02/07/2003

Vitesse Launches Program in Bioprocessing

(July 2, 2003, Montreal, QC) - Vitesse Re-Skilling^TM Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the successful launch of its innovative, hands-on bioprocessing program in partnership with the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University.

The first-of-its-kind, hands-on program aims to re-skill^TM science and engineering graduates into the field of bioprocessing. The program is a full-time certificate program taught at McGill, and includes instruction on areas such as industrial fermentation, protein extraction and purification, microbiology, bioprocess design and simulation and cGMP for food and biopharma. In order to enter the program, students must possess at least a diploma or bachelor’s degree.

"It is expected that the new program will address some of the needs expressed by bioprocessing companies," said Taras Hollyer, Vitesse Program Manager. "We are able to provide industries with innovative programs such as this not only through our subject knowledge of the sector, but through our strategy of developing programs in collaboration with leading universities such as McGill.

"McGill University is interested in expanding its suite of training programs in the biotechnology and bioprocess sectors. The partnership with Vitesse Re-Skilling^TM Canada Inc. builds on McGill expertise in biotechnology and the applied life sciences, and Vitesse’s experience with the private sector to provide advanced level training for the rapidly developing pharmaceutical and food bioprocess industry sectors" says Dr. Roger Prichard, Canadian Pacific Professor of Biotechnology at McGill University. "We see this innovative partnership enriching the training environment for industry professionals."

Vitesse is an independent, not-for-profit organization, created by the National Research Council (NRC), University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Since 1996, Vitesse has re-skilled^TM over 300 scientists and engineers into software engineering, photonics, biophotonics, DNA technology, bioinformatics, and microelectronics fields. The success of the Vitesse model lies in our ability to bring career-oriented professionals, educators and industry partners together and collaboratively shape cost-effective training solutions.

McGill University is a leading research-intensive Canadian university with a strong tradition of postgraduate education delivered by dedicated teacher/researchers at the forefront of their fields of expertise. McGill delivers a number of educational programs in the field of biotechnology at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels which draw on expertise in the Faculties of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Science, Engineering and Law.

The program is partially sponsored by Industry Canada, Life Sciences Branch and the Biotechnology Human Resource Council.

For more information, please visit Vitesse’s website at www.vitesse.ca or contact:

Taras Hollyer
Program Manager of Life Sciences Programs
Vitesse Re-Skilling^TM Canada Inc.
t: (613) 746-3595 ext. 224
e: taras.hollyer@vitesse.ca

Roger K. Prichard
(BSc, PhD New South Wales)
James McGill Professor and Canadian Pacific Chair in Biotechnology
McGill University
t: (514) 398-7729
e: roger.prichard@mcgill.ca