In a biomedicine laboratory at Polytechnique Montréal, animal protein grows in a bubbling orange solution as researchers in white lab coats take samples with large syringes.

Six years after the spread of COVID-19 caught the world by surprise, the Polytechnique lab is spearheading efforts to prepare Canada against future pandemics.

It’s part of a federal initiative called Ramp Up, which collaborates with research institutions across Canada to address gaps in the biomanufacturing sector.

While it’s impossible to predict the timing and nature of the next pandemic, head researcher Gregory De Crescenzo says preparation is critical.

“It’s not a matter of if, but when,” he said during a tour of the lab, which spans several rooms at the downtown Montreal engineering school.

With the proliferation of vaccine misinformation during the pandemic, De Crescenzo hopes giving the public a look inside his lab can help rebuild public trust in medicine.