Building efficiencies and expanding the reach of training curriculum for cell & gene therapies biomanufacturing

The Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI), is filling the shortage of qualified, job-ready talent by developing and scaling e-learning and on-site GMP training programs for cell and gene therapies (CGT) production to rapidly upskill the biomanufacturing workforce in Canada and internationally. Using industry-focused best practices for competency based demonstration of acquired skills in operating under aseptic conditions, CATTI is ensures the CGT manufacturing talent is worksite ready. Currently, CATTI develops and deploys training at its host site at the University of Guelph: a dedicated CL2 training laboratory with adjacent 50 person classroom (over 2050 sq ft.). Here, curriculum is developed, tested, refined and deployed and is packaged for mobile training at other sites around the country. To accomplish CATTI’s goals, interns are needed to build the training cell banks that correspond to a wide variety of platform technologies for therapeutic production. Additionally, in the age of industry 4.0 and digitization, CATTI is automating laboratory management and inventory practices to reduce entry errors and gain efficiency in laboratory based operations. This submission for 4 internship projects spanning over 2 years will ensure continuity between CATTI’s current Mitacs BSI Intern and additional interns that will benefit form the dynamic team environment. Objective 1 will focus on the generation of training cell banks for several cell lines, each taking up to 7 months to generate; Objective 2 centres on the implementation of digital solutions for lab operations and training and will take place over a 6 month span. Intern 1 has already completed a round of eligible Mitacs BSI Intership; Intern 2 will be newly onboarded; Interns 3 and 4 (to be named) will be onboarded in January and April 2025, respectively. Each Intern will work very closely with the CATTI team and projects will be closely managed.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sarah Lepage;Corinne Hoesli;Tarek Saleh;Sarah Lepage

Student:

Partner:

Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

McGill University; University of Guelph

Program: