Listed to Linked - Meet the Members of the CAPE Directory: Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS)
As we enter into the fall season, conversations turn to harvesting, crop yields, and food security through our long winter months. Against a backdrop of rising food prices and prioritization of national food sovereignty, innovators throughout the country are turning to the Prairies for solutions. Using the abundant agricultural resources that are the hallmark of the Canadian Prairies, we are uniquely positioned to address food security concerns through innovations in biotechnology, novel foods, precision fermentation, cell culture, and more.
Through New Harvest’s Cellular Agriculture Prairies Ecosystem (CAPE) program, we have built a directory of the critical infrastructure available to support these innovations from ideation to implementation. One such facility is the Global Institute for Food Security, and we are excited to feature them as speakers for our next Listed to Linked webinar.
The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS), located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, provides integrated technical expertise and advanced research services that help accelerate product development and scientific discovery across agriculture, food, biotechnology, and life sciences industries. Guided by a mission to strengthen innovation and bridge the gap between research and commercialization, GIFS delivers high-quality, reproducible results through a combination of world-class technologies, scientific expertise, and a strong commitment to customer success.
Meet our Speakers:
Megha Bajaj is the Business Development (Engineering Biology) and Intellectual Property Lead at GIFS since 2023. She holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Alberta and works closely with industry, academic, and government partners to expand engagement with GIFS's Engineering Biology platform and technical service capabilities. In addition, Megha supports grant development and oversees intellectual property and contract-related matters that help translate research and innovation into real-world impact
Carla Protsko is the Business Development Lead for Genomics and Bioinformatics at GIFS since 2022. A proud alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan, she completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Biochemistry. Carla is passionate about innovation and collaboration through scientific pursuits. She values strong partnerships and relationships across academia, government and industry, with a focused expertise in agricultural research in animal and plant improvement.
GIFS offers specialized capabilities including high-throughput genomics and transcriptomics, bioinformatics and data analytics powered by high-performance computing and machine learning, engineering biology services such as high-throughput DNA assembly, microbial strain engineering, precision fermentation, mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics, and cell growth and phenotyping platforms supported through lab automation. The Plant Growth and Phenotyping platform provides greenhouse space and integrated services, and large-scale plant-pathogen screening and phenotyping capabilities that enable rigorous testing for plant breeding organizations.
They are interested in collaborating with companies, researchers, and innovators developing sustainable food ingredients, alternative proteins, precision fermentation platforms, engineered microbes, and other cellular agriculture technologies. Through technical service partnerships, joint research projects, and product development collaborations, GIFS helps organizations accelerate innovation from concept to commercialization.
Join the conversation to learn more about GIFS and how they can support food, biotech, and agricultural innovation in Canada!
Event Details:
📅 Date: October 15, 2026
🕒 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MDT
📍 Platform: Google Meet