The Technology-enhanced Biopharmaceuticals Discovery and Manufacturing (TBioDM) initiative has a tripartite industrial partnership structure, with York as the central hub for research activity, technology development and knowledge transfer. It is organized around three defined, but highly interrelated research themes, each of which has an affiliated lead PI, trainees and related technologies. Within each theme are a set of projects corresponding to basic research with deliverables of immediate interest to one or more industrial partners.
Ultimately, TBioDM will deliver enhanced research and training opportunities for York University, new assays and bioanalytical technologies for Sanofi Pasteur and new biopharmaceutical applications for the analytical platforms of Sciex and Fluidigm.
The core TBioDM team consists of three internationally recognized leaders in
bioanalytical chemistry and miRNA/protein molecular systems biology. This team incorporates
precisely the technological and biological expertise required to achieve the research objectives of the
TBioDM research program.
Derek J. Wilson is an emerging leader in bioanalytical mass spectrometry. The hallmark of his research is the development and application of novel MS-based tools to study the structural and dynamic transitions that drive protein function on the molecular level. Though early in his career, Dr. Wilson's research program has already attracted substantial funding from NSERC (Discovery, CREATE, CRD, Engage), CFI (LOF), the Ontario MRI (Early Researcher Award), MITACS and the Alzheimer's Society of Canada (Biomedical Research Grant) and his work has been featured on the cover of FEBS and Lab on a Chip. He has independently published in top chemistry journals including Angewandte Chemie and has coauthored large collaborative drug development work in Nature Leukemia. Trainees from the Wilson group have gone on to analytical positions in industry (e.g., SGS Geochemistry, Apotex, Sciex) professional schools and high profile academic groups.
TBioDM will provide a world-class industrial-academic training environment in bioanalytical chemistry and biopharmaceuticals development. Trainees will exit their programs with technical, research and project management skills that will make
them highly sought-after for leadership roles in academia, government and industry. At all levels, trainees will be in close contact with their academic supervisors and relevant industrial partners, including planning meetings and research activities at the industrial site.