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Based at the University of Toronto, we are a global network of government, academia, and industry working to accelerate the discovery of materials. There is no time for science as usual.

We need better materials, now
Conventional methods of discovering materials are slow and expensive.
How It Works
Closed loop design
AI-Guided Design
Automated Chemical
Synthesis
Automated Material
Characterization
New Advanced Materials

AI-Guided Design

Self-driving labs use artificial intelligence (AI) and computational modelling to predict which materials or small molecules will have the properties required for a particular application.

Automated Chemical Synthesis

A robotic lab uses AI predictions to autonomously synthesize and tests for said properties.

Automated Material Characterization

The test data is then fed back into the AI system, sothat I a learn from the results to generate a new, better slate of candidates.

New Advanced Materials

After rounds of automated predictions, syntheses, and tests, the material is discovered. This automations allows human scientists to forgo conventional experimentation's tedious trial and error and hand off 90% of the manual work to robots.

Accelerating Materials Discovery
We are accelerating materials discovery by developing robust and scalable self-driving labs (SDLs). SDLs combine AI, robotics, and high-throughput experimentation to develop new materials with a desired functionality—an inversion of the usual discovery process.
SDLs use AI and high-performance computing to design materials, then use robotics and high-throughput experimentation to rapidly make them and test their performance. Results are sent back to the AI in an iterative fashion to update the predictions and start the design-make-test cycle again in a closed-loop until the SDL converges on a material with properties of interest.
BUILDING CAPACITY

We received a $200M investment from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). This funding will allow us to build the capacity to accelerate materials discovery. We are building a centre for materials research and innovation at U of T spanning 6 new self-driving labs and a scale-up lab at UBC led by over 35 research scientists and a cohort of over 40 faculty.

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Application Areas

As a platform technology, self-driving labs are largely material agnostic and can be applied to a wide range of areas. Scroll to discover.

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HEALTH

Therapeutics, drug delivery, anti-viral coatings, and more

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TRANSPORTATION / CONSTRUCTION

Lighter, stronger, corrosion-resistant alloys, and eco-friendly cement

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ENERGY

Renewable energy production, batteries and storage

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GREEN PRODUCTS

Biodegradable plastics and fibres

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ELECTRONICS

Cheaper, higher capacity, eco-friendly LEDs and wearable devices

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NEW

Entirely novel classes of materials to launch new industries

our goals
We have 4 overarching goals.
01

Transforming Discovery

We accelerate materials discovery by making the fundamental breakthroughs in fields such as AI, robotics, and materials science which are required to develop robust and scalable SDLs.

02

Talent Development

We are upskilling today's researchers and training the researchers of tomorrow with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated science.

03

Ecosystem Building

We are connecting key players in the innovation continuum to de-risk the design and commercialization of sustainable materials and molecules.

04

Ethical Solutions

We conduct ethics, economics, and Indigenous science and technology research to ensure that our materials and technologies are ethically designed with community partners to benefit society and the planet.

Our ImpacT
By accelerating the design and commercialization of materials for sustainability and health applications, the AC will help society solve some of our most significant challenges.
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