TBA The Biotechnology Initiative

The Voice of Bioscience in Ontario



October 18 - TBI Breakfast

The October TBI breakfast was one that won’t be soon forgotten as attendees arrived at Metro Hall to the deafening sound of a fire alarm, postponing the start by an hour. Guests made the best of the situation using the delay as an opportunity to network with each other.

After recovering from its shaky start, the meeting took on a McMaster feel with both featured speakers, Dr. John Preston, a director of the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research and leader of the McMaster Initiative in NanoInnovation (MINI) and Dr. Robert Pelton, representing McMaster university in their presentations.

Preston’s presentation titled “Progress and Perils of Nanotechnology” discussed the importance of nanotechnology and cultivating it as a viable industry and as an emerging field in biotech. Nanotechnology involves manipulating atoms and molecules to engineer new materials with chemical properties custom-made for specific purposes.

Dr. Pelton followed up with his presentation "Bioactive Paper, a Canadian Vision Making Impact Around the World,” a revealing look into one of the more unique innovations that have come out of Ontario recently. As the director of one of the worlds leading academic groups investigating polymer applications in paper technology, Pelton leads researchers from 10 universities across Canada, nine industry partners, and federal and provincial government agencies as part of a research consortium named the SENTINEL Bioactive Paper Network. The consortium’s purpose is to develop a low-cost and easy-to-use paper-based product with biologically active chemicals that can protect the public against increasing incidents of food, water and air-borne illnesses.

One possibility for the bioactive paper is as a material for SARS masks that are able to detect viral contamination.

Grant Tipler, president of TBI closed off the session announcing the 2006 TBI President’s Awards Gala winners. Dr. Alan Bernstein, founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was named as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner for his work in building CIHR into one of the world's leading research agencies. Bernstein officially leaves the CIHR at the end of October.

Other winners were Susan Smith, recognized with the Community Service Award, John Goudey, winner of the volunteer recognition award and David Lindsay, named the Public Service award winner. The awards will be given out at TBI’s annual President’s Awards Gala, to be held on Tuesday February 26, 2008 at the Four Season’s Hotel in Toronto.