Peptide Synthesizer & Cell Culture

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We have come together to advance knowledge in areas of critical importance to Canada and knowledge-based economy. We are specifically interested in the design of materials that will allow us to grow biological cells in a biomimetic environment - that is an environment which mimics native tissue in terms of biochemical composition and mechanical properties. By designing water-swollen materials (called hydrogels) with protein fragments (i.e. peptides), we can mimic the native environment in which cells grow in people. This is a powerful tool with which to guide cell fate and find therapeutics for the treatment of a variety of diseases. By advancing from the conventional flat, 2-dimensional method of growing cells to our proposed 3-dimensional strategy, we open up an entirely new way of discovering drugs. Moreover, with innovative, peptide-modified materials, we can control the release of proteins, thereby stimulating resident stem cells to promote tissue repair - getting us closer to the holy grail of regeneration. An instrument that allows us to design peptides for inclusion in our hydrogels is key to our success and the scale-up required ultimately in biomanufacturing. The peptide synthesizer, as the name implies, allows us to design peptides of interest. The peptide synthesizer is critical to our proposal and is supplemented with a series of core instruments that enable cell imaging in 3D (i.e. a laser for our confocal microscope), cell culture, passaging and cell and peptide storage (i.e., incubator, laminar flow hood, centrifuge, liquid nitrogen container and -80 °C freezer). The groups of Shoichet, McGuigan, Sefton, Gu and van der Kooy have come together in this dynamic proposal. Importantly, the 80+ high-quality personnel (HQP) in our laboratories will have the opportunity to work on big questions in our fields using state-of-the-art equipment. Equity, diversity and inclusion are key to all of the PIs and all HQP, who use individual development plans to be intentional with their careers. With access to leading-edge equipment, our HQP will be well-equipped to tackle 21st century challenges in both academia and industry. Biomanufacturing and the innovation economy are key to Canada's future. By advancing knowledge in the proposed biomedical engineering fields of guiding cell fate, we will new materials that will enable us to invent future therapeutics.