The University of Windsor is leading a $15 million research project to help strengthen Canada's biomanufacturing sector in the event of another pandemic.
INSPIRE, short for the Integrated Network for the Surveillance of Pathogens: Increasing Resilience and Capacity in Canada's Pandemic Response, brings together 43 experts from seven universities and public and private agencies in Canada and the United States.
The team of microbiologists, biochemists, engineers, computer scientists, and experts in supply chains and public policy will look for ways to improve biomanufacturing and health sector supply chains, bolster cross-border trade and mobility, and explore new technologies in pathogen surveillance.
Dr. Mike McKay with the University of Windsor, who is leading INSPIRE together with a researcher from the University of Guelph, says border restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic in attempts to mitigate disease spread.
While cross-border trade continued, McKay notes that Canada had chronic supply shortages and limited biomanufacturing capacity, we couldn't get enough personal protective equipment in Canada, and we weren't making our own vaccines.
"We're hoping to help build resilience in Canada's biomanufacturing sector. We need to learn from experience to develop proactive strategies to prevent the devastating impact of infectious diseases on the biomanufacturing and health sectors, and improve efficiencies in moving assets across our borders," he says.
McKay says they are integrating three areas that they think are critical to install resilience and build capacity in biomanufacturing and health sectors in Canada.
"Biomanufacturing and health sector supply chains—that's an area that's going to be led by Dr. Anne Snowden from our Odette School of Business. Cross-border trade and mobility. The University of Windsor has a nationally recognized cross border institute, led by Dr. Bill Anderson and Marta Leardi-Anderson. Then finally, this is the area that I'm leading: robust and timely cross-border pathogen surveillance," he says.
INSPIRE will also develop strategic partnerships with researchers in Michigan, Ohio, and New York to create a cross-border pathogen surveillance network covering regions where many supply chains supporting Canadian industry originate.
The Cross-Border Institute will study Windsor-Essex's location in terms of potential biothreats entering Canada. It will focus on optimizing cross-border policies and programs to make Canada a more attractive destination for life sciences companies.
McKay says the goal is to make sure we're ready in the event of another pandemic.
"We've strategically focused our program here in Windsor-Essex. This is the most important cross-border region for trade with the U.S., with the Ambassador Bridge accounting for over 25% of the activity. This is also an area where we might expect to see pathogens emerging or entering into Canada, hence the reason for the focus," he says.
The federal government funding for INSPIRE includes $2.5 million for new equipment, including a mobile lab that will allow teams to analyze samples at remote locations.