Our researchers
Canada Research Chair in Metabolic Engineering
Dr. Mario Jolicoeur is a biochemical engineer who has contributed to cell
culture technology with novel bio-reactor designs, particularly for shear-sensitive
plant cells, hairy roots, and animal cells, as well as for nutritional modelling.
He is devoting part of his time as Canada Research Chair in Metabolic Engineering
to examining the physiological aspects causing bio-process instability.
He is studying plant cells first and then applying his approach to animal
and microbial cells.
A question of cells ...
Examining the cellular basis of cell culture reproducibility and productivity using cell nutrition, cell metabolic pathways, culture medium composition, and culture strategy studies.
The research will lead to the development of optimal bio-manufacturing processes and high quality bio-products of pharmaceutical interest. The Metabolic Engineering Laboratory will be a unique instrument for innovation in biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals.
More than 80 percent of the therapies used in clinical trials in the pharmaceutical
industry worldwide involve bio-molecules, genetically re-engineered cells,
and stem cells. Most of the research effort is limited to studies at the
molecular level because the pharmaceutical industry's first priority is
to discover new therapeutic entities. However, the production of many of
these new complex bio-products fails at the industrial-scale because of
cell genetic and/or phenotypic instability.
Dr. Jolicoeur is investigating various ways to enhance the “quality traits”
of bio-products. The major problem that biopharmaceutical companies experience
when producing complex bio-molecules is maintaining the quality traits.
Bio-molecular activity and specificity levels are extremely important as
therapy efficiency depends on the former and economics depend on the latter.
Cells produce proteins with a variety of different structures, only a few
of which have the desired and expected therapeutic effect. Significant side
effects may result from using proteins with the wrong structure.
Dr. Jolicoeur's objective is to examine the metabolic basis causing cell
instability when cells are cultured in a bio-reactor, with the ultimate
goal of developing efficient and stable bio-manufacturing processes. The
knowledge gained from his research may have broader implications in defining
the relative roles of nutrient and cell culture parameters. The research
has the potential of benefiting present and future bio-manufacturing processes,
which use cells as hosts for the production of active pharmaceuticals.
Mario Jolicoeur, Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
(514) 340-4711 ext. 4525
mario.jolicoeur@polymtl.ca
