Aug. 17, 2026

A state-of-the-art research and product development facility at Seneca Polytechnic is supporting businesses on the rise by providing the advanced facilities, specialized equipment and academic networks needed to secure funding and develop new products more quickly.

The Seneca Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences (SCILS) laboratory at Seneca@York Campus is a controlled operating environment featuring cutting-edge equipment used in the applied chemistry, biotechnology and cosmetic science sectors.

SCILS boasts a Containment Level 2 (CL2) biosafety room, a controlled substances room, a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) clean space and a comprehensive inventory of biotechnology and analytical chemistry equipment. A full list of instruments in the lab can be found here.

In addition to being a key hub for Seneca Applied Research, SCILS is available to startups and to businesses from surrounding communities that are seeking affordable access to specialized facilities and equipment used in the development, testing and commercialization of innovative products. Businesses that rent in the SCILS lab also have access to collaborative work and lab spaces, as well as the expertise of Seneca faculty working in those areas.

One firm that has benefitted from its presence in the SCILS lab is Synakis, a Toronto-based company developing ocular products to preserve vision. The Synakis team used the GMP room in SCILS to run a manufacturing pilot project, developing 80 prototypes of a new device to be used in retinal detachment surgery.

"Our time at SCILS proved to be a very helpful stepping stone," said Dr. Jonathan Labriola, Director of Operations at Synakis. "We learned a lot about our material and how to manufacture it at-scale. This informed discussions with prospective manufacturing partners and saved time and money that would have otherwise been spent having our partners problem-solve and optimize the process."

Dr. Labriola recommends SCILS as a great facility for any company that is looking to develop new manufacturing processes.

"It is managed by people who have worked in industry and understand the path, has a favourable contractual setup that allows companies to control their IP at a reasonable cost and possesses the infrastructure to support development of processes that can be onboarded by commercial-scale manufacturing contractors," he said.

Genepika, a Toronto-based biotechnology firm that applies genetic tools to personal health and wellness problems, is another organization whose employees speak positively about their experience with the facility.

"The staff and culture at the SCILS lab was amazing," said Henry Xu, Director of Science and Engineering at Genepika. "Everyone is extremely helpful, and open to sharing their knowledge and expertise to help us succeed. We felt like we were part of the Seneca community there and not just tenants."

The Genepika team worked on two projects at SCILS. One involved the use of specialized equipment such as a gel imager and spectrophotometers to develop new diagnostic tools while the other utilized the CL2 room to safely study human muscle fibre tissue. Had SCILS not been available, the company would have likely created its own lab space at a significantly higher cost.

"We highly recommend working with SCILS, particularly for early-stage startups that require access to a large variety of analytical instruments and capabilities without extensive spending," said Mr. Xu.

To learn more about the SCILS lab and how it can help your business, email Seneca Applied Research.