Acceleration Consortium / en U of T, hospitals launch pilot program to boost commercialization of medical innovations /news/u-t-hospitals-launch-pilot-program-boost-commercialization-medical-innovations <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T, hospitals launch pilot program to boost commercialization of medical innovations</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=9qImMz4G 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=8_1yH6uj 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=DjeSv2ck 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=9qImMz4G" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-04-24T10:19:19-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - 10:19" class="datetime">Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Daria&nbsp;Perevezentsev)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6923" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-chemistry" hreflang="en">Department of Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-computer-science" hreflang="en">Department of Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-art-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Art &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ߲ݴý is collaborating with the University Health Network, the Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Research Institute on a new program that aims to leverage the expertise of entrepreneurs and business leaders to advance commercialization of emerging medical technologies and regenerative medicine research.</p> <p>Funded by the Government of Ontario, the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program will support projects that display high potential for clinical impact and spin-off company formation, spanning areas ranging from regenerative therapies and medical devices to AI-powered clinical tools and apps for patient care.</p> <p>The one-year pilot program is being launched with the help of a $300,000 grant from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/intellectual-property-ontario" target="_blank">Intellectual Property Ontario</a> (IPON), a provincial agency that was established in 2022 to provide IP resources and supports to researchers and businesses.</p> <p>“The Entrepreneur-in-Residence program will help take medical innovations developed in academic and hospital environments and translate them into the commercial arena, generating economic opportunity for the region and expanding clinical impact globally,” said&nbsp;<strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.</p> <p>“The ߲ݴý is grateful to IPON for its support of this initiative, which stands to strengthen existing networks of knowledge exchange and collaboration between the university and its partner hospitals.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/1712597781040-crop.jpg?itok=m5KpLqHM" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>&nbsp;Jill Dunlop, left,Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities, said post-secondary institutions are critical incubators of innovation and commercialization&nbsp;(photo courtesy of IPON)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The program will see Entrepreneurs-in-Residence – individuals with a track record of launching science-based ventures and shepherding projects from proof-of-concept to incubation, acceleration and seed funding – liaise with U of T’s Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office and IPON to generate and protect IP.&nbsp;It is designed to add capacity and scope to U of T’s thriving entrepreneurship and commercialization ecosystem, including existing Entrepreneur-in-Residence initiatives such as those offered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhse.temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/entrepreneur-residence-eir#:~:text=The%20Temerty%20Faculty%20of%20Medicine,stages%20of%20their%20entrepreneurial%20journey.">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mbd.utoronto.ca/news/expands-eir-program/">Medicine By Design</a>, an&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;(ISI).</p> <p>“In today’s global knowledge-based economy, Ontario’s post-secondary institutions are critical –&nbsp;&nbsp;not just as centres of learning, but as incubators for innovation and commercialization,” said&nbsp;<strong>Jill Dunlop</strong>, minister of colleges and universities, in a recent announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ip-ontario.ca/media/ontario-investing-46-million-to-fuel-made-in-ontario-innovations-at-colleges-and-universities">new IPON-funded initiatives</a>.</p> <p>“Through the province’s support of IPON, our government is ensuring the social and economic benefits of publicly funded research stay in our province, so that Ontarians and the Ontario economy benefit from these new discoveries and innovations.”</p> <p>Dunlop also spoke at an April 8 event with&nbsp;<strong>Christine Allen</strong>, a professor in U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy who has an extensive track record of translating and commercializing lab discoveries.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/Junction-38---Panel-%281%29-crop.jpg?itok=hsDEv8Tt" width="750" height="434" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Christine Allen, far right, is a professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the founder and CEO of Intrepid Labs (photo courtesy of IPON)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>At the event, Allen highlighted the growth of her startup,&nbsp;<a href="https://intrepidlabs.tech/" target="_blank">Intrepid Labs Inc.</a>, which she co-founded with&nbsp;<strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, a professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in U of T’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>. The company marries Allen’s prowess in drug formulation and development with Aspuru-Guzik’s expertise in AI and advanced computing in order to accelerate the development of next-generation medicines. In the fall, the company closed a pre-seed round of US$4 million.</p> <p>“The availability of top-notch talent in AI and life sciences made Toronto a great place to launch our company,” says Allen, who is Intrepid’s CEO, noting all four of the startup’s co-founders are from U of T.</p> <p>She added that U of T is a powerhouse for entrepreneurship and intellectual property, ranked second in North America for university-based startups, and that companies with founders or co-founders from U of T make up a significant percentage of some of the fastest-growing companies in Ontario.</p> <p>“This is the beauty of being at the ߲ݴý and having the MaRS Discovery District across the street and all the hospitals around us. It’s such a rich environment,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We can do this in Toronto.”</p> <p>Allen stressed that a thriving lab-to-market ecosystem is critical to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Students are increasingly seeking out roles in the private sector,” she says. “For them to see other students and faculty members [found startups] helps them realize that it’s possible for them to start companies, too.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:19:19 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 307620 at Deputy prime minister meets with university leaders, researchers, grad students at U of T's Acceleration Consortium /news/deputy-prime-minister-meets-university-leaders-researchers-grad-students-u-t-s-acceleration <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Deputy prime minister meets with university leaders, researchers, grad students at U of T's Acceleration Consortium</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-2_0.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=F9boMylr 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-2_0.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=1breMMqS 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-2_0.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=Sd7lfED1 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-2_0.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=F9boMylr" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-04-19T12:42:11-04:00" title="Friday, April 19, 2024 - 12:42" class="datetime">Fri, 04/19/2024 - 12:42</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Alán Aspuru-Guzik (right),&nbsp;</em><em>director of the Acceleration Consortium</em>,<em>&nbsp;shows Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (left) 'the world's brightest molecule' during a visit to the ߲ݴý's St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6862" hreflang="en">Health and Wellness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/current-students" hreflang="en">Current Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/federal-budget" hreflang="en">Federal Budget</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">'An investment in our young researchers is an investment in economic growth and productivity'</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister <strong>Chrystia Freeland</strong> toured a ߲ݴý lab Friday – just days after announcing a <a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-investments-research-and-innovation">transformative investment in the next generation of research leaders</a> who will propel Canada to the forefront of global innovation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Freeland’s visit to the Acceleration Consortium’s Matter Lab showcased the cutting-edge research and training at the lab, <a href="/news/experts-say-200-million-grant-awarded-u-t-will-drive-big-science-acceleration-consortium">which received a landmark $200-million investment last year from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund</a> (CFREF).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://budget.canada.ca/2024/home-accueil-en.html?utm_campaign=fin-fin-budget-24-25&amp;utm_medium=webfeat&amp;utm_source=canada-ca">The 2024 budget</a>, which features substantial investments in Canada’s research ecosystem over the next five years, earmarks $825 million in support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows – <a href="https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/GetUrlReputation">a pivotal investment in strengthening the research talent pipeline</a> that will fuel the growth of Canada’s knowledge and innovation economy.&nbsp;</p> <p>Freeland characterized the investment in graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as a “virtuous circle,” whereby the young researchers of today become the industry leaders of tomorrow.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Making an investment in our young researchers is an investment in economic growth and productivity,” she said. “Some of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs and innovators started their journeys in a lab just like this one – many of them are entrepreneurs and researchers at the same time – and that is one of the reasons this investment is so important.”&nbsp;</p> <p>This federal commitment significantly increases the value and number of scholarships and fellowships, starting in 2024-2025, building up to benefit about 1,720 more graduate students or fellows each year.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-3.jpg?itok=f74lmRmu" width="750" height="500" alt="Lab Tour" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, welcomed the federal government's investment in improved supports for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Melanie Woodin</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, welcomed the supports as “reinvesting in Canada’s proud tradition of excellence in the global knowledge economy,” nurturing the young minds who are poised to devise homegrown solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, from addressing climate change to unlocking the potential of AI.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The federal government's investment in Canada’s research ecosystem – and the trainees who are the lifeblood of this ecosystem – recognizes the critical role of this sector in the productivity and flourishing of our country.”&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Frédéric Bouchard</strong>, chair of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System, commended the federal government for implementing many of the recommendations outlined in <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/panel-federal-research-support/en/report-advisory-panel-federal-research-support-system">the panel’s 2023 report</a>, including the budget’s measures to bring the world’s best and brightest to Canada.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There is a global race for talent, and we were at risk for brain drain,” said Bouchard, dean of Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “There is a chase for the best ideas, and we need a way to create them here and leverage them here.”