Researchers and trainees learn from the experts in an interactive half-day event
Source: RI-MUHC
On October 24, the Centre for Translational Biology (CTB) Technology Platforms of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) held their annual Platform Expo. This half-day event showcased the RI-MUHC’s cutting-edge platform facilities, updating the research community on the exciting applications, technologies and services available to accelerate research.
“The Platform Expo is a unique occasion where our talented and highly trained staff can share their expertise with the researchers,” says Patrice Vaillancourt, general manager of the technology platforms. “As well, it gives new research trainees an overview of the many exciting tools and services available to support their projects.”
This year, in addition to presenting an overview of the available technologies and applications, the platforms highlighted several specific research projects, offering concrete examples of the ways in which technology platform services have propelled research forward.
“The annual Platform Expo event is a terrific showcase for the technology platforms and the related services at the RI-MUHC,” says Ciriaco Piccirillo, PhD, director of the Immunophenotyping Platform and senior scientist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program Program at the RI-MUHC. “It allows our fundamental and clinical researchers and our trainees to appreciate the state-of-the-art instruments we have on site. They can interact with our technical specialists too. These are the people who provide expert training as well as technical and analytical advice.”
In the first in-person Platform Expo since 2019, this event welcomed more than 160 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research staff and scientists from the RI-MUHC, McGill University, other Montreal research institutions and industry.
The morning opened with diverse presentations from each technology platform as well as from the Centre for Applied Nanomedicine. Guest speaker Dr. Steven Laplante, professor at Institut national de la recherche scientifique and founder of NMX Research and Solutions, introduced practical strategies in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to accelerate the discovery of new drugs and of new research tools in chemical biology.
A lively poster session followed, showcasing each technology platform as well as the Centre for Applied Nanomedicine, new glycomics services, the McGill Integrated Core in Animal Modeling and the Animal Resources Division. Participants welcomed the opportunity for one-on-one discussions with the experts.
“I have been using one platform but I did not know about the resources available at the others,” says postdoc Brenda Valdes-Sustaita, PhD. “Being able to access so many powerful tools coupled with expert guidance is a game-changer for my project.”
October 31, 2023