McGill home to new research centre for genomics, proteomics and bone research

McGill Univ is home to Canada’s newest research facility with the official opening of 740 Dr. Penfield, a centre focused on genomics, proteomics and bone research. The six-storey centre — part of the McGill University Health Centre at 740 Dr. Penfield Ave —was constructed and partially outfitted at a cost of $31.6 million and is home to three of Genome Quebec’s 15 large research projects worth $60 million.

740 Dr. Penfield will house four different scientific groups — McGill Univ and the Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, the Montreal Proteomics Network, the Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research and the William H Donner Laboratories for Biotechnology (one of five bio-business incubators).

Financing for the centre was provided by several partners, including Genome Quebec, Genome Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Recherche Québec, Canada Economic Development, Valorisation-Recherche Québec, and others including three companies.

The funding partners will provide an additional $50 million over the next five years for operations and equipment.

740 Penfield Dr will facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to research, with engineers, biologists and mathematicians examining interactions between genes and proteins to determine their roles in a wide range of diseases. It will serve as the centrepiece for McGill’s Tomlinson TechSquare, which integrates information, materials and health sciences.

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