Alain Garnier

Alain Garnier is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Laval University, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He leads research in biocatalysis, fermentation biotechnology, and industrial bioprocesses through labs like the Bioprocess Optimization Laboratory (BOL) and PROTEO Research Center. His work bridges academic and industrial applications, focusing on sustainable biomanufacturing and cell therapy development.

Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Polytechnique Montréal, 1992). Awards include multiple Teaching Star recognitions from Laval University's Faculty of Science and Engineering (2005, 2012-2014, 2017).

Research Interests: Innovates in enzyme technology, bioconversion processes, and CO₂ capture systems. Develops serum-free culture media for cell therapies and advanced bioreactor designs. Active in vaccine production, particularly using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vectors.

Recent Research Trends: Articles emphasize biocatalyst optimization (e.g., P450BM3 enzymes), CO₂ sequestration via immobilized enzymes, and scalable viral vector manufacturing. Highlights include green flotation processes using bioactive peptides and CRISPR delivery systems for hard-to-transfect cells.

• Awards: Teaching excellence awards (2005, 2012-2017).

Advising & Grants: Supervised 10+ graduate students in chemical engineering. Leads funded projects including C$2.5M+ programs for biologics production under pandemic conditions and Quebec's Protein Research strategic network. Recent grants focus on carbon capture bioreactors and cell therapy technologies.

Labs/Teams: Directs PROTEO-ULaval (protein research hub) and collaborates with networks like STEMCELLNET (Canadian Stem Cell Network) and Cell and Tissue Therapy Network (ThéCell).