At its annual symposium, the centre showcased how collaboration, training and innovation are driving real-world solutions in industrial and environmental biotechnology.
Researchers, students, faculty and industry partners gathered at the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 for the BioZone Symposium, an event exploring biotechnology-driven approaches to sustainability and circular resource use.
The symposium centred on the theme “waste to value through biotechnology” and marked a departure from previous years as a primarily internal gathering.
“This year, it was run by BioZone core staff and intended to be more external facing,” says Jordan Wosnick, Executive Director of BioZone. “Many of our external partners and stakeholders attended, providing enriched networking opportunities for our students and PIs while raising awareness about BioZone research and its impacts.”
The symposium featured keynote talks from Jeff Passmore and Nelson Fonseca addressing the future of industrial biotechnology and the commercialization of sustainability-focused technologies, alongside an industry panel on challenges and opportunities within Canada’s bioeconomy featuring Ralph DeJong, Sheena Alexander and Pratish Gawand (ChemE PhD 1T4).
Research presentations from trainees and faculty highlighted work spanning bio-based chemical production, anaerobic bioremediation, biomining, carbon capture and enzymatic engineering. Sessions were organized around two themes: “waste to value in industry” and “waste to value on land and in water,” showcasing the breadth of BioZone’s research activities.
A poster session and dedicated networking opportunities connected students and researchers with industry representatives, external collaborators and members of the broader biotechnology community.
The symposium highlighted BioZone’s interdisciplinary approach to biotechnology research and its emphasis on translating scientific innovation into practical environmental and industrial applications.
A Hub for Applied Biotechnology
BioZone is a centre for applied industrial and environmental biotechnology research within the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, focused on developing biological solutions that address environmental and industrial challenges.
“Our mission is to transform biology and engineering for a sustainable society,” says Emma Master, Academic Director of BioZone.
Central to that mission is the development of technologies that “upcycle” waste and residues from the forestry, mining and agri-food sectors, as well as municipal organic Green Bin waste, into valuable chemicals and products.
In parallel, BioZone researchers study microbial processes—including anaerobic microbial communities—that can eliminate solvents and industrial contaminants in polluted soil and groundwater, restoring land to productive use.
“We bring a biotechnology approach to sustainability, which makes us unique within U of T,” Master adds.
BioZone’s work integrates advances in biological and computational sciences to improve the use of renewable resources while protecting environmental and human health.
Embedded in Chemical Engineering
While BioZone is structured as an extra-departmental unit within the Faculty, it is deeply embedded in Chemical Engineering. All eight Core Principal Investigators are ChemE faculty members, along with many Associate PIs.
“We see BioZone as being one of the major centres for sustainability-oriented research within both ChemE and FASE,” says Wosnick.
Its research directly supports the department’s environment and energy themes and aligns with the Faculty’s broader strategic emphasis on sustainability.
A Shared Model for Research
BioZone’s structure also sets it apart.
Rather than operating as individual research labs, BioZone uses a shared model in which space is assigned based on function, equipment is jointly owned and maintained, and commonly used consumables are purchased communally.
“Our trainees benefit from facilities far broader and better-equipped than they would in a standard single-PI research lab setup,” says Wosnick.
This model supports a research community of 70 to 80 trainees at any given time, alongside research associates, technicians, staff and faculty. It also allows BioZone to operate with a smaller physical footprint and lower overall costs than might be expected for a collection of individual PI labs of similar size.
“While BioZone was born from the practical benefits of collaboration – sharing equipment, methodologies and ideas – it has grown through a shared commitment to reciprocity, evolving from a common workspace into a cohesive community,” says Master.
Day-to-day operations are supported by a dedicated team, including Master and Wosnick, along with Lab Manager Endang “Susie” Susilawati, who oversees shared lab space, equipment and training. Core facilities are also supported by Mass Spectrometry Facility Manager Rob Flick, Biomanufacturing Facility Manager Nancy Bawa and technician Line Lomheim.
Collaboration and Translation
Collaboration is built into BioZone’s model. Many graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are co-supervised across research groups within Chemical Engineering and beyond, creating strong interdisciplinary connections.
International collaboration also plays an important role. Through connections such as Master’s affiliation with Aalto University in Finland, students participate in research exchanges while BioZone hosts visiting scholars in its labs.
Industry partnerships help shape many of the centre’s research directions. Projects are often motivated by external collaborators, and trainees gain hands-on experience working directly with industry partners.
BioZone also supports the translation of research into practice by providing space for graduate student entrepreneurs launching BioZone-related startups and offering biomanufacturing and mass spectrometry services to the broader community outside the University of Toronto.
Training Future Engineers
BioZone is also helping shape how biotechnology is taught and experienced within the department.
Faculty affiliated with the centre have played a key role in developing the undergraduate bioengineering stream and recently launched a biomanufacturing microcredential to support continuing education.
Undergraduate and MEng students regularly participate in research projects and are mentored by faculty members and senior trainees. BioZone also hosts U of T’s iGEM undergraduate team in its labs and offers workshops open to students.
“As biotechnology becomes increasingly important across industry, students are gaining exposure to areas such as scale-up, lifecycle analysis and technoeconomic assessment alongside fundamental research,” says Wosnick.
Looking Ahead
BioZone is increasingly recognized, both nationally and internationally, as a leading centre for biotechnology research focused on sustainability.
“We want to be integrated into the national technology development and implementation ecosystem,” says Wosnick.
To further strengthen industry-academia collaboration, BioZone is developing a biomanufacturing scale-up facility in Toronto that connects with existing capacities across Ontario and Canada, creating new opportunities within the biotechnology ecosystem in the Greater Toronto Area.
As demand grows for clean technologies, renewable products and more sustainable use of natural resources, BioZone’s work is becoming increasingly important.
“BioZone researchers are at the forefront of applying biotechnology tools to address challenging problems in the environment and industry, including the critical transition to renewable, resource-efficient products manufactured through clean and sustainable processes,” says Master.
Through its research, training and industry partnerships, BioZone is helping position U of T Engineering at the forefront of sustainable biotechnology, advancing solutions designed to address environmental challenges far beyond the lab.
For more information on BioZone, visit their website.
For more pictures from the BioZone Symposium 2026, click here.