Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

BLES Biochemicals Inc. is a small London-based Canadian pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes the pulmonary surfactant BLES?. BLES? (bovine lipid extract surfactant) is an exogenous lung surfactant indicated for rescue treatment of Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NRDS). It was developed in the 1970s at Western University and is now used in over 110 hospitals across Canada and approved for international use in several countries including India, South Africa, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, with registration in several others pending. International demand for their product will increase over 50% in the next two years this coupled with the fact that BLES currently uses thin layer chromatography (TLC) a extremely time consuming method phospholipid assessment has brought BLES to Fanshawe College and the School of Applied Science & Technology (AST), specifically the Bachelors of Applied Technology Biotechnology program to examine high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a method for assessing phospholipid composition. The HPLC method can be completed in hours instead of days. To assess feasibility and develop a robust HPLC method, Principal Investigators Dr. Michael Jennings, and Dr. Cheryl Ketola, in conjunction with student researcher, will complete, design and execute experiments on the impact of column size and solvent mixture, and test the accuracy, repeatability and robustness of the HPLC method in formulation under constant conditions. Results of this project are critical to BLES' operations; without development of this methodology they will not be able to meet increasing international demand. Dependent on outcomes of the project, BLES will consider purchasing their own HPLC equipment. This purchase would coincide with creation of a new technician position, to operate and maintain the equipment. Through participation in this project, the Fanshawe student will improve his/her understanding of TLC and HPLC methodologies, experimental design and testing, lab procedures, and will participate in a research project in a client facing role.