Western has officially begun construction on a new research centre that will position London, Ont. as a national leader in the understanding, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Upon completion in 2027, the Pathogen Research Centre will consist of three separate facilities, including Western's existing ImPaKT (Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation) facility.

Information on the upcoming Good Manufacturing Practice Facility and the upcoming Microbial Transmission Facility is available below.

The Pathogen Research Centre is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund and the Ontario Research Fund.

The Good Manufacturing Production (GMP) Facility will focus on producing drugs and vaccines for early clinical testing and development in Canada. These Canadian-made drugs and vaccines will support populations in Canada and around the world.

The GMP Facility will featre three individual customizable and GMP-certified suites to match the specific needs of next-generation biotherapeutics and bio-diagnostics.

To learn more about good manufacturing practices in Canada, click here.

The Microbial Transmission Facility (MITRA) is an upcoming laboratory designed to enable the testing and prevention of pathogen tranmissions in real-world environments.

Featuring a 575 sq. ft. containment level 3 laboratory with a 16-ft ceiling, this unique space will allow the controlled aerosolization of viruses in settings such as airline cabins, vehicles and operating rooms.

Testing be done under defined airflow, temperature, smoke and other environmental factors.

The facility will also allow for the testing for risk-mitigation strategies for current and future outbreaks.

Richard Gibson, MSc

Director of Operations, ImPaKT Facility
Phone: 519-661-2111 Ext. 80495
Email: richard.gibson@schulich.uwo.ca