Life Sciences and Agri-Food Innovation Fund (LAIF-Ontario)

The growth and prosperity of Ontario's Agricultural, Food and related Life Science sectors depends on continuous innovation. In the road from the laboratory to the market place, a particularly difficult section is the transition from a new technology to a product able to attract financing for its commercial development. This has been recognized as the "pre-commercialization gap".

The Life Sciences and Agri-food Innovation Fund promoted and accelerated the pre-commercialization development of new products and services in the Agri-food and related Life Science sectors in Ontario. The program provided funding for projects that clarified or enhanced the commercial value of existing intellectual property and made it more attractive to potential investors. All projects funded by this program have been completed and the program is no longer accepting proposals for funding.

Project Summaries 2006

These projects have received funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Agricultural Policy Framework. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Ministry or AAFC of the contents of the material.

• LA1001 - Driving novel value added detection from proof of concept to commercial readiness
• LA1002 - Identification and validation of genetic markers for boar taint: commercialization of the BT-Low technology
• LA1003 - Efficacy testing an alfalfa-based edible vaccine for bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis
• LA1004 - An acoustic prion sensor to detect infectious prior proteins in blood
• LA1005 - Development of ozonation beta-systems for commercial greenhouse irrigation water remediation and cut flower shelf-life enhancement
• LA1006 - High antioxidant spearmint clones destined for the amelioration of asthma
• LA1007 - Technical Evaluation of Novel Heart Healthy Trans Fat Free, Tropical Fat Free Baking Ingredient made from Pure Soybean Oil