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Opened project
Project leader: Davoud Torkamaneh
Contest: Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) - Commercialization and Adoption
Sector: Agrifood
Budget: 2 205 117,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: Aplantex The global plant-based bioactive compounds market, particularly for flavonoids ($1.2B, 11% CAGR), is expanding rapidly, driven by demand for sustainable ingredients in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. Canada’s reliance on imported active ingredients (60% from Asia) underscores the need for local biomanufacturing. Aplantex, a Quebec-based green biotechnology company, leverages duckweed’s rapid growth and sustainability to produce high-value phytochemicals but faces bottlenecks in low transformation efficiency (~1%) and lengthy clone selection (10 months). This project,(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Philippe Lefrançois
Contest: Genomics Innovation to Commercialization Program
Sector: Health
Budget: 400 000,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: TATUM Bioscience Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but only 20 to 30 percent of patients respond long-term. Intratumoural cancer vaccination could improve response rates by providing both local and systemic effects. However, animal models currently used often fail to predict human vaccine responses. By using patient-derived human tumour explants, we can model immune responses with a minimally altered tumour microenvironment (TME). This project will combine a skin cancer biobank with TME characterization through gene(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Saji George
Contest: Genomics Innovation to Commercialization Program
Sector: Agrifood
Budget: 761 560,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: Biosun Solutions The cannabis industry faces ongoing challenges in maintaining plant health, achieving consistent THC and CBD levels, and preventing contamination by harmful microorganisms, particularly mycotoxin‑producing fungi that threaten crop safety, product quality, and consumer health. Cannabis is highly susceptible to fungal pathogens such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium, which produce aflatoxins and ochratoxins that can persist through processing. These toxins pose serious health risks, especially for immunocompromised consumers, and are a leading cause(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Jo Anne Stratton
Contest: Genomics Innovation to Commercialization Program
Sector: Health
Budget: 900 000,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: RNA4RARE Therapeutics Inc. Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a rare genetic condition (1 in 2000) that causes tumors to develop from glial cells in the nervous system. It occurs when these glial cells lose protective proteins that regulate normal cell growth—neurofibromin in NF1 and merlin in NF2—allowing tumors to form. This leads to diverse symptoms, such as hearing and vision loss, nerve pain, learning and motor disabilities, and reduced quality of life. Treatment options are limited:(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Serge McGraw
Contest: Genomics Innovation to Commercialization Program
Sector: Agrifood
Budget: 1 031 790,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: Boviteq In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an important tool in cattle breeding that allows multiple embryos to be produced from elite animals, helping farmers accelerate genetic improvement in their herds. While IVF offers major benefits, it is not yet widely adopted because calves produced this way have a higher chance of developmental problems. These can include abnormal growth, longer pregnancies, difficult births, and increased likelihood of newborn loss. These issues are linked to how(...)
Opened project
Project leader: François Belzile
Contest: Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) - Commercialization and Adoption
Sector: Agrifood
Budget: 2 984 240,00 $

Start date: 31 March 2026 End date: 31 March 2028

User: Prograin With Canada’s seed market set to grow 60% in 10 years, soybean seed value should rise from 500M$US to 800M$US. Rising global demand of plant-based protein (>50% by 2030), places soybeans as a cornerstone of sustainable food systems. Canada, a top producer of high-quality soybeans, plays a key role in supplying international markets. A notable portion of this market is held by multinational seed companies (MSCs) that have successfully integrated the latest tools(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Éric Lécuyer
Contest: Genomics Integration Program - Human Health
Sector: Health
Budget: 400 000,00 $

Start date: 01 January 2026 End date: 31 December 2027

The success of RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines has highlighted the great potential of using RNA as a new way to treat or prevent diseases. Some RNA molecules can work like “sponges,” soaking up specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and inhibiting their function. Since some RBPs are essential for cancer cell growth but not normal cells, RNA sponges could serve as selective cancer treatments. However, current RNA therapeutics are linear, which means they quickly get eliminated in the(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Olivier Barbier
Contest: Genomics Integration Program - Human Health
Sector: Health
Budget: 300 000,00 $

Start date: 01 January 2026 End date: 31 January 2026

User: Trienix Pharma Inc. According to Liver Canada, about 25% of the Canadian population—nearly 8 million people—are affected by hepatic steatosis, commonly known as “fatty liver disease.” This condition, medically referred to as MASLD and MASH, currently has no treatment approved by Health Canada. By 2030, it is expected to become the leading cause of liver transplantation, underscoring the urgent need to develop new therapeutic options. This project aims to study the effect of a(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Émilie Bédard
Contest: Genomics Integration Program - Human Health
Sector: Health
Budget: 180 386,00 $

Start date: 01 January 2026 End date: 31 December 2027

Ville de Québec – Service du traitement des eaux This project aims to better protect the health of people working in wastewater treatment plants by reducing their exposure to aerosols generated during treatment processes. These airborne particles can contain bacteria responsible for respiratory and digestive problems. The research team will analyze the air in 15 facilities across Quebec to identify the bacteria present and assess the associated health risks. Simulations will also be used to(...)
Opened project
Project leader: Sonia Cellot
Contest: Genomics Integration Program - Human Health
Sector: Health
Budget: 400 000,00 $

Start date: 01 January 2026 End date: 31 December 2027

User: CHU Sainte-Justine This project aims to develop a non-invasive blood test to diagnose and monitor children with leukemia by analyzing proteins in their blood plasma. Current protein-based tests are rarely used in pediatric cancer care, yet they could provide crucial information. About 35% of children with acute myeloid leukemia and 10–15% with acute lymphoblastic leukemia do not survive, and many survivors face long-term side effects. Today, children undergo repeated blood draws and bone marrow(...)