Analytical Instrumentation to Support Trace Element Analysis in the Broader Life Sciences Sector

安大略的生命科学部门年收入估计为568亿美元，为安大略的国内生产总值（GDP）贡献了约581亿美元，并支持了约19万多个就业岗位，是安大略经济的重要贡献者。仅在多伦多，该行业就在2，430多家公司雇用了36，000多名高技能工人，其中超过25%专注于研发。 在过去的三年里，Seneca通过其生物科学和应用化学学院（SBSAC），通过应用研究合作，一直在支持更广泛的生命科学领域的中小企业。在这段时间里，我们与20多家中小企业合作，以代谢组学、诊断和分析测试为主题，解决他们的研发挑战。我们在大学系统和该地区开发了独特的产品，为合作伙伴提供无与伦比的人才，基础设施和资金机会，以支持增长，竞争力和生产力。通过NSERC的阿尔蒂计划，我们申请资金购买电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（ICP-MS）。ICP-MS将能够对痕量元素进行高灵敏度的分析测定，这在更广泛的生命科学的许多领域都有很高的需求，包括食品，化妆品，天然产品和大麻行业。该工具经过精心挑选，以满足我们现有和新兴合作伙伴的需求，并可应用于与新的和现有合作伙伴的多个项目。如果没有ICP-MS，Seneca满足现有和新兴行业需求的能力将受到限制，并且无法有效地加速和扩展SBSAC中不断增长的行业驱动的应用研究计划，该计划可能对当地和区域经济产生重大的积极经济影响。

Ontario's life sciences sector, with annual revenues estimated at $56.8B, contributing approximately $58.1B to Ontario's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supporting approximately greater than 190,000 jobs, is a significant contributor to Ontario's economy. In Toronto alone, the sector employs more than 36,000 highly skilled workers at more than 2,430 firms, with greater than 25% of them focused on R&D. Over the past three years, Seneca, through its School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry (SBSAC), has been supporting SMEs from the broader life sciences sector through applied research collaborations. In this time, we have collaborated with more than twenty SMEs to address their research and development challenges under the themes of metabolomics, diagnostics and analytical testing. We have developed a unique offering, in the college system and in the region, providing out partners with unparalleled access to talent, infrastructure and funding opportunities to support growth, competitiveness and productivity. Through NSERCs ARTI program, we requesting funds to purchase an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ICP-MS will enable highly-sensitive analytical determination of trace elements, something that is in high demand in many areas of the broader life sciences, including the food, cosmetics, natural products and cannabis industries. This instrument has been carefully selected to address the needs of our existing and emerging collaborators, and can be applied to multiple projects with new and existing partners. Without the ICP-MS, Seneca will be limited in its ability to address existing and emerging industry demand, and effectively unable to accelerate and scale out growing, industry-driven applied research program in SBSAC, which has the potential for significant positive economic impact on the local and regional economy.