Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Health care spending continues to grow faster than our economy and becomes a major financial burden to the society (Provincial and territorial government health spending surpassed $100 billion in 2007). Drugs have consumed the second-largest share of health dollars (second after Hospitals) since 1997. The fermentation process is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry to grow microorganisms and produce drugs, like antibiotics. In this strategic research, the applicants propose to collaborate with researchers at Apotex Fermentation Inc. and Alberta Research Council to design low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) devices for microorganism growth. LIPUS is chosen because a form of mechanical energy generated by the LIPUS device can pass through into microorganism as acoustic pressure waves that can stimulate microorganism growth. Our piezoelectric transducers are biocompatible and are easily modified for fermentation use. The proposed research includes: (i) developing a novel LIPUS device that can stimulate microbial growth and enhance gene and protein expressions to increase fermentation-based drug yield; (ii) demonstrating that the proof-of-concept designs can be used in the fermentation processes to produce predictable microbial growth; (iii) extending this new technology for industrial applications. Our design is innovative because no research group worldwide has proposed to use LIPUS for enhancing microorganism growth. NSERC has invested a great amount of money in fundamental research. The proposed research will enhance the collaboration between academia, government lab and industry. The proposed research is also in line with NSERC strategic research plans in the area of "Competitive Manufacturing and Value-Added Products and Processes". By applying LIPUS technology, the yield of fermentation-based drugs could improve significantly. As a result, the project can reduce health costs and enhance the ability of Canadian drugs to compete in global markets. In all, this project will significantly benefit the Canadian economy.