&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-1_0.jpg?itok=g0F_XsKy" width="750" height="500" alt="Chrystia Freeland Lab Tour" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Alán Aspuru-Guzik gives Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland a tour of the Acceleration Consortium's Matter Lab&nbsp;(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The budget also allocates $2.4 billion in <a href="https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/GetUrlReputation">previously announced funding</a> to elevate Canada’s AI advantage – an effort where U of T researchers are leading the charge.&nbsp;</p> <p>Among them is <strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, director of the Acceleration Consortium, which harnesses artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced computing to fast-track the discovery of new materials.&nbsp;</p> <p>A professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science at U of T, Aspuru-Guzik said Canada’s latest investments in bolstering its research ecosystem have reaffirmed his decision to move to the country in 2018.&nbsp;</p> <p>“With a combination of targeted research funding … and now the competitive update to the pay of our most important resource, students and postdocs, Canada has the ability to compete globally at the highest level,” Aspuru-Guzik said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“We want Canada to be the leader of AI for materials. For that, we need the best people. To get the best people we need to pay them well. This new announcement bridges this gap.”&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/2024-04-19-AC%20Matter%20Lab%20Tour-ChrystiaFreeland-4_0.jpg?itok=xlgcsxnA" width="750" height="500" alt="Chrystia Freeland Lab Tour" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The Acceleration Consortium harnesses artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced computing to fast-track the discovery of new materials (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Freeland, who met with U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong> before visiting the lab, was also joined by <strong>Chad Gaffield</strong>, chief executive officer of the U15 group of universities, <strong>Gabriel Miller</strong>, president and chief executive officer of Universities Canada, and <strong>Kaitlin Kharas</strong>, the co-president of Support our Science.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kharas, a PhD candidate in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology, said the supports for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will not only make Canada’s research ecosystem more inclusive and diverse, but will ease financial pressures so scholars can focus on what’s important.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“This enhanced support will ensure the next generation of Canadian scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs can focus on their research and the essential work of creating solutions to Canada's largest problems,” she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Make no mistake – by ensuring graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are supported, budget 2024 has ushered in a new era of Canadian research excellence.”&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:42:11 +0000 lanthierj 307601 at Acceleration Consortium funds $1.2 million worth of research projects powered by self-driving labs /news/acceleration-consortium-funds-12-million-worth-research-projects-powered-self-driving-labs <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Acceleration Consortium funds $1.2 million worth of research projects powered by self-driving labs</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/52764253012_889c2c7177_o---Yu-Zou_photo-by-Neil-Ta-crop_0.jpg?h=245d6467&amp;itok=tivqev0k 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/52764253012_889c2c7177_o---Yu-Zou_photo-by-Neil-Ta-crop_0.jpg?h=245d6467&amp;itok=8PvGoWnV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/52764253012_889c2c7177_o---Yu-Zou_photo-by-Neil-Ta-crop_0.jpg?h=245d6467&amp;itok=8VESasj0 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/52764253012_889c2c7177_o---Yu-Zou_photo-by-Neil-Ta-crop_0.jpg?h=245d6467&amp;itok=tivqev0k" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-06T13:35:37-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 6, 2024 - 13:35" class="datetime">Wed, 03/06/2024 - 13:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>U of T Engineering researcher Yu Zou’s effort to&nbsp;develop improved materials for hip and knee replacements is among 12 projects receiving funding through the Acceleration Consortium (photo by Neil Ta)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sean-bettam" hreflang="en">Sean Bettam</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-secondary-author-reporter field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/andrea-wiseman" hreflang="en">Andrea Wiseman</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">From joint replacements to sustainable chemical manufacturing, U of T projects aim to develop new materials that could yield scientific breakthroughs</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada’s aging population is placing a host of new stressors on the health-care system, including an increasing number of hip and knee replacements that, in a best-case scenario, will last&nbsp;a maximum of 25 years using current materials.</p> <p>With people living longer, that means there will be more subsequent surgeries to fix or replace the replacements — adding even more stress on the system.</p> <p>New materials are needed to help solve this problem – and self-driving labs, or SDLs, can help. The labs combine artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules for commercial, clinical and industrial use in a fraction of the usual time and cost.</p> <p><strong>Yu Zou</strong>, an assistant professor in the department of materials science and engineering in the ߲ݴý’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, is using an SDL to rapidly test combinations of elements&nbsp;in his quest to develop alloys that can be used in longer-lasting joint replacements.</p> <p>His work is just one example of the problems being tackled by scientists who have received a total of $1.2 million in Accelerate Grants through the <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca">Acceleration Consortium</a>, a U of T <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;that is accelerating the discovery of new materials using SDL technologies.</p> <p>The Acceleration Consortium is funding a diverse array of research efforts across nine departments in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the ߲ݴý Scarborough. Zou’s research is one&nbsp;of 12 new research projects that are either developing technologies that will support the development of SDLs or using SDL technologies to accelerate discovery.</p> <p>Made possible by <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">the $200 million grant from the&nbsp;Canada First Research Excellence Fund</a>&nbsp;(CFREF) awarded to the Acceleration Consortium last April – the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university – the projects enabled by the grant promise innovative advances in fields ranging from health care and climate change to sustainable materials design and food waste management.</p> <p>“Using AI and automation to carry out more laboratory experiments in a smarter way, we’ve supercharged the process of scientific discovery,” said&nbsp;<strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong>¸ director of the&nbsp;Acceleration Consortium&nbsp;and professor in the&nbsp;departments of chemistry&nbsp;and&nbsp;computer science&nbsp;in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. “These 12 Accelerate Grants are not only an investment in science, but are an investment in our future.</p> <p>“The creativity and the diversity of thought shown by the researchers on these projects tells me that the materially different future that the Acceleration Consortium is striving for is achievable in our lifetime.”</p> <p>The Acceleration Consortium awarded the 12 grants in three categories: Accelerate Seed, which builds accelerated discovery capacity at U of T by helping faculty members enter the field or collaborate with those already doing accelerated discovery;&nbsp;Accelerate Moonshot, which support high-risk, high-reward grants that will make significant contributions to the development or use of SDLs;&nbsp;and Accelerate Translation, which&nbsp;support accelerated discovery projects with clear commercialization goals and viable market potential, as well as the implementation or scaling of knowledge mobilization activities, training, and community engagement.</p> <p>“This suite of Acceleration Grants is an excellent example of how the Acceleration Consortium is advancing the globally recognized strategic research mission of the ߲ݴý in a way that’s critical for Canada to remain competitive on the international stage,” said<strong> Leah Cowen</strong>, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “By enabling the next generation of scientists to use self-driving labs and fostering research collaboration and partnerships between departments and institutions, these grants will enable the recipients to conduct high-impact, interdisciplinary accelerated research to discover materials that will improve our world.</p> <p>“I congratulate the principal investigators and their teams who are leading these varied investigations, and I look forward to seeing their results in the accelerated timeline now made possible in part by CFREF and the remarkable demonstration of support for their work.”</p> <p>While the CFREF funding will help to further advancements made by several researchers who are recognized as leaders in their fields, most support is going to early-career scientists who are pioneering new discoveries just as SDL technology is emerging as a revolutionary approach to knowledge.</p> <p>Projects dedicated to the continuous improvement of SDL technology are also being funded. For example, a project by&nbsp;<strong>Nandita Vijaykumar</strong>, an assistant professor in the department of computer and mathematical sciences at U of T Scarborough,&nbsp;will develop software that can better manage the fast-flowing data streams SDLs create as well as the resources required to run the experiments.</p> <p>“The work our grant recipients are doing will help us ensure that the Greater Toronto Area and Canada remain world leaders in AI-frontier discovery,” said Aspuru-Guzik. “And we’re doing so with innovative contributions from people at every stage of their career, with an eye to developing the next generation of groundbreaking researchers along the way. No one is resting on their laurels; each grant recipient and member of the AC is pushing the edge of what is possible and is working towards a materially better future.”</p> <p>The Acceleration Consortium will welcome proposals for its next funding competition in summer 2024.</p> <h3><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/news/acceleration-consortium-announces-1-2-million-in-funding-for-projects-that-accelerate-scientific-discovery">Read the story and full list of grant recipients at the Acceleration Consortium</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/acceleration-consortium-announces-12m-funding">Read the story and full list of grant recipients at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:35:37 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306542 at The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2023 /news/year-pictures-u-t-news-looks-back-2023 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2023</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/UofT92427_0326UTMPowwow056-crop.jpg?h=403be4c1&amp;itok=DTo5tVnT 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-12/UofT92427_0326UTMPowwow056-crop.jpg?h=403be4c1&amp;itok=WdchFcVv 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-12/UofT92427_0326UTMPowwow056-crop.jpg?h=403be4c1&amp;itok=z8JE0h8K 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/UofT92427_0326UTMPowwow056-crop.jpg?h=403be4c1&amp;itok=DTo5tVnT" alt="Indigenous dancer at the UTM All-Nations Powwow"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>mattimar</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-12-19T09:58:42-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 19, 2023 - 09:58" class="datetime">Tue, 12/19/2023 - 09:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Dancer Deanne Hupfield at the inaugural All-Nations Powwow co-hosted by U of T Mississauga’s Indigenous Centre and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/mariam-matti" hreflang="en">Mariam Matti</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geoexchange" hreflang="en">Geoexchange</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6848" hreflang="en">Joe's Basketball Diaries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">߲ݴý</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/first-nations-house" hreflang="en">First Nations House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geoffrey-hinton" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Hinton</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/landmark" hreflang="en">Landmark</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ߲ݴý marked many memorable milestones across the three campuses in 2023.