The Centre provides real-world solutions for industry through collaboration and innovation. Our projects range from improving product methods through extraction and formulation, to propagation, to prototyping new products, and consulting on business process and design. Here is just a sampling of some of the work we have done.
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Apollo Green is a cannabis licensed producer with more than 360 world class cannabis strains that grows young cannabis plants in bulk and sells them to companies in the cannabis industry. With the help of the Centre, Apollo Green researched a cloning technique called “tissue culture”, which can produce many more plants than with traditional methods |
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The Centre helped Cold Plasma Group demonstrate that cannabis treated using CPG technology retains its physical properties, and cannabinoid profiles. Work is currently underway to test treating contaminated dry cannabis samples by the CannPlasma Clean process, under a variety of parameters to optimize the conditions for decontamination. |
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The Centre worked with Kingston Aluminum Technology (KAT) to investigate superior aluminum bottle liners to mitigate known losses of cannabinoids on the surface of packaging materials used for beverages. A Tech Access IV project formed the foundation for a larger project funded by GreenCentre Canada. |
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Exhale into Health is a company focused on creating a completely organic, gluten-free, and vegan snack infused with cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). They approached the Centre to develop ensure a product with consistent, controlled amount of cannabis. |
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Cheekbone Beauty Inc. is an indigenous-owned and founded Canadian cosmetics company established in 2016 by Jennifer Harper. Based out of St. Catharines, Ontario, the company is known for creating high-quality, sustainable, and cruelty-free cosmetic products, and packaging. Cheekbone Beauty’s innovation is rooted in the development of sustainable and socially conscious beauty products with an indigenous worldview for the benefit of all people and the planet. Through Tech-Access Canada Interactive Visit funding and Mitacs Indigenous Pathways internships, this project is investigating the feasibility of upcycling processing by-products into sustainable cosmetic product formulas. |
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Mycodynamix is a producer of wellness products derived from medicinal mushrooms. Nutraceutical mushroom extracts offer a variety of medicinal health benefits and can be used to boost immunities and reduce symptoms of mental illnesses. This project was the first of a multi-phased initiative and focused on gathering information to determine the next phase and design of experiment. Upcoming work will seek to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds from various species of medicinal mushrooms. |
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Wovven is a natural beverage company with cannabinoid ingredients for functional benefits, formulating cannabis beverages using cold pressed juice and all natural ingredients. With no proven predecessor in this space and because the chemistry is so complex, this initial Tech Access Canada IV funded project assisted with product characterization, stabilization and recommendations for packaging. |
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TerraPlant is a Toronto-based biotech startup in synthetic biology which has developed a patent-pending plant-based production system that can be used to produce small molecules and proteins faster, cheaper and with greater scalability. The technology is highly adaptable and can produce multiple products including vaccines, insulin, vitamins, biofuels, opioids and protein supplements. The initial GreenCentre Connect funded project was to build and validate the prototype and minimum viable product for the cannabinoid production system. |
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Afiya Beauty develops and sells clean all-natural beauty products through their online store. Recent customer feedback has consistently requested that they formulate a product to address their most pressing skin concern, fading skin discolouration. Afiya Beauty plans to formulate a product to address this concern without the use of conventional de-pigmenting agents. This initial Tech Access Canada IV funded project focused on: reviewing Afiya’s current formulation, proposing test methods to qualify Afiya’s cream, and reviewing literature for excipient compatibility and ingredients for other product formulations. |
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Pasta Tavola produces convenient & delicious family-friendly frozen ravioli and jar sauces made with real ingredients, available in Canadian supermarkets and specialty food shops. Through the Tech Access Canada IV funding program, the company has teamed up with the Loyalist College Centre for Natural Products to develop products for new and existing markets. With a focus on food trends and the growing post-COVID shift to health conscious, clean label ingredients, this initial project focused on completing a literature review and creating a plan for a larger product formulation and optimization project. |
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Canna Stream Solutions (CSS) has developed patent pending technology enabling the efficient processing of cannabis flowers and organic waste into cannabinoid containing extracts. Laboratory scale has been demonstrated, and CSS plans to scale up the technology. Through initial Tech-Access Canada-funding the Centre provided support through the testing of extract quality, and quantification of high value compounds present in the extracts. Through this proof-of-concept experimental data provided, CSS will evaluate the optimum experimental parameters for the scaling up process. |
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The Ferm Company came to the Centre seeking to prove and develop a proprietary fermentation-based extraction method for various plant materials, with funding through the Technology Access IV program. This proprietary fermentation technique will be used on products for the health and beauty industry. The process increases absorption rates, therefore providing faster acting products. The process also reduces manufacturing costs with energy-friendly extraction methods. |
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VIVO Cannabis Inc. (VIVO) is a cannabis licensed producer that worked with the Centre to validate their HPLC (high pressure to performance liquid chromatography) Cannabinoid Test Methods. |
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Typical beverage and food aluminum or steel containers use liquid paint liners. Protech has a green technology using a powder coating/liner that is VOC free, BPA free, and provides superior mechanical properties and chemical resistance. This powder coating has been shown to surpass current products using conventional liquid paint based can liners. This initial Tech Access Canada IV funded project focused on characterization of the liner leading to future determination of shelf life stability to pursue certification for direct food contact (aqueous and solid applications). |
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Dow Testing approached the Centre as they were forming a new analytical testing facility for the cannabis industry and required expertise and consulting services to guide them in their business development strategies. The Centre supported them with establishing equipment requirements, facility set-up and flow, prioritization of their Quality Management System (QMS) policies and procedures, along with advice for analytical test method validation. |
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Entomo Farms is an intergenerational business targeting consumers who choose insect protein in order to show respect to, and to enhance the preservation of, the environment. The Centre helped them investigate how best to determine optimal storage and a “best before” date for their cricket powder product. READ MORE |
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Royal Development Group Inc. (RDG) plans to conduct research with hemp/cannabis on the International Space Station (ISS). They came to the Centre seeking expertise to determine and optimize an approach for a design of experiment (DOE) for seedling germination to include in their research. With funding from a Mitacs Accelerate internship, the strategy and procedures for germination were studied, revolving around the known constraints and operating parameters of existing hardware for seed germination on the ISS. |
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Wakkii LifeSci is a green start-up dedicated to using ingredients extracted from discarded and unutilized biosources such as sea food waste to develop and commercialize wound healing products for animals and humans. Wakkii came to the Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis at Loyalist College for help with optimizing their product formulation. Through Tech Access Interactive Visit funding, several formulations were developed with desired consistency and tested for microbiological sterility. The formulations will be tested on living tissue by Wakkii LifeSci and the results will be used to advise further modifications to the formulation and product development. |
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The Centre was able to provide Signal Brewery with fast turnaround quality testing to support an understanding of the alcohol content of their craft beer prior to LCBO testing submission. CLICK HERE to learn more about our craft brewing testing services. |