SPEC Labs Centre for Advancement of Biomedical Innovation Announces the Appointment of Three New Board Members
August 2023
The SPEC Labs Centre for Biomedical Innovation is pleased to announce today the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the SPEC Labs Board are:
Dr. Maura Campbell is the President and CEO of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization. Dr. Campbell has more than 30 years of experience in all key areas of biotech, including private and public companies, universities and research institutes, and government-funded public sector research organizations (National Centre of Excellence [NCE]). Based on intellectual property (IP) developed at three Ontario academic institutes, Dr. Campbell helped spin out Turnstone Biologics, which recently went public on the NASDAQ. Previously, Dr. Campbell served as Director, Intellectual Property at VBI Vaccines. Before that, she worked at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) as a Senior Research Program Manager, where she oversaw the oncolytic vaccine project commercialization. Earlier in her career, Dr. Campbell was the Director of Intellectual Property for PainCeptor Pharma Corporation, the Manager of Technology Transfer & Commercialization for the OHRI, and the Manager of Technology Transfer at the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems NCE. She has also served as an IP consultant to a number of Canadian start-ups including Neurochem, Conjuchem, Aonix, AMRIC and Sussex Research Labs. Dr. Campbell received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, and an M.Sc. and a B.Sc. in biochemistry from Queen’s University in Kingston. Most recently, Dr. Campbell accepted an appointment to the Ontario Life Sciences Council, joining eleven other industry experts to support a plan to make Ontario a top hub for innovation growth and life sciences investment.
“The availability of web lab space is absolutely essential for innovative start-ups and scaling biotech companies to stay and thrive in Ontario, “ said Dr. Maura Campell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “I am thrilled to join SPEC Labs as a board member and look forward to bringing my expertise in the management of early-stage companies to grow the Ontario life sciences sector.”
Dr. Pamela Plant, is a Genomics Specialist and Adjunct Scientist and at the Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science at Unity Health Toronto (St Michael’s Hospital) and experienced in the ecosystem of basic science to clinical translation. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in the Department of Biochemistry followed by fellowships at the CHUV, University of Lausanne and the Lunenfeld Institute at Mt Sinai Hospital. Dr. Plant has been with St. Michael’s for over 10 years where she has developed her interest in molecular diagnostics research and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles. As an application scientist in the area of molecular biology and biochemistry she provides support to the research community with experimental design, data acquisition, analysis and representation. She has helped to bring in millions of dollars of vital new infrastructure to the Institute and is dedicated to integrating these innovative technologies in the KRCBS. She has sat on numerous committees such as the Research Training Center and Biosafety Committee. Dr. Plant is passionate about trainee education and began the Research Core Facilities “Core Clinics” educational program, where specialists run dozens of unique courses for trainees in a broad range of basic science techniques. She has been dedicated to promoting scientific literacy in the community through her involvement in scientific outreach programs for high school students, in Pathways to Education and Women in STEM programs through the public library system. Dr. Plant lectures at the University of Toronto Institute for Medical Science with a focus on graduate professional development.
Dr. Plant is thrilled to be included on the SPEC board, along with the other highly qualified and committed members, to help guide the company in fulfilling the space needs of start-ups in Ontario’s burgeoning Biomedical Industry. She will bring her depth of experience in Core Facilities management and her expertise in the ecosystem of basic science to clinical translation to the team.
Dr. Leyla Soleymani is a Professor at the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University and the Associate Vice President Research, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship. Her research is focused on developing new medical devices for point-of-care diagnostics and infection prevention. Dr. Soleymani has experience in translating research-based discoveries to the market.
“We are honored that we have the support of life science and biotechnology trailblazers on our newly formed board of directors, Drs Campbell, Plant and Soleymani offer comprehensive and varied experiences in the world of research commercialization,” said Doris Qamar, Executive Director. “We welcome them and are excited to work under their guidance.”
About SPEC Labs Centre for Advancement of Biomedical Innovation
SPEC Labs is Canada’s premier shared wet lab space for scaling life science companies, including those graduating from university incubators and accelerators.
SPEC Labs is dedicated to providing companies with turn-key facilities and access to world-class equipment and expertise. Its spaces are located strategically, in the heart of Canada’s largest life science sectors alongside leading teaching hospitals, research universities, and scientific boards.
SPEC Labs also supports online and international companies who want to access North American markets. It provides all tenants advice on compliance, procurement, health and safety, and other essential business and operational topics.
SPEC Labs Centre for Advancement of Biomedical Innovation Announces New Partnership with SpinUp at the University of Toronto Mississauga
August 2023
The SPEC Labs Centre for Biomedical Innovation (SPEC Labs) announced today a partnership with the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) through UTM’s new life science incubator SpinUp. This partnership will help meet a critical need for high-quality wet lab space in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and drive health-promoting innovation nationally from its earliest stages to scale.
The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is Canada's premier hub for the biopharmaceutical industry. It connects the country’s largest hospital networks; leading medical and university research centres, including U of T; and Canadian headquarters of some of the world's most impactful pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies.
The region also has urgent demand for wet lab space. To meet the current scientific need, the GTHA has to have 3.5 million more square feet of lab space than is currently available; Canada as a whole needs 13 million more. This gap has special impact on life science entrepreneurs emerging from universities and hospitals, who rely on the availability of larger lab spaces to expand their experiments, grow their companies, and realize the full potential of their innovations.
The partnership between SpinUp and SPEC Lab’s will take a major step in this direction.