</p> <p>From co-hosting <a href="/news/photos-inaugural-all-nations-powwow-draws-crowd-u-t-mississauga">an inaugural All-Nations Powwow</a> to <a href="/news/godfather-conversation-why-geoffrey-hinton-worried-about-future-ai">guiding the future of artificial intelligence</a> and <a href="/news/activist-and-phd-student-niloofar-ganji-making-her-mark-lab-and-streets">advocating for social justice around the world</a>, members of the U of T community and their partners made an impact well beyond the classroom in 2023.</p> <p>And photographers at&nbsp;<em>U of T News</em>&nbsp;and elsewhere at the university were often on hand to capture the action.</p> <p>Here are just a few of the special moments that shaped U of T this year:</p> <hr> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/UofT93551_DJI_0406-crop.png?itok=xDtmc-x2" width="750" height="500" alt="aerial view of front campus showing the completed lawn surface in fall 2023" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by David Lee)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Landmark Project has <a href="https://landmark.utoronto.ca/">transformed the historic core</a> of U of T’s St. George campus around King’s College Circle into a greener, more accessible and pedestrian-friendly space.</p> <p>Front Campus is also now home to <a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/university-of-toronto-landmark-geo-exchange/">Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system</a>, which will generate renewable energy and store surplus heat in the summer for use in the cold winter months. The system will save the university an estimated 15,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – a key part of U of T’s <a href="/news/u-t-s-plan-become-climate-positive-expanded-all-three-campuses">climate-positive plans</a> and among the reasons it was recently named&nbsp;the <a href="/news/u-t-named-most-sustainable-university-world">most sustainable university in the world</a>.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/Geoffrey%20Hinton%20Portrain%20screengrab%20%281%29.png?itok=cttz-nps" width="750" height="396" alt="portrait of Geoffrey Hinton at his home in England taken in 2023" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Following&nbsp;<strong>Geoffrey Hinton</strong>’s<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;departure from Google</a>, <em>U of T News</em> travelled to his home in London, England, <a href="/news/godfather-conversation-why-geoffrey-hinton-worried-about-future-ai">for an in-depth conversation</a> with the U of T <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> Emeritus of computer science about the dangers posed by unchecked advances in AI, the role he and others played in creating the technology and the importance of responsible development.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/SEEUTM_AbbyDance.jpg?itok=ccYLqvhH" width="750" height="500" alt="Abby-Gayle Isadora Allen dances beside Juno Award-winning singer Liberty Silver during the SEE UTM celebration and graduation" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Abby-Gayle Isadora Allen</strong> <a href="/news/dismantling-barriers-high-school-students-experience-u-t-mississauga-program-black-youth">celebrated completing</a> the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/future-students/seeutm">Support, Engage, Experience ߲ݴý Mississauga</a>&nbsp;program&nbsp;this year by dancing beside Juno Award-winning singer Liberty Silver during the graduation ceremony. &nbsp;</p> <p>The innovative program aims to make university education more accessible to Black youth&nbsp;who are underrepresented at Canada’s post-secondary schools. Students in Grade 11 and 12 earn a university half-credit and two Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits, have a co-op experience and are mentored by a senior U of T&nbsp;undergraduate student while simultaneously completing their high school semester.</p> <p>Similar programs operate at U of T Scarborough and the St. George campus,&nbsp;<a href="/news/new-collaboration-between-u-t-and-toronto-district-school-board-bring-more-under-represented">which introduced SEE U of T</a>, the inaugural version of this access program, four years ago in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/_27A7836_Final-crop.jpg?itok=UvLUL4K9" width="750" height="500" alt="Portrait of Jaivet Ealom taken at the lake ontario shore in 2023" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Luis Mora)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Jaivet Ealom</strong>, a U of T student, author, a member of the persecuted Rohingya minority and refugee advocate, shared his harrowing escape to Canada in <em><a href="/news/u-t-student-author-and-activist-reflects-his-incredible-journey-rohingya-refugee-0">U of T News</a></em> and <em><a href="https://magazine.utoronto.ca/people/students/journey-to-freedom-refugee-jaivet-ealom/">U of T Magazine</a></em>.</p> <p>Ealom fled his home country of Myanmar in 2013. Before arriving at U of T, he had travelled through six countries and three continents seeking asylum – surviving a near-drowning and multiple detentions along the way.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/2023-05-11-NAISA-Event-%283%29-crop.png?itok=QpDoj0ln" width="750" height="500" alt="Indigenous people conduct a ceremony to open the 2023 NAISA conference at U of T" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>U of T hosted <a href="/news/u-t-hosts-global-scholars-naisa-conference-indigenous-studies">the 14<sup>th</sup> annual Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) conference</a> in May, which<a href="/news/u-t-hosts-global-scholars-naisa-conference-indigenous-studies">&nbsp;</a>brought together global scholars, artists, Elders and independent professionals working in the field of Indigenous Studies.&nbsp;The event covered themes from food sovereignty to contemporary Indigenous cinema and language revitalization.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/2023-05-05-Brokoslaw-Laschowski_Polina-Teif-13-crop_0.png?itok=gVRN2Yta" width="750" height="500" alt="Brokoslaw Laschowski wearing his assisted suit invention" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Brokoslaw Laschowski</strong>, a research scientist at the&nbsp;KITE Research Institute, University Health Network, and assistant professor in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, and his team <a href="/news/bionic-professor-aims-transform-field-wearable-robotics">are developing AI-powered wearable technology for medical applications</a>.</p> <p>Known as the “bionic professor,” Laschowski is passionate about developing assistive technology such as bionic prosthetic legs and exoskeletons to help individuals with physical disabilities.</p> <p>In his spare time, <a href="/news/students-ukraine-take-part-u-t-s-computer-science-summer-research-program">he’s helping students</a> from Ukraine flee the Russian invasion and war to come to U of T to continue their studies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/DSC_8207-crop.jpg?itok=f-8y5z7B" width="750" height="500" alt="Charlotte Wargniez" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Chai Chen)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Charlotte Wargniez</strong> <a href="/news/u-of-t-science-student-graduating-at-17">graduated from U of T Scarborough at the age of 17</a> with a&nbsp;major in environmental geoscience and a minor in applied climatology.</p> <p>She wrapped up her degree with many impressive accolades – including the Rose Sheinin Award, given to the highest-performing woman student in science across U of T’s three campuses and an excellence and leadership award from U of T Scarborough's department of physical and environmental sciences.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/UofT87591_2020-12-10-Isynth-Catscreen-96_25-crop.jpg?itok=QuEWACdE" width="750" height="500" alt="Aspuru-Guzik Lab Manager Emily Hopkins operating the materials acceleration platform (MAP)" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a> at U of T, an institutional strategic initiative, <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">was awarded a $200-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund</a> to revolutionize the speed and impact of materials discovery – all with a focus on building a sustainable future.</p> <p>The funding – the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university – supports the consortium’s work on “self-driving labs” that combine AI, robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules at a fraction of the usual time and cost.</p> <p>With a strong plan of equity, diversity and inclusion guiding project implementation and research design, the initiative will commercialize ethically designed technologies and materials to benefit society and train today’s scientists with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated materials discovery. It will also allow the consortium to examine critical issues regarding the application of the technology, including from environmental and Indigenous perspectives.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/UofT90723_2023-01-09-Niloofar-Ganji_Polina-Teif--8-crop.jpg?itok=FauST659" width="750" height="500" alt="Niloofar Ganji" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Niloofar Ganji</strong>, a PhD student in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, <a href="/news/activist-and-phd-student-niloofar-ganji-making-her-mark-lab-and-streets">is changing the world in more ways than one</a>.</p> <p>Ganji not only conducts groundbreaking research on a critical condition affecting premature infants – she is deeply committed to activism for social change in her home country of Iran.</p> <p>As an executive member of&nbsp;U of T Students for a Free Iran&nbsp;(UTSFI), she has organized many events at the university in support of the anti-regime movement in Iran. She hopes to use her knowledge and expertise in pediatrics and healthcare to work for the Iranian people one day.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/TSA-UTSC-crop.jpg?itok=XjfJ_YG-" width="750" height="500" alt="Turkish Students Association members Lilaf Salman, Irem Demirel, Selcuk Maslak, Elif Baran, Yasmin Din and Sedika Salman at their donation table at U of T Scarborough" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo supplied)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>When a catastrophic&nbsp;series of earthquakes hit Türkiye&nbsp;and Syria earlier this year, students from the Turkish Students Association (pictured) at U of T Scarborough rallied together to collect funds and in-kind donations on campus.</p> <p>They were among the many <a href="/news/u-t-community-members-mobilize-aid-syria-and-t-rkiye-earthquake-survivors">U of T community members across the three campuses</a> who pitched in to help raise awareness and funds in the wake of the disaster.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/IMG_6870.png?itok=_XieEQjF" width="750" height="500" alt="a muslim student from utm blows a kiss before entering convocation hall" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Nithya Thayaal)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>U of T celebrated the graduation of more than 21,000 students from the university’s three campuses in 2023 – including the U of T Scarborough student pictured above.</p> <p>Friends and family looked on as many of those graduates crossed the stage inside Convocation Hall during convocation ceremonies held in <a href="/news/photos-u-t-celebrates-class-2023-spring-convocation">spring</a> and <a href="/news/photos-u-t-grads-celebrated-2023-fall-convocation">fall</a>.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/UofT93203_2023-04-11-Peter-Ma-%285%29-crop.png?itok=gN_MqQvp" width="750" height="500" alt="Peter Ma" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Peter Ma</strong>, an undergraduate math and physics student in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, is dedicated to searching for life beyond our planet by drawing on his passion for science – <a href="/news/something-out-there-how-u-t-undergrad-uses-ai-search-aliens">and artificial intelligence in particular</a>.