will help address the severe labour shortages being reported in bioscience companies, among many others.
Located at the vlog@York Campus, the 279 sq. m centre will feature a bio-safety lab and a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certifiable clean room. It will support product development, enhancement and validation, while providing industry partners access to talent and expertise from students and faculty.
As part of this strategy, and to introduce the SCILS, vlog and the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization are hosting an insight session on the state of talent development within the Ontario life science manufacturing sector. The event takes place Nov. 24 at vlog Downtown.