Adapting tobacco plants to produce a drug product used in cancer treatment may seem like a bit of down-on-the-farm folklore.
Not for a team of Mohawk College students who partnered with Solar Grants Biotechnology Inc. to determine if the farmed plants can actually produce a protein factor used to boost cancer patients' immune systems.
The research team - led by Liam Grieve, Jessica Guyatt, Liset Cortes Velez, Garrett Terpstra, Solange Pesce, Felipe Campusano, Dr. Igor Kolotilin and Dr. Tiffany Leighton - won the competition in the recent Ideas to Impact 2025 showcase. The annual event is sponsored by Mohawk's IDEAWORKS, a hub of applied research and innovation, which offers tailored support to industry and community partners.
For Glen and Heather Steeves, this is exactly the type of applied research and experiential learning they want to encourage. With a gift of $250,000, matched by the College, and the launch of the Steeves Family Innovation Fund, the family hopes to boost the number of projects Mohawk students and faculty can undertake every year.
"We were excited to learn about the many initiatives underway, their practical applications, and the real-world impact the research was having on the students and the community," the Steeves said. "We wanted to kickstart more great ideas and help everyone gain more experience combining research and entrepreneurial and commercialization opportunities."
The couple are generous supporters of Mohawk College, contributing to the Skilled Trades Campaign and the Campus to Community initiative.
"We were excited to learn about the many initiatives underway, their practical applications, and the real-world impact the research was having on the students and the community. We wanted to kickstart more great ideas and help everyone gain more experience combining research and entrepreneurial and commercialization opportunities."
Glen and Heather Steeves
Vice-president Academic Dr. Cebert Adamson said Mohawk is one of Canada's most research-intensive colleges, offering industry and community partners access to faculty expertise, exceptional facilities, top-notch technology and an inspired student workforce.
"Our students and faculty intersect with so many industries and disciplines, from healthcare to climate and the environment and skilled trades," said Adamson. "We are grateful to Glen and Heather Steeves and their family for this important vote of confidence in our prowess in applied research and experiential learning. We look forward to continuing to build out this robust innovation environment and deliver results."
Over the last five years, more than 1,225 Mohawk student researchers have gained paid research experience working with industry to solve real-world challenges, guided by faculty conducting applied research.
"Involvement in applied research has been a transformative experience for hundreds of Mohawk students, helping them build their technical skills while fostering creativity, building their problem-solving ability and giving them a taste for the unlimited potential of innovation," said Andrea Johnson, general manager of the Centre for Emerging Research. "Whether a student is studying nursing, engineering or community services, I've seen how applied research has enhanced their engagement in their future, and this gift makes even more student involvement possible."
Applications are currently open for the inaugural Steeves Family Innovation Fund, with successful projects receiving between $10,000 and $20,000.
Staff and faculty can apply through IDEAWORKS to one of two streams:
- The Launch Stream offers seed funding for faculty and staff with no previous research experience at Mohawk College to work on a research project with a new project partner.
- The Grow Stream helps advance research activities of more experienced researchers, with a focus on supporting or building further capacity in key research activities.
"Over the last decade, Mohawk College has played a crucial role in helping organizations within Hamilton and across the country find practical solutions to some of their most pressing challenges," said Jeff McIsaac, Dean of Applied Research, and Engineering Technology & Aviation. "Now, with the support of the Steeves Family, over the next five years, we will be able to work with 25 new organizations, from small start-ups to not-for-profits, that will directly benefit from collaborating with our faculty experts and student talent."