</p> <p>He became the youngest member of a team of international researchers at the University of California, Berkeley who are searching the stars for extraterrestrial intelligence and was lead author on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01872-z.epdf?sharing_token=t6jjoqbFXFLJH8B5_RNzEtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Mkq1U55F4UpwCyo9pvCV4lj--uzspzi_o3Nto3GrgPPPK7bN8GhKil2WvNSdFgUJmpmWo-kBOlWGQDS8nBDmrm5jSNwB_Db9767cFT2RRBBvupuVMql4JeV3b9Nn2FjQw=&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=commission_junction&amp;utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&amp;utm_content=textlink&amp;utm_term=PID100069413&amp;CJEVENT=a477dc40dd0011ed83be020b0a82b82c" target="_blank">a&nbsp;paper published earlier this year</a>&nbsp;in the journal&nbsp;<em>Nature Astronomy</em>.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/820A2660.jpg?itok=jYH98ysA" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left to right: William Lou, Joseph Wong, Sam Ibrahim and Aleer Aleer-Leek (photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>In the <a href="/news/joe-s-basketball-diaries-season-2-launches-episode-community">first episode of the second season</a> of the award-winning series <em>Joe’s Basketball Diaries</em>, host<strong> Joseph Wong</strong> sits down with Will Lou, writer and co-host of&nbsp;<em>the Raptors Show</em>&nbsp;podcast, <strong>Sam Ibrahim</strong>, a business leader, philanthropist and <a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/partnership-will-boost-inclusive-entrepreneurship-and-innovation/">major supporter of U of T Scarborough</a>, and<strong> Aleer Aleer-Leek</strong>, a U of T student and Varsity Blues basketball player, to talk about community and sports.</p> <p>In <a href="/news/joe-s-basketball-diaries-season-2-ep-2-sport-and-reconciliation">future episodes</a>, Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international, and a professor in the department of political science and the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, and guests take the conversation beyond the court as they discuss topics ranging from sustainability to inclusion.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/UofT92984_2023-05-19-Alicia-Corbierre-%287%29-crop.png?itok=c8ff5-wx" width="750" height="500" alt="Alicia Corbiere" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Studying at U of T gave&nbsp;<strong>Alicia Corbiere</strong>&nbsp;an opportunity to re-engage with her culture when she began learning from Indigenous professors and studying Anishinaabemowin. She also connected with her community by joining First Nations House and the Indigenous Students’ Association.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="/news/degree-indigenous-studies-u-t-grad-alicia-corbiere-aims-build-her-family-s-legal-legacy">After graduating with a degree in criminology and Indigenous studies</a> from the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science in the spring, Corbiere went on to study Indigenous law at U of T’s Faculty of Law.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/Lettce-_Polina-Teif-1-crop.jpg?itok=cLlL31Lf" width="750" height="422" alt="a employee at Lyrata checks on the growth of lettuce" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The leafy, green lettuce that many members of the U of T community are eating in their salads, sandwiches and hamburgers is not just locally grown – but grown on the St. George campus by <a href="http://www.instagram.com/reel/C0wqCIRgFWb/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">a student-led startup</a> in partnership with U of T Food Services.</p> <p>Lyrata co-founders&nbsp;<strong>Leo Hua</strong> (pictured),&nbsp;<strong>Carol Lin</strong>&nbsp;and <strong>Adnan Sharif</strong>&nbsp;say they are bringing innovations to the field of sustainability – including 3D-printed soil.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:58:42 +0000 mattimar 304923 at U of T breaks ground on a new home for the Acceleration Consortium /news/u-t-breaks-ground-new-home-acceleration-consortium <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T breaks ground on a new home for the Acceleration Consortium</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/Lash-Miller_Mikkelsen-Architects_image-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9XZJa4vz 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-11/Lash-Miller_Mikkelsen-Architects_image-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=iSmd6IbF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-11/Lash-Miller_Mikkelsen-Architects_image-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8NXRYj0G 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/Lash-Miller_Mikkelsen-Architects_image-1-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9XZJa4vz" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-15T09:14:37-05:00" title="Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - 09:14" class="datetime">Wed, 11/15/2023 - 09:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>A rendering of the Lash Miller building expansion (image courtesy of Mikkelsen Arkitekter AS / Cumulus Architects)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/faculty-arts-science-staff" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The expansion of the Lash Miller building also includes upgrades to department of chemistry labs, classrooms and other spaces </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ߲ݴý recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the expansion of the Lash Miller building on the St. George campus&nbsp;– a place that will serve as the new home of the&nbsp;<a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>&nbsp;while providing improved facilities for the&nbsp;department of chemistry.</p> <p><a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">An institutional strategic initiative</a> launched in 2021, the Acceleration Consortium fuses artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering and chemistry to accelerate the design and discovery of new materials.</p> <p>Using self-driving laboratories powered by AI, the consortium works to discover materials needed to build a more sustainable, prosperous and healthy future.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The research being done at the Acceleration Consortium is a cutting-edge approach to materials discovery,”&nbsp;said <strong>Melanie Woodin</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. “Now, more than ever, we need such new technologies to help solve the world's most existential and intractable problems, from climate change to plastics pollution to cancer.</p> <p>“This expansion is truly about advancing the university’s mission of research and teaching excellence.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-11/groundbreaking-slide.jpg?itok=0JNlW9Zf" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left to right: Mark Lautens, chair of the department of chemistry, Alán Aspuru-Guzik, director of the Acceleration Consortium, Anna Kennedy, chair of Governing Council, Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, and Robert Batey, former chair of the department of chemistry (photo by Diana Tyszko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The university earlier this year <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">received a grant of $200 million from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF)</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;the&nbsp;largest federal research grant&nbsp;ever awarded to a Canadian university&nbsp;– to support the Acceleration Consortium’s research.</p> <p>“Developing such innovative technologies is made possible by the federal government's visionary investment. This grant allows us to do big science, ensuring Canada remains competitive on the international stage,” said Woodin.</p> <p>The building expansion will also include renovations to the department of chemistry, with upgrades being made to labs, classrooms and faculty and administrative space to provide students and scientists with enhanced facilities for research, learning and innovation.</p> <p>“I've watched the plans emerge from both the department and the Faculty side, and it's really an amazing project,” said <strong>Mark Lautens</strong>, chair of the department of chemistry. “The self-driving labs are the cornerstone of the AC, but there will be new lecture theatres and some amazing meeting spaces for chemistry that will figure very prominently in the design.</p> <p>“Our students will be prepared for the future, regardless of how that future unfolds.”</p> <p><strong>Robert Batey</strong>, former chair of the department of chemistry, also reflected on the origins of the project, the founding of the Acceleration Consortium and the initial success in enlisting&nbsp;<strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, director of the consortium, to lead U of T’s efforts in the emerging field of machine learning-guided materials development.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-11/large-group-slide.jpg?itok=yvbXnc-u" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Faculty, staff and members of the design and construction teams gathered for a recent groundbreaking event (photo by Diana Tyszko)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“This project really has been a long time in gestation. In 2017, we saw an opportunity to take advantage of a nascent and emerging field of science and technology, which is AI and machine learning, and how it might be applied to, and enabled by, chemistry and automation,” Batey<strong>&nbsp;</strong>said.</p> <p>The revolutionary work being done at the Acceleration Consortium will be key in positioning Canada as a world leader in materials discovery, with a state-of-the-art space that will not only house this important work, but also attract top tier talent.</p> <p>“The AC building represents a new global era where countries are looking inward while at the same time collaborating with each other,” said Aspuru-Guzik. “We're building a team of people who are going to be able to take advantage of this new space and of the federal grant to move the needle and make Canada the leader in materials discovery.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-11/lash-miller-interior-slide.jpg?itok=XAA4fcRW" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>A rendering of the interior of the Lash Miller building’s expansion (Image courtesy of Mikkelsen Arkitekter AS / Cumulus Architects)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Acceleration Consortium considers and includes contributions from several other disciplines of study in its work.</p> <p>“We are very excited that this project is also integrated with Canadian society in such areas as Indigenous scholarship, social sciences and economics,” said Aspuru-Guzik. “Materials discovery has to do with everything, and impacts society in a very complex way.”</p> <p><strong>Anna Kennedy</strong>, chair of U of T’s Governing Council, acknowledged the impact the consortium has already made at the university.</p> <p>“Since its launch, and under the expert guidance of Alán and other brilliant scholars, the AC has solidified itself as one of the university’s most impressive&nbsp;institutional strategic initiatives and as the embodiment of the ߲ݴý’s capacity to support large-scale, high-impact interdisciplinary research.”</p> <p>Woodin also noted the importance of philanthropy in leveraging the historic support from the federal government and investment by industry partners.</p> <p>“Inspired giving by donors will enable us to build a contemporary space that will attract talent that's needed to advance the goals of the Acceleration Consortium, which will have major economic benefits for the Greater Toronto Area and for Canada,” she said.</p> <p>The Lash Miller building expansion is set to be completed in the spring of 2026. The complex project is being delivered through an integrated design team led by the university’s Planning, Design &amp; Construction (UPDC) portfolio and a collaboration between Canadian firm Cumulus Architects and Danish firm Mikkelsen Architects, among other firms specializing in key areas of the project design and technical specifications.</p> <p>The construction will be completed by Urbacon.