SpinUp offers affordable wet lab space, equipment, and programs for up to 23 early-stage life science companies – all onsite at UTM, in one of the world’s leading universities for scientific research, teaching, and entrepreneurship. SPEC Labs provides what entrepreneurs need next: turn-key wet lab facilities, infrastructure, and expertise for companies to expand on a larger scale. All tenants at SPEC Labs also receive added supports across a range of topics – from compliance to procurement to health and safety.
“Together, SpinUp and SPEC Labs open a pipeline for emerging life science companies to thrive in Mississauga and beyond,” says Raquel De Souza, SpinUp’s Director. “Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to start at SpinUp, mature their intellectual property, and develop a case for investment – before moving to a larger scale at SPEC Labs.”
“Our partnership opens a path to provide continuous service for companies graduating from SpinUp,” adds Doris Qamar, SPEC Labs’ Executive Director. “This continuity is a critical piece to foster biotech innovation and power Ontario grown companies.”
About SPEC Labs Centre for Advancement of Biomedical Innovation
SPEC Labs is Canada’s premier shared wet lab space for scaling life science companies, including those graduating from university incubators and accelerators.
SPEC Labs is dedicated to providing companies with turn-key facilities and access to world-class equipment and expertise. Its spaces are located strategically, in the heart of Canada’s largest life science sectors alongside leading teaching hospitals, research universities, and scientific boards.
SPEC Labs also supports online and international companies who want to access North American markets. It provides all tenants advice on compliance, procurement, health and safety, and other essential business and operational topics.
About SpinUp and U of T
SpinUp is the first wet lab venture incubator at the University of Toronto, Canada’s leading centre for learning and discovery and one of the world’s top-two universities for health science productivity.
SpinUp is purpose-built to drive life science innovation. It offers early-stage life science start-ups access to outstanding wet lab space, equipment, and expertise in the new science building at U of T Mississauga – at a fraction of the cost of comparable facilities.
SpinUp is proudly part of U of T Entrepreneurship, a network of 12+ innovation accelerators across three campuses. Over the past ten years, this network has supported more than 650 capital-backed companies, which have created 9,000 jobs and raised $2.5 million in external investment. U of T now launches more research-based start-ups than any university in North America outside of MIT.
Learn more about SpinUp, U of T Mississauga, and U of T Entrepreneurship here.
Media Contact
For U of T Mississauga:
Jennifer Hartman
Media Relations, Office of Communications
jennifer.hartman@utoronto.ca
The SPEC Labs Centre for Advancement of Biomedical Innovation Announces New Site in Mississauga, ON
Toronto, July 2023.
SPEC Labs announced today the signing of a term sheet to create a Mississauga-Lifescience Campus. The term sheet discusses ~20,000sqft premises to be converted to a co-working wet lab facility for scaling biotechnology companies. This facility will be the first of its kind in Canada.
The GTA is a premier hub for the biopharmaceutical industry, it houses Canada’s largest hospital networks, leading medical research centers and the Canadian headquarters for some of the world’s pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. There is a large unmet need for wet lab space in Mississauga, the GTA and across the country. In Canada, there is a 13 million square foot unmet need for wet lab space. Scientific discovery and development is at a critical point where innovation is halted because of the lack of available physical space to carry out the required testing and evaluation.
In Mississauga, as in other locations across Canada, life science companies start in academic institutions and hospital laboratories. When a successful life science company reaches a critical mass and needs to move to a larger space to accommodate their increasing size, they are unable to find space. These companies are then forced to move abroad taking valuable people, jobs and knowledge with them. SPEC Labs is building shared wet lab facilities to support scaling companies, starting in Mississauga.
SPEC Labs turn-key lab facilities provide access to equipment and expertise in close proximity to members of scientific advisory boards, teaching hospitals, academic institutions, and other researchers and experts in the life sciences sector. SPEC Labs provides office and lab space for companies graduating from academic incubators or accelerators, as well as scaling life science, biotechnology, and medtech companies. We also provide support for virtual companies and international companies wishing to access North American markets. For all tenants and members of SPEC Lab facilities, we also provide additional lab operations, health and safety, compliance, procurement, security, and legal support.
What is the business case for shared, multi-tenant wet labs facilities?
Shared, multi-tenant wet labs facilities such as BioLabs or SmartLabs offer a variety of benefits to startups, emerging biotech companies, and established pharma companies that need access to wet lab space. Here are some of the key business cases for these facilities:
Reduced costs: Setting up and maintaining a wet lab can be extremely expensive, particularly for early-stage startups or smaller biotech companies. Shared wet lab facilities allow companies to access high-quality laboratory space and equipment at a fraction of the cost of building and maintaining their own labs.
Flexibility: Biotech companies often need to be able to quickly ramp up or down their laboratory space as their needs change. Shared wet lab facilities offer flexible lease options that allow companies to adjust their space as needed.
Access to specialized equipment and expertise: Many shared wet lab facilities offer access to specialized equipment and expertise that individual companies may not be able to afford on their own. This can be particularly valuable for startups and smaller biotech companies that are working on cutting-edge research.
Networking opportunities: Shared wet lab facilities provide opportunities for companies to network and collaborate with other startups, investors, and industry experts. This can lead to partnerships, funding opportunities, and other valuable connections.
Streamlined operations: Shared wet lab facilities often provide additional services, such as maintenance and support, that can help companies streamline their operations and focus on their core research.
Overall, shared, multi-tenant wet lab facilities offer a range of benefits to biotech companies of all sizes, making them an attractive option for many in the industry.