AGRI-FOOD DISCOVERY PLACE

Going beyond the bench to scale-up great ideas

The University of Alberta (U of A) has some of the most progressive and innovative talent and laboratory facilities in Canada. On its south campus in Edmonton, AB, you’ll fi nd a world-class technology transfer facility that provides a critical step in the commercialization process.

A 5,000 square-metre pilot plant, AgriFood Discovery Place (AFDP) offers the opportunity to conduct direct bench scale process development focused on health, food, energy, and a host of bio-products including biofuels and biodiesel.

“We are predominantly an applied research pilot plant facility with scale-up equipment that can link industry with academic researchers. The strength of this University of Alberta team and the credibility of our academics can readily assist industry in validating their bench scale opportunities, in particular, they can support industry in bioresource process development, meat safety and processing,” explains Bob Rimes, executive director of AFDP.

According to Rimes, bench top process development is most often not transferable to large scale commercial plants. Essentially, the goal of AFDP is to provide an avenue for great ideas that have proof of concept established at the bench and provide the fi rst scale up of the projects on a journey to new industry commercialization.

“My job is pretty much to manage the day-to-day operation of the facility, specifi cally facility management, operations, occupational health and safety, fi nancial monitoring and managing core personnel. But, I also do as much business development as I can.”

— Bob Rimes

Spurred out of interest on the part of both the university and local colleges, and backed by government and industry, the facility was built in 2004/2005 and opened June 1, 2006. Today, it is equipped with a nominal $20 million of small-scale processing and bio-containment equipment and crop utilization and enhanced material support equipment. Moreover, AFDP plays an important role in the bio economic development of new products that hold the potential for new businesses and the sustainability of current businesses in Alberta and across the country. This aspect is what makes the facility truly unique, says Rimes.

“The fact that it serves not just academic staff from the University of Alberta and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, but it also serves industry clients is its greatest value. It really is a critical link in Alberta’s innovation system.”

And the facility has the potential to do so much more he adds.

“There is an opportunity here for industry clients, but more so for industry partnerships such as with small or mid-sized companies and larger industry who can use top-of-the-line equipment such as the bioreactors, or lab space, and have the expertise of the university’s academics and AFDP scientists.”

For this reason, Rimes, who was hired in mid-2009, has many duties as executive director of the facility.

“My job is pretty much to manage the day-to-day operation of the facility, specifi cally facility management, operations, occupational health and safety, fi nancial monitoring and managing core personnel. But, I also do as much business development as I can,” he says.

It is on the business side that Rimes says he’s been faced with some tough challenges as AFDP competes with other facilities that are subsidized.

The MSPRU is a Level 2 Biocontainment meat processing facility allowing research on food borne pathogens such as E.coli and Listeria. As such, the MSPRU is able to assist the meat and food processing industry to carry out hazard analysis and critical control points validation projects in a state-of-the-art facility that simulates an industrial setting.

“We are all vying for the same client dollars,” he says but counters that the university facility has many advantages for potential clients.

For starters, it offers a wide range of expertise from both within the U of A Food Science and Bio Resource Technology group, the U of A Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, as well as experienced scientists and engineers from the Food and Bio Industrial division of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Having the ability to leverage the expertise of world class researchers is a tremendous asset, he says.

“Our clients have access to the experts and the credibility of the University of Alberta, and they have expertise in the facility with people on the fl oor who truly understand not only the equipment and the location, but the projects coming in.”

He adds that academic support, together with core operation teams, will be a must going forward in order to bring the facility to full capacity.

In addition to the talent, what’s inside AFDP also sets it apart from its competition. For starters, the facility has multiple labs fi lled with top-of-the-line equipment. More specifi cally, AFDP is comprised of three functional working areas: the Level 2 Meat Safety, Processing Research Unit (MSPRU) and Fermentation Laboratory, Crop Utilization & Enhanced Materials Research Unit (CUEMRU) and lastly an administrative support wing.

The MSPRU is a Level 2 Biocontainment meat processing facility allowing research on food borne pathogens such as E.coli

and Listeria. As such, the MSPRU is able to assist the meat and food processing industry to carry out hazard analysis and critical control points validation projects in a state-of-the-art facility that simulates an industrial setting. Making the MSPRU more unique is that it is Canada’s only pre-pilot plant with a Level 2 bio-containment and solvent exrienced scientists and engineers from the traction facility under the same roof, but Food and Bio Industrial division of Alberta totally separated by walls and independent Agriculture and Rural Development. Hav- ventilation systems. ing the ability to leverage the expertise of Likewise, the CUEMRU is benefi cial to world class researchers is a tremendous pre-pilot scale processing of plant and asset, he says. animal bioresource process development. The primary areas of focus for the and the credibility of the University of CUEMRU are meat science, functional Alberta, and they have expertise in the ingredients, fermentation, grain science, facility with people on the fl oor who truly animal nutrition, industry by-products and understand not only the equipment and bio refi ning. the location, but the projects coming in.” “The fermentation lab is home to a full fermentation line of upstream equipment from 5L bio-reactors to 140L, and also has 750L and 2,000L tanks,” he says. Already there are some examples of entrepreneurs that have successfully moved onto the next phase in development through partnering with AFDP. It all adds up to a signifi cant contribution and push for the bio-economy in Alberta.

To see this story online visit www.biotechnologyfocus.ca/ agri-food-discovery-place-goingbeyond-the-bench-to-scale-upgreat-ideas/