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:14:37 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304470 at U of T 'self-driving lab' to focus on next-gen human tissue models /news/u-t-self-driving-lab-focus-next-gen-human-tissue-models <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T 'self-driving lab' to focus on next-gen human tissue models</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/organ-on-a-chip-well-plate_Rick-Lu-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HnIQjx4h 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-10/organ-on-a-chip-well-plate_Rick-Lu-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=S9Vdg4Km 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-10/organ-on-a-chip-well-plate_Rick-Lu-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dDzw8E-g 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/organ-on-a-chip-well-plate_Rick-Lu-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HnIQjx4h" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-10-26T11:15:29-04:00" title="Thursday, October 26, 2023 - 11:15" class="datetime">Thu, 10/26/2023 - 11:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The Self-Driving Lab for Human Organ Mimicry will use organoids and organs-on-chips –&nbsp;a well plate is pictured here – to allow researchers to move potential therapeutics to human clinical trials more rapidly&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Rick Lu)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/anika-hazra" hreflang="en">Anika Hazra</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/princess-margaret-cancer-centre" hreflang="en">Princess Margaret Cancer Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/donnelly-centre-cellular-biomolecular-research" hreflang="en">Donnelly Centre for Cellular &amp; Biomolecular Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robotics" hreflang="en">Robotics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Self-Driving Laboratory for Human Organ Mimicry is one of six self-driving labs launched by the Acceleration Consortium to drive research across a range of fields</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ߲ݴý is home to a new “self-driving lab” that will allow researchers to better understand health and disease&nbsp;– and to more rapidly test the efficacy and toxicity of new drugs and materials.</p> <p>Based at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, the Self-Driving Laboratory for Human Organ Mimicry is the latest self-driving lab to spring from <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">a historic $200-million grant</a> from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>&nbsp;– a global effort to speed the discovery of materials and molecules that is one of&nbsp;several U of T <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiatives</a>.</p> <p>The new lab will be led by&nbsp;<strong>Milica Radisic</strong>, Canada Research Chair in Organ-on-a-Chip Engineering and professor of&nbsp;biomedical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, and&nbsp;<strong>Vuk Stambolic</strong>, senior scientist at the&nbsp;Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, and a professor of&nbsp;medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>“The lab will innovate new complex cellular models of human tissues, such as from the heart, liver, kidney and brain, through stem-cell-derived organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies,” said Radisic. “In partnership with the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, the lab will also enable automation of patient-derived tumour organoid cultures to accelerate the discovery of new cancer treatments.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-10/tumour%20organoids%20stained%20for%20a%20couple%20of%20markers%20with%20fluorescent%20dyes_Laura%20Tamblyn%20and%20Nikolina%20Radulovich.jpg?itok=RwyEZc1Q" width="750" height="395" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Tumour organoids stained with fluorescent dyes (image courtesy of Nikolina Radulovich and Laura Tamblyn)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Self-Driving Laboratory for Human Organ Mimicry is one of six self-driving labs launched by the Acceleration Consortium at U of T to drive research across a range of fields, including materials,&nbsp;drug formulation, drug discovery and sustainable energy.</p> <p>How does a self-driving lab work? Once set up, it runs with robots and artificial intelligence performing as much as 90 per cent of the work. That, in turn, speeds up the process of discovery by freeing researchers from&nbsp;the tedious process of trial and error so they can focus on&nbsp;higher-level analysis.</p> <p>“The Self-Driving Lab for Human Organ Mimicry will enable other self-driving labs to develop new materials and drugs by rapidly determining their efficacy, as well as their potential toxic effects and other impacts on human tissues,” said Stambolic. “While animal testing is typically the go-to method to assess the safety of new molecules made for humans, this lab will replace trials involving animals with organoids and organs-on-chips. This will allow us to advance to human clinical trials much more quickly.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-10/Headshots-of-Milica-Radisic-and-Vuk-Stamboli-crop_0.jpg?itok=Ih638T_n" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Professors Milica Radisic and Vuk Stambolic (supplied images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“The goal of our self-driving labs is to use AI to move the discovery process forward at the necessary pace to tackle global issues,” said&nbsp;<strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, director of the Acceleration Consortium and professor of&nbsp;chemistry&nbsp;and&nbsp;computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. “The Human Organ Mimicry SDL, as well as other self-driving labs launched through the Acceleration Consortium, will establish U of T and our extended research community as a global leader in AI for science.”</p> <p>Donnelly Centre Director <strong>Stephane Angers</strong> says the centre is an ideal environment for the new lab, citing the the international hub for&nbsp;cross-disciplinary health and medical research’s reputation as a hotspot for technological innovation&nbsp;– one that offers resources to the wider research community.</p> <p>“The Donnelly Centre is a thriving research community because it was founded on the principle of interdisciplinary collaboration,” said<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Angers, a professor of&nbsp;biochemistry&nbsp;and&nbsp;pharmaceutical sciences. “Our research strengths in computational biology, functional genomics and stem cell biology will catalyze the development and success of the Self-Driving Lab for Human Organ Mimicry.”</p> <p>The launch of the new lab will also expand the Donnelly Centre’s team of experts with the hiring of five new staff who will work to make the self-driving lab fully automated. The lab is expected to be operational by the end of the year</p> <p>“The Donnelly Centre is one of the foremost research institutes in the world, with outstanding strength in genomics, model organisms, organoids, computational biology and many other areas,” said&nbsp;<strong>Justin Nodwell</strong>, vice-dean of research and health science education at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>“I’m delighted to hear about the addition of the Acceleration Consortium’s artificial intelligence-powered self-driving lab to the centre’s existing technical base. It will facilitate new lines of research by some of the best minds in the country.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:15:29 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304034 at Global experts gather at U of T to discuss how ‘self driving labs’ will revolutionize scientific discovery /news/global-experts-gather-u-t-discuss-how-self-driving-labs-will-revolutionize-scientific <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Global experts gather at U of T to discuss how ‘self driving labs’ will revolutionize scientific discovery</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_Ea5WLVl 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kGPgaqtq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Of5J2j3- 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_Ea5WLVl" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-08-31T14:44:06-04:00" title="Thursday, August 31, 2023 - 14:44" class="datetime">Thu, 08/31/2023 - 14:44</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Linda Hung, manager of Toyota Research Institute, speaks at this year’s Accelerate Conference at U of T (photo by Worker Bee Supply&nbsp;© Acceleration Consortium)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/catrina-kronfli" hreflang="en">Catrina Kronfli</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Acceleration Consortium’s second-annual Accelerate conference focused on talent development, collaboration and commercialization</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium (AC)</a> at the ߲ݴý recently brought together more than 350 representatives from academia, industry and government from 16 countries to discuss how “self-driving labs” are revolutionizing the speed and impact of scientific discovery.</p> <p>Held over four days in August, the consortium’s second annual <a href="https://www.accelerate23.ca/">Accelerate conference</a> focused on key themes such as talent development, collaboration and commercialization – all with an eye to finding and developing new materials and molecules that can help solve humanity’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to pandemics.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/alan-aspuru-guzik"><strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong></a>, director of the AC and a professor in U of T’s departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, said the conference has quickly emerged as a major draw in a field that’s rapidly gaining momentum around the world.</p> <p>“The Acceleration Consortium’s Accelerate Conference attracts the world’s leading academic and industry researchers working to accelerate scientific discovery,” he said. “Given the tremendous growth and excitement we have seen since launching the conference just one year ago, it is clear Accelerate is becoming the flagship event for accelerated discovery.”</p> <p>A U of T <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/existing-initiatives/">Institutional Strategic Initiative</a> that launched in 2021, the AC <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">earlier this year received a $200-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF)</a> to help it achieve <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/vision">its bold vision of realizing the age of materials on demand</a>.</p> <p>The largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university, the CFREF grant allows the consortium to bring together researchers and industry to design, develop and implement self-driving lab technologies. These labs combine the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with robotics and advanced computing to create new materials and molecules needed for a sustainable future – at a fraction of the usual time and cost. Applications include everything from life-saving medications to biodegradable plastics.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5570-crop.jpg?itok=wlEJjeyH" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Alán Aspuru-Guzik speaks at the Accelerate Conference 2023 (photo by Worker Bee Supply&nbsp;© Acceleration Consortium)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/vision"><strong>Chandra Veer Singh</strong></a>, an associate professor in the department of materials science and engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, and <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/christine-allen"><strong>Christine Allen</strong></a>, a professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, noted AI will be critical to a variety of careers in the future and that continuous learning is necessary to equip workers with the knowledge and skills needed to fill these roles.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/sterling-baird"><strong>Sterling Baird</strong></a>, the AC’s director of training and programs, spoke about the consortium’s upcoming digital discovery program – the first of its kind in Canada. Thanks to support from the Ontario Micro-credentials Fund, the program will train scientists looking to apply AI to materials discovery. Flora Wan, a technical education specialist with the Vector Institute, shared <a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/programs_cat/ai-for-business/">the programs that the institute developed</a> to help professionals and businesses develop AI knowledge.</p> <p>As an emerging field, ecosystem development is also important. Anjuli Szawiola, policy analyst with Natural Resources Canada, spoke to the two networks the federal government is co-leading – <a href="http://mission-innovation.net/platform/materials-for-energy-m4e/">Materials for Energy</a> and the <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/partners/gc-mac">German-Canadian Materials Acceleration Centre</a> – to promote knowledge sharing and the adoption of advanced materials for clean energy in Canada and abroad.