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CBC
21 hours ago
- CBC
Canada races to keep invasive grass carp at bay
Invasive grass carp reproduce in U.S. rivers that flow into Ontario's waters, which has Canadian biologists racing to contain the spread before they devour native plants and forever change ecosystems here.

National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Canada-UK Collaboration Developing AI-powered Bioreactors to Revolutionise Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Article content KITCHENER, Ontario & United Kingdom — An international initiative will transform biologics and drug manufacturing through AI-driven multiplatform integration. The AI-optimised BALANCE (Bioreactor Automation for Learning and Adaptive Networked Control of Experiments) platform will leverage Nicoya's real-time sensing and control systems, integrated with automation from Labman Automation, bioreactor technologies from CPI, and AI development by Basetwo to make bioprocessing smarter, more efficient, and faster. Article content The 20-month collaboration, led by Labman, is supported by a $2 million grant from Innovate UK and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) through a Canada-UK Collaborative R&D initiative. The goal of the project is to deliver an AI-optimised demonstrator platform integrating bioreactor technologies with real-time sensing and control systems. It will leverage the joint expertise of the partners, bringing together the latest in AI, automation, and real-time process control to streamline upstream bioprocessing, ensuring higher yields, lower costs, and improved scalability for next-generation therapeutics. This aims to enhance the precision and efficiency of biologic drug production, offering a smarter, faster path to market. Article content Bioprocessing is an often-inefficient part of manufacturing that can slow down biopharma development. Optimizing bioprocessing requires making bioreactor operation more dynamic, relying on real-time data from biosensors. At the core of the BALANCE initiative is a closed-loop AI control system powered by Basetwo's digital twin platform. The machine learning models will interpret real-time data from the bioreactor and biosensors, enabling adaptive control of experimental conditions for real-time optimization of bioreactor performance. Labman will build an automated modular sampling platform that will automate molecular analysis, integrating seamlessly with Nicoya's Alto SPR biosensor for instant yield data and adaptive process control. Article content Basetwo's digital twin technology further enhances efficiency by predicting quality outcomes and reducing reliance on costly lab testing. CPI will validate and benchmark the system, ensuring practical scalability and commercial viability for biologics manufacturing. Article content This project marks a major step forward in digital bioprocessing, paving the way for increased efficiency, reduced variability, and faster time-to-market for breakthrough biologics. As an AI-driven testbed for next-generation model-based process control, the platform holds transformative potential for pharma and biotech industries striving for scalable, cost-effective production solutions. Article content 'Until now, sensing technology has been too slow and complex to enable truly reactive bioprocessing,' said Ryan Denomme, co-founder and CEO of Nicoya. 'Label-free biosensing is critical to unlocking the potential for automation and AI to drive efficiency in biomanufacturing, overcoming the complexity inherent in systems dealing with the diversity of living organisms. We look forward to working with our BALANCE partners to solve a bottleneck that can accelerate drug development.' Article content 'This is the next step for biologics and drug manufacturing, integrating Industry 4.0 approaches for bioprocessing,' said Thomas Smith, Head of Bioprocess Automation at Labman. 'By combining advanced sensing, AI and automation, we aim to accelerate process development, improve consistency, and create smarter, more efficient biomanufacturing workflows.' Article content Brendan Fish, Director of Biologics at CPI: 'Pharmaceutical companies know they must embrace digitalisation to stay competitive, but integrating digital technologies has been challenging in an industry that can be slow to evolve. Through collaboration, BALANCE is bridging this gap by validating and scaling AI-driven bioprocessing solutions to accelerate adoption and translate advancements into real-world impact for biologics manufacturing.' Article content 'AI-enabled digital twins is the next frontier in intelligent manufacturing,' said Thouheed Abdul Gaffoor, CEO at Basetwo. 'By combining our hybrid modelling approach with advanced sensing and automation, this collaboration moves us closer to autonomous biomanufacturing, cutting time, cost, and variability in producing life-saving therapeutics.' Article content About Nicoya Article content Nicoya is a Canadian life sciences tools company that specializes in biosensor technology. Its Alto Digital SPR platform delivers label-free, real-time biomolecular analysis, streamlining bioprocess development and monitoring. Article content About Labman Article content Labman Automation is a UK-based engineering company that designs and builds bespoke robotic systems and laboratory automation solutions. With a strong focus on flexibility, creativity, and engineering excellence, Labman helps customers across industries streamline operations and push the boundaries of what's possible in automated research and manufacturing. Article content About CPI Article content CPI catalyses the adoption of advanced technologies and manufacturing solutions to benefit people, places, and our planet. As part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, CPI helps accelerate innovation in HealthTech, pharma, AgriFoodTech, and beyond through world-class infrastructure and expertise. Article content About Basetwo Article content Basetwo is an AI platform helping process engineers in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing optimize operations using hybrid modelling. The platform provides engineers with recommendations on the next best action they can implement to maximize product quality, production yield, and process efficiency. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content

National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Pramana Receives Health Canada Authorization for Digital Pathology Scanners
Article content CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Pramana, an AI-enabled health tech company modernizing the pathology sector, today announced it has received Health Canada Medical Device Licenses for its flagship digital pathology scanners, the SpectralM and SpectralHT Cubiq systems. The approval authorizes Pramana to import, market, and sell its devices in Canada, expanding access to its advanced imaging and workflow solutions. Article content Health Canada authorization is required to commercialize Class II medical devices and affirms the product's safety, effectiveness, and quality. The approval opens the door for Pramana to support Canadian hospitals, pathology labs, and research institutions, helping modernize diagnostic workflows with scalable, AI-powered digital pathology tools. This recognition marks a critical step in Pramana's international expansion, building on its growing regulatory footprint. Article content 'Receiving Health Canada authorization is a major milestone in our commercialization strategy,' said Prasanth Perugupalli, Chief Product Officer at Pramana. 'It reflects the strength of our product development, quality, and regulatory readiness, and it opens the door to expanding access to our technology in a market known for strong clinical and academic institutions.' Article content Pramana's scanners are designed to digitize a wide range of pathology slides, producing high-resolution whole-slide images with automated quality control and AI-powered decision support. The platform supports both FFPE tissue and Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) samples prepared using methods such as the ThinPrep® Pap test (Hologic) and BD SurePath™ (Becton Dickinson). Unlike most digital pathology systems focused solely on anatomic pathology, Pramana expands digital workflows to include hematopathology, microbiology, and cytology, delivering flexibility across all major slide types. Article content 'Our research at the University of Toronto highlights the need for adaptable platforms that can manage these technical demands while still supporting routine histology and cytology workflows,' said Dr. Carlo Hojilla, Consultant Pathologist at the University of Toronto. 'Pramana's technology meets that standard, and its Health Canada authorization reflects both its clinical utility and the rigorous quality required for widespread adoption.' Article content Prior to receiving Health Canada authorization, Pramana secured Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) certification, a requirement that validated its quality management system and streamlined regulatory access in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Australia, and Japan, highlighting Pramana's commitment to modernizing digital pathology worldwide. Article content To discover how Pramana's whole-slide imaging solution can help healthcare organizations across Canada, visit Article content About Pramana, Inc. Article content Pramana is a health tech company transforming digital pathology with AI-powered imaging solutions that support seamless adoption across labs, health systems, and medical centers. Pramana's Spectral scanners deliver industry-leading image quality and unprecedented accuracy. Built-in AI algorithms and automated quality control streamline workflows, increase efficiency, and capture previously undetectable tissue features, empowering pathologists with the tools needed to improve clinical diagnostics and research. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content