Global Biotech Week 2025: A Recap

Another year of curiosity, creativity, and scientific discovery has come and gone and with it, another Global Biotech Week (GBW). In Saskatchewan, GBW continues to be a showcase of the people and partnerships that drive biotech innovation across the province. It’s always a celebration of community and science. 

This year’s celebrations began a little early with a returning partnership between GBW and Nuit Blanche Saskatoon, the city’s beloved nighttime arts festival. Once the sun set, visitors stepped into our exhibit Beautiful Science: The Story of a Forest, an immersive installation inspired by dendrochronologist Dr. Colin Laroque’s research. Inside the Elks Lodge on Broadway, projections, soundscapes, and elements transformed the space into a living virtual forest. Revealing the life cycles of trees, how they communicate, and the stories held in their rings. More than 2,500 people wandered, listened, and lingered in the forest as it “lived” well into the night. 

Global Biotech Week officially launched with Taste of Innovation, hosted by Prairie Food Link at Boffins Event Centre. Chef Devereaux Gatin of Café Del Rey prepared a buffet highlighting locally sourced ingredients contributed by Prairie Food Link members. This year’s theme — Roots & Resilience: Bridging Land, Science, and Story Through Food and Tradition — wove through the conversations. Special guest Alicia (Ally) Hrbachuck, founder of Ally’s Creeative Bake Shop & The Creeative Foundation, shared heartfelt stories about family, culture, and her connection to food. A guided discussion led by Noelle Chorney drew together perspectives on Indigenous foodways, agriculture, and scientific innovation. 

The Global Institute for Food Security hosted their event, From Design to Data: Leveraging Automation for Engineering Biology. Researchers and industry partners gathered in the Candle Span Room at Innovation Place to hear more about Engineering biology. Attendees explored digital tools reshaping biological research and toured GIFS’ facilities to see the technology in action. 

Food and biotechnology continued to take centre stage during GBW through the University of Saskatchewan’s Advancements in Ag Research webinar. Dr. Jill Hobbs, Distinguished Professor in Agricultural and Resource Economics, took attendees through a presentation on how consumers interpret sustainability labels and what that means for today’s agri-food supply chains. 

From online webinar to in-person event, Café Scientifique Saskatoon — led by longtime partner Dr. Julia Boughner — added its own spark to the week. At Winston’s Pub, Dr. Kaidi Wang from the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences shared her research on fermentation microorganisms and the new technologies changing the way we work with them. With props, examples, and plenty of questions from the audience, the session blended science with the comfort of a local pint. 

Speaking of beer, one of humanity’s oldest biotechnologies, 9 Mile Legacy joined in on the fun and hosted a webinar: Tapped In: How Brewers and Biotech Are Reading the Room. Cassy Appelt of 9 Mile Legacy walked participants through future trends in brewing innovation and highlighted the role of the new LGCY Innovation Hub — a space designed for experimentation with flavours, ingredients, and techniques.  

Two public tours were available to explore Saskatchewan’s bioscience sector: one at the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron and another at the Saskatchewan Food Development Centre’s fermentation facility, . OOffering rare glimpses into some of the province’s most advanced research spaces. 

Mid-week, a new collaboration with Gather Local Market brought Biotech at the Market to life. Three local producers — 9 Mile Legacy, Lucky Bastard Distillers, and Black Fox Distillery — shared samples, stories, and educated the audience on the biotechnology behind their beverages and spirits, giving attendees a chance to taste the science while enjoying the market’s lively atmosphere. 

To keep the momentum going, Ag-West Bio & Sask Polytech revived a much-loved event: The Amazing Biotech Race. High-school biology and Sask Polytech biotechnology students fanned out across Innovation Saskatchewan’s Research and Technology Park, solving clues and completing rapid-fire lab challenges with participating companies. Organized chaos filled the park as teams raced for points — a thrilling way to celebrate STEM education. 

The week concluded at the University of Regina with a Biotech Panel Event featuring leaders from Saskatchewan’s entrepreneurial biotech community. Interactive discussions, Q&A sessions, and hands-on activities offered inspiration for the next generation of innovators. 

For younger students across the province, Agriculture in the Classroom launched a poster-making kit, Upcycled Art, filled with tips for communicating science. Students cleaned their schoolyards and transformed found materials into art, increasing participation from 121 posters in 2024 to an impressive 331 this year. 

Global Biotech Week continues to thrive in Saskatchewan because of its collaborative spirit — a community of educators, researchers, students, innovators, and industry partners who believe in the power of science to shape a better future. 

For more stories, photos, and information, visit www.globalbiotechweeksask.ca.