</p> <p>For its part, the AC has become a magnet for cross-sector collaboration as <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/partners">its partners</a> look to gain access to the wide range of expertise, research and innovation it has assembled.</p> <p>The consortium includes more than 100 academics from more than 40 research institutes and 30 private and public sector organizations. Together, they are creating a global community to tackle key challenges in the field such as data sharing and reproducibility of self-driving labs.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/michelle-murphy"><strong>Michelle Murphy</strong></a>, a professor in the department of history in U of T’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and a Canada Research Chair in Science &amp; Technology Studies and Environmental Data Justice, spoke about the importance of incorporating social scientists and Indigenous communities in the research process given the ethical implications of speeding up the pace of science.</p> <p>Murphy will examine critical issues associated with self-driving labs, including ensuring that those impacted most by the technology have a say in its development in order to prevent unintended harms, whether direct or indirect. With this in mind, equity, diversity and inclusion will continue to guide the AC’s project implementation and research design.</p> <p>On the topic of commercialization, <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/staff/sonia-sennik/"><strong>Sonia Sennik</strong></a>, executive director of the <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/">Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)</a>, shared the non-profit’s history of and philosophy towards supporting entrepreneurs.</p> <p>“New founders have thousands of things on their to-do list. CDL believes the best judgment an early-stage entrepreneur can get is ‘entrepreneurial judgement’ from an experienced entrepreneur,” Sennik explained. <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/program/">CDL’s program</a> allows select entrepreneurs to benefit from the entrepreneurial knowledge of fellows and associates who help guide CDL ventures.</p> <p>Co-founded by Aspuru-Guzik, CDL’s <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/streams/">Matter Stream</a> is working with the AC to help founders seeking to discover, develop or recycle materials.</p> <p>What comes next? The AC will assemble a steering committee to tackle various issues facing the sector. In addition to building six self-driving labs and a machine learning and automation lab, the consortium <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/news/were-hiring">is hiring new scientists, chemists, AI experts, roboticists and more</a>, with the goal of making the Greater Toronto Area and Canada a world leader in accelerated materials discovery.</p> <p><em>With files from Erin Warner and Tabassum Siddiqui</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:44:06 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 302752 at New autonomous lab at ߲ݴý to improve drug formulation /news/new-autonomous-lab-university-toronto-improve-drug-formulation <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New autonomous lab at ߲ݴý to improve drug formulation</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Allen-Lab-5-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HsB4g-ME 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-07/Allen-Lab-5-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=y1c1s3BD 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-07/Allen-Lab-5-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=sWacOpjS 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Allen-Lab-5-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HsB4g-ME" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-07-14T16:09:01-04:00" title="Friday, July 14, 2023 - 16:09" class="datetime">Fri, 07/14/2023 - 16:09</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>From left: PhD trainee Zeqing Bao, Professor Christine Allen, Allen Lab Director of Research and Partnerships Pauric Bannigan (photo by Steve Southon)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/eileen-hoftyzer" hreflang="en">Eileen Hoftyzer</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6878" hreflang="en">drug development</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/self-driving-labs" hreflang="en">self-driving labs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/machine-learning" hreflang="en">machine learning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Facility at Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is one of six at U of T being funded by $200-million grant to Acceleration Consortium</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new autonomous lab being built in the ߲ݴý's <a href="https://www.pharmacy.utoronto.ca/">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a> will help to design and optimize formulations that will improve bioavailability, stability and efficacy of a variety of drugs.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.pharmacy.utoronto.ca/faculty/christine-allen-professor"><strong>Christine Allen</strong></a>, a professor in the faculty whose research focuses on drug development and disease diagnostics,&nbsp;is co-leading the lab with <a href="https://chem-eng.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/faculty-members/frank-gu/"><strong>Frank Gu</strong></a>,&nbsp; a professor in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the <a href="https://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a>.</p> <p>“I see huge potential for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation in pharmaceutical sciences, for formulations and beyond,” says Allen, an expert in drug formulations.</p> <p>“The world is finally understanding the impact of formulation technology and how powerful it is. Now we can marry that technology with AI and machine learning, so we’re kind of unstoppable.”</p> <p>The new facility is known as a 'self-driving' lab because it uses AI, automation and advanced computing to test different combinations of materials and iteratively develop the best formulations. This approach will allow researchers to evaluate a much larger number of materials, significantly reducing both the cost and time required to identify a new drug formulation.</p> <p>Allen explains that formulation scientists are often working under tight time constraints to get a product to market by deadline, and the final formulations are the best that can be done with the time available&nbsp;– but are not necessarily the best possible option.</p> <p>“We’re providing a solution to that&nbsp;– accelerating development while looking for the best formulation,” says Allen, whose team worked in collaboration with Professor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.matter.toronto.edu/basic-content-page/about-alan"><strong>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</strong></a>’s research group to develop a prototype of the self-driving lab last year.</p> <p>The self-driving lab at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is one of six being built at U of T through&nbsp;a <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">$200-million Canada First Research Excellence Fund grant</a> to the&nbsp;<a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>, a global network of government, industry and academic researchers accelerating the discovery of materials and molecules needed for a sustainable future.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-07/Allen-Lab-4-crop.jpg?itok=skSQAvtc" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Researchers say the self-driving lab will help the pharmaceutical industry improve efficiency in drug development and production (photo by Steve Southon)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Allen played a key role in launching the Acceleration Consortium during her time as associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives.</p> <p>As a co-lead on the project, Gu is bringing his expertise in nanotechnology engineering to develop high-quality, precise formulations that use nanotechnology to improve the delivery, bioavailability and efficacy of drugs.</p> <p>“Nanotechnology engineering has revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry, and its potential applications in a self-driving lab are both imminent and paradigm-shifting,” Gu says.</p> <p>“By harnessing the power of nanotechnology in a self-driving lab for pharmaceutical formulations, my lab is working with Professor Allen’s team to unlock many advantages that will transform drug development, formulation, modular manufacturing and patient care.”</p> <p>Allen says that the lab's strong collaboration between pharmaceutical scientists and computer scientists also provides unique educational opportunities for trainees that will provide them with key skills needed for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.</p> <p>“The trainees are experts in both fields&nbsp;–&nbsp;this is where the future is going, and that to me is the power in all of this. It is true interdisciplinary collaboration,” Allen says. “The trainees are gaining knowledge, expertise and experience, and they are then able to secure exciting positions in industry and be leaders in the field.”</p> <p>Last year, Allen took a leave of absence from the university to take on a leadership role with adMare Bioinnovations, an organization that helps support Canadian life science companies and researchers. She has now returned to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy full-time and brings back a wealth of new experience in entrepreneurship that she plans to apply to her research and the work of the Acceleration Consortium.</p> <p>To that end, Allen is also chairing the Acceleration Consortium's committee on commercialization and partnerships, and is also developing a graduate course in innovation and entrepreneurship.</p> <p>With the lab's focus on translational research and commercialization, both Allen and Gu are excited about its potential to generate new formulations that will ultimately improve patient outcomes.</p> <p>“The self-driving lab is the most cutting-edge technology to help the pharmaceutical industry to drive toward digitization, automation and ultimately improve efficiency in product development and production,” Gu says.</p> <p>“With its unique capability in bridging automation and iterative discovery process, it is also the key to helping us accelerate the development and production of personalized medicines, which is prohibitively expensive and labour-intensive to be done today.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Jul 2023 20:09:01 +0000 siddiq22 302265 at U of T receives $200-million grant to support Acceleration Consortium's ‘self-driving labs’ research /news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T receives $200-million grant to support Acceleration Consortium's ‘self-driving labs’ research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-05/UofT87591_2020-12-10-Isynth-Catscreen-96_25-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ElaHXrL9 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-05/UofT87591_2020-12-10-Isynth-Catscreen-96_25-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=FOffWHvn 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-05/UofT87591_2020-12-10-Isynth-Catscreen-96_25-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=aH9UsTg5 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-05/UofT87591_2020-12-10-Isynth-Catscreen-96_25-crop.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ElaHXrL9" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-04-28T19:17:42-04:00" title="Friday, April 28, 2023 - 19:17" class="datetime">Fri, 04/28/2023 - 19:17</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund will support the Acceleration Consortium’s work on “self-driving labs,” which combine AI, robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials (photo by Johnny Guatto)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tabassum-siddiqui" hreflang="en">Tabassum Siddiqui</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leah-cowen" hreflang="en">Leah Cowen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/equity" hreflang="en">Equity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vector-institute" hreflang="en">Vector Institute</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The ߲ݴý has been awarded a $200-million grant from the <a href="https://www.cfref-apogee.