Microbiome Insights awarded Innovative Solutions Canada contract by Health Canada to enhance regulatory testing for microbial biotechnology products

Need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient testing platform

VANCOUVER, BC, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Microbiome Insights, Inc., a global leader for end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, announced today it was awarded an $881,000 contract from Health Canada to develop a testing platform to accurately identify and characterize micro-organisms found in microbial biotechnology products, and predict their interactions that could mask or enhance adverse effects to determine risks to human and environmental health. This contract follows an initial agreement completed in 2021 and is part of Innovative Solutions Canada, a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology.

"Leveraging our expertise in metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, we are excited to continue our collaboration with Health Canada to develop a testing platform that will benefit both regulators and the manufacturers of microbial mixture products," said Dr. Pedro Dimitriu, the Head of Research and Development at Microbiome Insights. "The translation of microbiome science into products is accelerating and with this, there is a real need for a more reliable, accurate and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products."

Products with microbial mixtures have the capacity to perform novel and complex tasks in a diverse array of biotechnology applications, many of which support the goals of sustainability. The testing required for regulatory approval of these products can be costly, often relying on animal testing to understand their toxicity. There are no suitable test methodologies and novel approaches to determine the adverse effects of microbial mixtures.

As part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program, Microbiome Insights is developing a more reliable, accurate, and cost-efficient way to determine the quality and safety of these new products.

Microbiome Insights, Inc. is a global leader providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, where samples from around the world are processed in its College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited laboratory. Working with clients from pharma, biotech, nutrition, cosmetic and agriculture companies, and world-leading academic and government research institutions, Microbiome Insights has supported over 700 microbiome studies, from basic research to commercial R&D and clinical trials. The company's expert bioinformaticians and data scientists deliver industry-leading insights, including biomarker discovery, machine-learning-based modelling and customized bioinformatics analysis.
www.microbiomeinsights.com

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible and works to reduce health risks. Health Canada is committed to improving the lives of all of Canada 's people and to making this country's population among the healthiest in the world as measured by longevity, lifestyle, and effective use of the public health care system.
www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html 

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) is a competitive federal funding program for innovators and federal agencies to collaborate and further commercialize new technology. It is a key component of the Canadian government's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year plan to make Canada a global innovation leader and prepare Canadians to succeed in tomorrow's economy.
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/home 

SOURCE Microbiome Insights