The Pathogen Research Centre at Western University will be home to a microbial transmission facility, the first of its kind in the world, once it’s completed in 2027. As part of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the $44-million centre promises to advance infectious disease innovation and position London, Ont., as a national leader in this particular research area.
The centre will be home to two biocontainment level 3 facilities: A Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility designed to manufacture products for clinical trials under strict quality control standards and a microbial transmission facility, the first of its kind in the world, that will enable scientists to test how viruses like influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spread through the air in real-life settings, such as airplane cabins or hospital rooms.
These new facilities will operate alongside Western’s existing ImPaKT (Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation) Facility, which specializes in early-stage research by using advanced imaging techniques to observe how diseases behave inside the body.
“The Pathogen Research Centre is the next step in evolving Western’s world-class research in immunology and biotherapeutics while training the next generation of experts,” said Western President Alan Shepard. “The addition of these two new advanced facilities, together with ImPaKT, creates a one-of-a-kind research environment that fosters innovation and builds capacity for Canada to develop life-changing treatments and prevention.”
Producing made-in-Canada therapeutics
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Eric Arts said it will increase Canada’s pharmaceutical capacity and reduce the need to outsource therapeutic and vaccine production to the U.S. and other countries. By enabling cost-effective, specialized small-scale production of pharmaceuticals for clinical trials, it will help advance innovative early-stage ideas that may have stalled in the past because of lack of access to manufacturing capabilities at home.
“Having the capacity to produce made-in-Canada vaccines and biotherapeutics for clinical trials is a major advancement for both research and the life sciences industry,” said Arts, Canada Research Chair in HIV Pathogenesis and Viral Control. “Right now, there are very few facilities in Canada that provide this service, coupled with the research expertise we can provide here. The ability to produce and test homegrown therapeutics in Canada will mean more research, development and commercialization in the biomedical industry.”
Because the GMP production capabilities will be located within a biocontainment level 3 facility, it can safely produce biotherapeutics, drugs made from living organisms or biological sources including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines and cell-based therapies used to treat diseases like cancer, diabetes and autoimmune disorders.
The facility will also support a “predictive” vaccine platform, developed by a Western-led team, to generate promising vaccine candidates that could target future viral strains infecting humans, including influenza and coronaviruses.
Testing virus transmission in real-world circumstances
The microbial transmission facility will mimic real-world environments such as operating rooms and airplanes for research into how viruses spread. By simulating conditions such as airflow, temperature, humidity and even coughing and sneezing, scientists and industry partners can design and validate innovative solutions to stop their transmission.
“This will be the first facility in the world to simulate how viruses spread in real-world settings, filling a critical gap in our understanding of pathogen transmission,” said Rick Gibson, director of operations for ImPaKT. “We’re already working with industry partners who are developing innovative ways to stop the spread of viruses, and this facility will give them the ability to work with us to validate those ideas and bring them to market.”
Engineering professor Chris DeGroot is currently working with a company that manufactures UV lamps designed to kill viruses. He said the team is eager to test this and other innovative technologies inside the microbial transmission facility’s large-scale chamber.
“This is a game-changer for our research at Western,” said DeGroot. “It opens the door to new kinds of collaborations essential for advancing technology, and for the health care sector as a whole. It will also give our graduate students hands-on experience with industry-level tools and projects. Simply put, it gives us access to research capabilities you can’t find anywhere else.”
The project is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund ($16 million) and the Ontario Research Fund ($3.9 million).