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx">Canada First Research Excellence Fund</a> (CFREF) to revolutionize the speed and impact of scientific discovery through its <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The funding – the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university – will support the consortium’s work on “self-driving labs” that combine artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules in a fraction of the usual time and cost. Applications include everything from life-saving medications and biodegradable plastics to low-carbon cement and renewable energy.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Researchers in the consortium recently revealed that they used the technology to develop <a href="/news/researchers-use-ai-powered-database-design-potential-cancer-drug-30-days">a potential cancer drug in just 30 days</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;a process that typically takes years, or even decades.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“The ߲ݴý is grateful for this significant investment in artificial intelligence-driven research and innovation, which promises to improve the lives of Canadians and those of people around the world,” said U of T President <b>Meric Gertler</b>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“The federal government’s critical support of this initiative builds on years of strategic planning and decisions in this space by the University and the federal government, including the 2017 launch of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy that helped cement Toronto’s status as a global hub for a revolutionary technology.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“This is the next step in achieving that bold vision.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-invests-1-4-billion-in-strategic-research-at-postsecondary-institutions-811647722.html">announced the U of T funding</a> alongside 10 other large-scale projects across the country.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“The initiatives announced today will lead to breakthrough discoveries that will improve people’s lives, nourish our innovation ecosystems, and shape Canada’s prosperity for years to come,” he said in a statement. “Such is the value of Canadian institutions and researchers who think outside the box to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Launched as an <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">Institutional Strategic Initiative</a> in 2021, the Acceleration Consortium brings together partners from academia, government and industry <a href="/news/u-t-acceleration-consortium-use-ai-develop-advanced-materials">who are accelerating the discovery of materials and molecules</a> needed for a sustainable future. The consortium aims to reduce the time and cost of bringing advanced materials to market, from an average of 20 years and $100 million to as little as one year and $1 million. &nbsp;</p> <style type="text/css">.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } </style> <div class="embed-container"><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/693570141" webkitallowfullscreen></iframe></div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“Our goal is to accelerate science,” said Acceleration Consortium Director <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/alan-aspuru-guzik"><b>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</b></a>, a professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science who is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the <a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/">Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence</a>. “To do that, we realized we need to take a cue from self-driving cars and extended that concept to a self-driving lab, which uses AI and automation to carry out more experiments in a smarter way.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“We’ve essentially supercharged the process of scientific discovery.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The CFREF funding, along with additional support from U of T – which includes an investment of $130 million to expand facilities to house the Acceleration Consortium’s state-of-the-art labs at the Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories building on the St. George campus – will help secure the researchers, spaces and partnerships needed to build a world-leading centre for accelerated materials discovery and innovation.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The funding will also help the consortium rapidly create high quality datasets to better train AI models and validate the model’s predictions in real time. That, in turn, will dramatically accelerate the discovery and development of molecules and materials for a wide range of industries.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">With a strong plan of equity, diversity and inclusion guiding project implementation and research design, the initiative will commercialize ethically designed technologies and materials to benefit society and train today’s scientists with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated materials discovery. It will also allow the consortium to examine critical issues regarding the application of the technology, including from environmental and Indigenous perspectives.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“With this funding – which enabled us to obtain matching commitments of about $300 million from all our partners – we are talking about half a billion dollars of investments, said Aspuru-Guzik, <a href="/news/u-t-wins-third-prestigious-canada-150-chair">who joined U of T from Harvard University in 2018</a> as a Canada 150 Research Chair in Theoretical and Quantum Chemistry and is one of a <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/ac-team">growing number of global experts</a> at the Acceleration Consortium.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“This will help us make the Greater Toronto Area and Canada world leaders in AI-frontier discovery – we have no excuse not to be after this project.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The Acceleration Consortium comprises <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher">nearly 100 researchers</a> – <a href="http://zr2z766pxls.typeform.com/actalent">and is hiring many more</a> – across a wide variety of disciplines, including AI, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, economics, engineering, materials science, mechatronics, biology, pharmacology, robotics, technoscience and more. It also includes 30 partners from the private and public sector, including the University of British Columbia, a lead partner on the grant.</p> <p>“What’s unique about this model is that it’s kind of this idea of a university without borders,” said <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/jason-hein">Jason Hein</a>, a member of the Acceleration Consortium's scientific leadership team and an associate professor in the chemistry department in the Faculty of Science at UBC.</p> <p>“What happens a lot in Canadian research culture is that we’re good at punching above our weight class, but, in the past, other countries have had bigger budgets. What’s great about this is that through the energy of the people at Acceleration Consortium, we’re saying, ‘We’re doing something huge here.’ And to get the vote of confidence back saying, ‘Yes, we believe in you and let’s go forward’ is really important.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">CFREF aims to boost the strengths of Canadian postsecondary institutions so that they can achieve global success in research areas that create long-term social and economic advantages for Canada. It invests approximately $200 million per year (or approximately $1.4 billion over a competition cycle of seven years) through a highly competitive peer review process.</p> <p>“We named this a consortium and not an institute for a reason,” Aspuru-Guzik said. “We are a global effort with its homebase in Toronto that involves academia, government and industry.</p> <p>“A core goal of our efforts is to spin out the next generation of companies that will develop the materials for the 21st century here in Canada. This, in turn, will help make the GTA the economic epicentre for this field.”<b>&nbsp;</b></p> <p><b>Leah Cowen</b>, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said the impact of the CFREF grant will be felt far beyond Acceleration Consortium itself.</p> <p>“This level of investment can really transform how universities do innovation,” she said. “It allows us to not only drive forward discovery, but also improve adoption by Canadian companies and foster an ethical approach to technology development that’s guided by principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, benefiting all segments of society.”</p> <p><i>With files from Erin Warner</i></p> <h3><a href="/news/experts-say-200-million-grant-awarded-u-t-will-drive-big-science-acceleration-consortium">Read more about how the CFREF grant will impact research at U of T&nbsp;</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-add-new-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Add new story tags</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/self-driving-labs" hreflang="en">self-driving labs</a></div> </div> </div> Fri, 28 Apr 2023 23:17:42 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301476 at Experts say $200-million grant awarded to U of T will drive ‘big science’ via the Acceleration Consortium /news/experts-say-200-million-grant-awarded-u-t-will-drive-big-science-acceleration-consortium <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Experts say $200-million grant awarded to U of T will drive ‘big science’ via the Acceleration Consortium</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-05/38-AccelerationConsortium-story_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rWCOtWxl 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-05/38-AccelerationConsortium-story_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=v15S4ARR 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-05/38-AccelerationConsortium-story_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CwGT6h_I 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-05/38-AccelerationConsortium-story_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rWCOtWxl" alt="Researcher removes a vial of pre-dispensed reagent from an automated solid dispensing robot "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-04-28T16:19:03-04:00" title="Friday, April 28, 2023 - 16:19" class="datetime">Fri, 04/28/2023 - 16:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>A researcher removes a vial of pre-dispensed reagent from an automated solid dispensing robot (photo by James Morley © The Matter Lab / Acceleration Consortium, ߲ݴý)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tabassum-siddiqui" hreflang="en">Tabassum Siddiqui</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leah-cowen" hreflang="en">Leah Cowen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/self-driving-labs" hreflang="en">self-driving labs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-mississauga" hreflang="en">߲ݴý Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vector-institute" hreflang="en">Vector Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/women-and-gender-studies" hreflang="en">Women and Gender Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">$200-million Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) grant</a> awarded to the ߲ݴý’s <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a> will help build a world-leading centre for accelerated materials discovery and innovation.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The funding will support the consortium’s work on “self-driving labs” that realize the game-changing potential of AI by combining it with robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules in a fraction of the usual time and cost – from life-saving medications and biodegradable plastics to low-carbon cement and renewable energy.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">With equity, diversity and inclusion guiding project implementation and research design, the Acceleration Consortium – a U of T <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a> – will use the funding to commercialize ethically designed technologies and materials to benefit society and train today’s scientists with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated materials discovery. It will also examine critical issues regarding the application of the technology, including from environmental and Indigenous perspectives.