New Science Building opens doors to expanded life science innovation in Mississauga and beyond

University of Toronto Mississauga has significantly expanded its capacity to drive innovation in the life sciences with the highly anticipated opening of its latest building.

The official opening of the New Science Building (NSB) on Sept. 20 answered the urgent need for investment in state-of-the-art wet labs, a high-performance computing data centre, and other advanced infrastructure to enable cutting-edge life science research happening at UTM.

“The opening of the New Science Building is a tremendous accomplishment for the University of Toronto Mississauga, the wider U of T and the Greater Toronto Area,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “It confirms and advances our position as a global powerhouse of research and innovation.”

Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president, U of T and principal, UTM, shared the enthusiasm for UTM’s latest facility, which originated in the ambition to extend Mississauga’s national leadership in health-promoting research, teaching, and innovation. 

“NSB will make a positive impact, both locally and globally,” she said. “It will open purpose-built spaces for researchers, trainees and entrepreneurs to confront urgent and enduring challenges, push the boundaries of scientific inquiry and change the world for the better.”

The four-storey, 15,550-square-metre research facility, designed by KieranTimberlake Architects and supported by a $7 million gift from Orlando Corp., is the campus home to a range of life science research and entrepreneurship initiatives. This includes research in advanced diagnostics, cancer phototherapy, neuroscience, chronic pain treatment and drug discovery, among others. 

One such space is the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry (CMC), an interdisciplinary centre for the development of new drugs targeting cancer and rare diseases. The CMC's focus is on faster, less costly drug discovery, by creating purpose-built compounds for advanced pre-clinical trials — the last stage in the drug development process before human testing, and one that very few academic labs are equipped to reach. CMC also enables researchers to launch health-promoting companies which create highly skilled jobs in the community. 

NSB is also home to several other hubs of scientific discovery and impact. U of T's first wet lab incubator, SpinUp, addresses a critical gap in the life science entrepreneurship pipeline in the Toronto region – providing affordable wet lab space dedicated to early-stage founders while they mature their IP and look for investment.

SpinUp joins U of T’s ecosystem of more than a dozen incubators and accelerators – recognized as among the top five in the world for university startup incubators. 

The Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations, a collaborative initiative of UTM, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, also calls NSB home. Launched in 2021, the network leverages interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers with community organizations and policy-makers to accelerate on-the-ground diabetes research, education and outreach in Peel Region and beyond. 

Canada’s leading forensic science program – the first such program in the country – can also be found in the new building.

The NSB adds to UTM’s longstanding commitment to improving health outcomes and inspiring future leaders, leveraging its location in the epicentre of Ontario’s fast-growing life sciences and pharmaceutical sector. Other highlights across the UTM campus include the master of biotechnology program, which combines business and science courses with industry experience, and the Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM), which, in co-operation with Trillium Health Partners, delivers clinical training to medical students. More than 50 new MDs graduate through MAM each year, generating new health human capital in the region.

In addition to providing space for innovation, the building has been designed with sustainability at its core, with such features as a rainwater recovery system, geothermal heating and cooling and a rooftop solar photovoltaic array. One of the most energy-efficient biological and chemical laboratory facilities in North America, it is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification.

“These green features enable the New Science Building to use 65 per cent less energy than a conventional building of this type,” said Douglas McDougall, chair of the Academic Board of the University’s Governing Council. “It’s a tremendous achievement.”

David Palmer, U of T’s vice-president of advancement, hailed the opening of the New Science Building as another landmark moment for philanthropy at U of T. “Through the Defy Gravity campaign, visionary donors such as Orlando Corporation are playing a key role in advancing the university’s education and research missions and supporting our commitment to innovation and impact.”

Defy Gravity is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in Canadian history, with a goal to raise $4 billion alongside its target to engage 225,000 alumni to contribute their time and talent to the university one million times collectively.

Gillespie is excited to see the new ideas, collaborations, and technologies that come out of the NSB labs, saying this ethos of exploration and innovation embodies the spirit of Defy Gravity. 

“This state-of-the-art facility reflects our dedication to fostering research, innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration,” said Gillespie. “Here, leading scholars will explore inventive and impactful ideas. They will develop new technologies that can revolutionize industries and create jobs. They will launch exciting business ventures to fuel economic growth. And they will drive clinical breakthroughs to improve and save lives.”