Strengthening Global Capacity Through a New Partnership with the PATH RNA Cooperative and support from the Gates Foundation
Montreal, QC, February 25, 2026 -Ìý²Ñ³¦³Ò¾±±ô±ô’s DNA to RNA (D2R) Initiative - a $165M initiative funded by the Government of Canada through the to turn genomic discoveries into RNA-based treatments - is expanding its global health impact. Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ received a major grant of $1.5M USD ($2.1M CAD) from the , enabling it to become the Canadian node of .
The PATH RNA Cooperative – launched by the international, nonprofit global health organization PATH with Gates Foundation funding support - is a trusted, non-competitive, manufacturer-driven group that accelerates RNA vaccine development from early research to readiness for first-in-human clinical trials. It equips selected low- and middle-income country vaccine manufacturers with hands-on expertise, shared knowledge, and collaborative resources; drives collective learning; and facilitates access to standardized approaches and strategic insights that can strengthen manufacturing and advance access to lifesaving vaccines.
As a member of the PATH RNA Cooperative, D2R will contribute to efforts aimed at boosting global readiness for RNA vaccine development by enhancing capacity building, technology transfer, and data infrastructure with vaccine manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Building on this foundation, D2R will empower partner institutions to independently design, produce, and validate mRNA vaccine candidates using scalable, open, and locally adaptable innovations.
This funding will harness state-of-the-art Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ platforms essential for RNA research and innovation. Four D2R-supported platforms will play a key role in delivering advanced workflows for vaccine design, production, and validation through extensive scientific collaboration. These platforms include the , led by Prof. Guillaume Bourque, the End-to-End Sequencing Platform for RNA Therapeutics Quality Control directed by Prof. Ioannis Ragoussis, Prof. Amine Kamen’s Vaccine Processing Lab, and the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Messenger RNA Therapeutic Platform, led by Prof. Thomas Duchaine. Together, these platforms will facilitate the rapid translation of RNA-based discoveries into real-world applications.