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“We realized we need to take a cue from self-driving cars and extended that concept to a self-driving lab, which uses AI and automation to carry out more experiments in a smarter way,” says Acceleration Consortium Director <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/alan-aspuru-guzik"><b>Alán Aspuru-Guzik</b></a>, a professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science who is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the <a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/">Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In particular, the funding will help the consortium rapidly create high-quality datasets to better train AI models and help validate the model’s predictions in real time.</p> <p>Leaders and researchers from U of T and Acceleration Consortium spoke with <i>U of T News</i> about the impact the CFREF funding – the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university – will have on the consortium’s game-changing work and unique model of cross-sector collaboration.</p> <hr> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/leah-cowen-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Leah Cowen"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://moleculargenetics.utoronto.ca/faculty/leah-cowen">Leah Cowen</a></h3> <p><em>U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Materials and molecules are central to solving many of the world's pressing challenges, such as climate change, plastics, pollution and cancer. But it typically takes a very long time to develop new materials with new properties that can address those big problems.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">By contrast, Acceleration Consortium’s approach combines AI, robotics and advanced computing to radically reduce the time and cost of bringing materials to market. Their autonomous labs predict, synthesize and test materials for key characteristics and can repeat and refine the process, which dramatically accelerates the timeline.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">This transformative capability has the potential to affect so many different parts of our lives and our planet. So, the consortium’s focus on equity, diversity and inclusion in program delivery and research design, as well as its emphasis on environmental and Indigenous perspectives, is crucial. &nbsp;The CFREF grant allows us to do big science – through an interdisciplinary team-based approach with an incredible scope and potential for impact – in a way that’s critical for Canada to remain competitive on the international stage.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/210903-Melanie-Woodin-0770-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Melanie Woodin"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/about/glance/leadership-team/dean-faculty-arts-science">Melanie Woodin</a></h3> <p><em>Dean, Faculty of Arts &amp; Science; professor, department of cell and systems biology</em></p> <p>The Acceleration Consortium is already having an impact. Its second annual <a href="https://zr2z766pxls.typeform.com/accelerate23" target="_blank" title="https://zr2z766pxls.typeform.com/accelerate23">Accelerate Conference</a> this summer will showcase the latest methods, applications and research in accelerated materials and molecular discovery. But this funding will enable even greater breakthroughs. It will have a transformative impact on our researchers' ability to develop the cost-effective, high-performance, sustainable materials that are needed to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/image0-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Alán Aspuru-Guzik"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/alan-aspuru-guzik">Alán Aspuru-Guzik</a></h3> <p><em>Director, Acceleration Consortium; professor, departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science; Canada 150 Research Chair in Theoretical and Quantum Chemistry; CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Our goal is to accelerate science – that’s where our name comes from. To do that, we realized we need to take a cue from self-driving cars and extended that concept to a self-driving lab, which uses AI and automation to carry out more experiments in a smarter way. We’ve essentially supercharged the process of scientific discovery – and this grant will help us to take that even further.</p> <p>We are already emerging leaders in the world of research excellence and we have a plan to keep building on that excellence. We’ve also shown that we’re integrated with communities – including working closely with Indigenous communities – and have innovative plans to teach this technology to future generations.<b>&nbsp;</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Acceleration Consortium Researchers</strong></h3> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Cheryl-Arrowsmith_current-2022.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Cheryl Arrowsmith"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://medbio.utoronto.ca/faculty/arrowsmith">Cheryl Arrowsmith</a></h3> <p><em>Senior scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network; professor of medical biophysics at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine; director of the Toronto node of the <a href="https://www.thesgc.org/scientists/groups/toronto">Structural Genomics Consortium</a></em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The CFREF funds will advance our self-driving lab (SDL) to tackle the early stages of drug discovery by taking an initial compound and developing it into a more drug-like molecule that modulates a protein of interest in a disease. This is a design-make-test cycle that is currently done in a very iterative, slow manner. The Acceleration Consortium approach can speed the process up to try to get to the biologically active reagent much more quickly.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">It has broad implications in a whole number of areas. Our SDL will complement another self-driving lab that is making engineered tissues that mimic human tissue or a disease state like a tumour – allowing one to test drugs or early-stage compounds in disease-relevant assays.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The self-driving lab concept condenses the time it takes to get to the answer you need – and does so more efficiently.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/GoldfarbAvi2022-5495-crop.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Avi Goldfarb"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Goldfarb.aspx">Avi Goldfarb</a></h3> <p><em>Professor of marketing at the Rotman School of Management and Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare; chief data scientist at <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/">Creative Destruction Lab</a></em></p> <p>This grant will allow us the freedom to invest in long-term planning for more – and more ambitious – projects. You learn more when you talk to people who have expertise that's different from your own. And the consortium has been an opportunity for me to learn from a different set of people with different knowledge than I’m typically exposed to as an economist in the business school.</p> <p>It allows us to work with people to make new kinds of connections – and, hopefully over the course of the grant, develop entirely new, exciting ideas.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Michelle-Murphy-crop.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt=" Michelle Murphy"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://michellemurphy.net/">Michelle Murphy</a></h3> <p><em>Professor in the department of history and the Women and Gender Studies Institute in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science; co-director of the Indigenous-led <a href="https://technoscienceunit.org/people/lab/">Environmental Data Justice Lab</a> at the <a href="https://technoscienceunit.org/">Technoscience Research Unit</a>; Canada Research Chair in Science and Technology Studies and Environmental Data Justice</em></p> <p>No one person has all the skills to address the sustainability of new substances – we truly need much greater collaboration and a willingness to really think across difference. Insisting on Indigenous collaboration in defining sustainable substances is what marks the innovation of this work.</p> <p>This is a moment of the emergence of a new branch of chemistry – and, at the same time, its industrial application has been implicated in major environmental problems we’re facing. Part of what is appealing about this project is that it’s putting questions of sustainability and environmental justice as one of its crucial dimensions – and the decision to invest in Indigenous science and technology studies as part of science at U of T is vital.</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/florian_shkurti_1-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Florian Shkurti"> </div> </div> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/math-cs-stats/people/florian-shkurti">Florian Shkurti</a></h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>Assistant professor in the department of mathematical and computational sciences, U of T Mississauga; UTM Robotics faculty adviser; director of the <a href="https://rvl.cs.toronto.edu/#/">Robot Vision and Learning Lab</a>; and Vector Institute faculty affiliate</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">What is unique about the AC is that over the last five years it has built a tightly knit and vibrant community that includes academic and industry researchers, as well as a global team of active and supportive partners in government, industry and entrepreneurial circles. Despite the seemingly disparate areas of expertise, they all work towards a common goal: to accelerate the science of advanced materials discovery in order to benefit society and our planet at large.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Together with my collaborators, Professors Alán Aspuru-Guzik and <b>Animesh Garg</b>, we are working on enabling general-purpose robots to perform as well as chemists in a typical chemistry lab. Having additional funding from the CFREF will help us to pursue more research efforts in enabling robots to visually perceive and autonomously manipulate granular materials, powders, liquids and transparent objects, which traditionally have been extremely challenging. It opens up so many opportunities for robots to be helpful in chemistry labs and work alongside human chemists to augment their capabilities.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Ilya-Yakavets-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Ilya Yakavets"> </div> </div> <h3><a href="https://scholar.google.ru/citations?user=QWVqV5MAAAAJ&amp;hl=ru">Ilya Yakavets</a></h3> <p><em>Bioengineering post-doctoral researcher in the <a href="https://sites.chem.utoronto.ca/chemistry/staff/EK/">Kumacheva Group</a></em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The CFREF grant is a game-changer for researchers like me at the Acceleration Consortium.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">It's not just about the funding, but also about the opportunities it creates. Collaborating with the consortium has been incredibly valuable for my research project – working to create a microchip that can simulate the growth of cancer cells and test different drug combinations to see which are the most effective, using artificial intelligence.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">I'm fortunate to be collaborating with Alán Aspuru-Guzik and the Acceleration Consortium to accelerate the translation of promising multidrug anticancer therapies from the laboratory to clinics. It has been an excellent opportunity to learn from and work with a team of experts who share a common goal.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-05/Laura-Matz-square.jpeg" width="150" height="150" alt="Laura Matz"> </div> </div> <h3>Laura Matz</h3> <p><em>Chief science and technology officer, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany</em></p> <p>Breakthroughs in AI-driven experimentation will revolutionize the process of discovering new molecules and materials for health care, life sciences and electronics. We see the Acceleration Consortium as uniquely positioned to bring the ecosystem together to drive cutting-edge</p> <p>advancement in the field of accelerated materials and drug discovery through self-driving labs.</p> <p>Because of this, we have become a founding member of the Acceleration Consortium. Through this collaboration, we look forward to developing and defining best practices in the area of AI algorithms and automation for materials and molecule discovery.<b>&nbsp;</b></p> <p><i>With files from Erin Warner</i></p> <h3><a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">Read more about the funding announcement</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 28 Apr 2023 20:19:03 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301485 at