Molecular World adds to city's biotech cluster.

The opening of Molecular World Inc. (MWI) will become part of the overall cluster of bio-science companies in Thunder Bay, making it the only area in Canada to posses this quality of equipment and therefore research, says the director of Molecular World.

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"We already started getting cases for forensic and paternity testing," says Dr. Amarjit Chahal, director and general manager of Molecular World Inc. (MWI) who has completed to date more than 7,000 cases in his career.

"This is the only company where you can do modern and ancient DNA samples in Canada."

Canadian company Vita-Tech Canada Inc. has already signed a sub-contracting agreement with MWI to provide ancient DNA services, and Chahal is in the process of signing more contracts with American companies.

"We expect to be doing at least a 1,000 cases by early next year." he explains.

In addition, Chahal has forwarded information to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). MWI is equipped to process 100 samples at a time and such a service could be welcome by investigators who are experiencing a backlog of samples to be tested.

However, in order to be considered for such cases Chahal says they require accreditation from the Canadian government, which he hopes to obtain by early next year. MWI is a total contamination control facility, which means modern samples are separate from aged samples. They are passed through small holes to avoid cross contamination, particularly between comparison and evidentiary samples or samples that could be used as evidence. Having such a facility allows the company to apply for accreditation, which means police and other organizations could use the results in court.

"We need that stamp because then we (can) start accepting all the volume from the provincial and local police."

Chahal's experience in the courts will help the fledgling business. He has testified both in U.S. and in Canada as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases. Along with two scientists and one technician, the lab provides nuclear, Y testing, and mitochondrial DNA testing. The staff is fully trained at the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University, where Chahal hopes to fuse future partnerships. Although he has yet to discuss this with the lab director, Chahal would like to use their facility as a means to verify cases.

In two years Chahal expects to move into medical diagnostics, as well providing information to cancer clinics, the new hospital and Lakehead University. They will eventually be able to offer tests to patients who think they may be "susceptible to cancer or any other disease that is transmitted through inheritance that comes from parents."

Through a better understanding of a patient's medical history health experts are able to tailor the patient's treatments.

Once the company becomes well known, Chahal hopes to access the overseas market making Northern Ontario one of the hubs for biotechnology.

"I see Thunder Bay as the biotech centre in five years because location is not that important. For us, people can send samples from any country here, especially for diagnostics. Once companies realize the overhead cost are relatively low here I think they will move in this direction."

By Kelly Louiseize

Northern Ontario Business