Generating solutions

The Network Biology Collaborative Centre (NBCC) at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute was founded in 2014 to assist scientists with coupling the vast understanding of genomic and phenotypic variation in health and disease with a functional understanding of how gene products convey biological information and how their alterations drive disease.

The NBCC is built on one of Canada’s first proteomics mass spectrometry facilities and one of the first academic screening centres, which date back to 1999. Since that time, the Centre and its precursors have provided critical support for high-impact research and the translation of that research into an understanding of disease mechanisms, increased economic activity and potential new treatments and improved health outcomes.

The NBCC currently operates through multiple complementary nodes: proteomics, high-throughput screening including next-generation sequencing, and high-content to high-resolution imaging. The NBCC provides not only its extensive expertise in the design and application of sophisticated screening strategies through these nodes, but also its ability to integrate these screens with each other to drive biological insights.

By continually innovating, improving and implementing new technology, NBCC continues to offer the highest-calibre services. Over the next five years, the Centre will extend its proteomics and functional genomics screening into more sophisticated systems that will better model health and disease states, and continue to integrate data management and analytics across all of its nodes. Through its work, it will help to ensure that future scientists remain internationally competitive and drive their science to realize the greatest benefits for Canada.