Funded Projects

For a pandemic-ready Canada, it is critical to have the capacity to move from pathogen identification to clinical-phase–ready vaccines and therapeutics in the shortest possible time. Achieving this objective requires reliable, scalable, and adaptable biomanufacturing processes.

RAMP-UP bridges pathogen identification and clinical-trial–scale production of biologics to meet this need. It will deliver versatile bacterial and mammalian cell line platforms capable of:

1. designing efficient and manufacturable biologics;
2. developing scalable bioprocesses and associated analytical technologies;
3. reliably mass-producing formulated biologics, including sterile fill-finish as the final step, within one hundred (100) days.

RAMP-UP provides manufacturing process solutions that directly address both current and anticipated needs of biopharmaceutical companies and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), including GMP requirements, in alignment with their highest priorities. To maximize impact for its strategic industry partners, RAMP-UP will work closely with technology transfer partners to optimize the successful translation of innovations from laboratory to market, effectively shortening the path from discovery to commercialization.

At the same time, RAMP-UP will help address the critical shortage of highly qualified personnel needed to staff government, academic, and industrial facilities through a unique and proven co-training program. By fostering interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration skills, this program will help break down the long-standing silos that have traditionally limited efficiency in the biopharmaceutical sector.

In collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Network of Scientific Platforms, RAMP-UP stands as a uniquely positioned initiative ready to deliver a robust and truly pan-Canadian strategy for responding to the next pandemic—serving all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.