24 “The higher the quality of the protein that goes in, the higher the quality of the images,” said Dr. Merante. Overall, it’s a process of trial and error both for Seneca’s biologists and Neoglacia’s engineers working on the equipment that freezes the proteins. But it’s timely and important work, said Ernest Earon, CEO of Neoglacia, which is based in Markham, about 30 kilometres north of Toronto. “Cryo-EM is really coming into a golden age right now and the key targets for that are definitely medical, pharmaceutical, therapeutics and vaccines,” Mr. Earon said, noting that the first 3D model of the COVID-19 spike protein was made thanks to cryo-EM technology. “It’s a great opportunity for the research assistants to apply what they learned in the lab in a real-world setting.” “We are trying to address a bottleneck in the workflow for cryo-EM, which is to be able to reliably and repeatedly produce samples very, very well. “Seneca has the expertise, the capabilities and the resources to work with us and produce these samples,” he said. Dr. Merante oversaw the first phase of research, from January to April 2023 and Dr. Siobhan Carroll, Co-Principal Investigator, is overseeing the second phase, which started in November 2023. Alexia Cid Polanco and Paria Kamalzadeh, both of whom graduated from the three-year Biotechnology – Advanced diploma program in the spring of 2023, have been research assistants throughout the project. “It’s a great opportunity for the research assistants to apply what they learned in the lab in a real-world setting,” Dr. Merante said. Steinland Nerisma, a Research and Development Scientist with Neoglacia, who has been working on the project said it’s a win-win situation. “It’s been very informative and that’s what you want,” Ms. Nerisma said. “I really do love the team,” she said. “I feel Seneca is very inspired and driven to make a difference.” Dr. Siobhan Carroll and Dr. Frank Merante, Co-Principal Investigators, are working to prepare protein samples for cryo-electron microscopy. Steinland Nerisma, Research and Development Scientist, Neoglacia, is working on the project with Seneca Polytechnic.
