SGC-Ottawa: Open Science for Better Research Tools
From Experimental Ground Truth to AI-enabled Discovery
Event Details
- Type
- R3 Lecture Series
- Speaker(s)
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Carl Laflamme, Ph.D., assistant professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) CSO, SGC-Ottawa, University of Ottawa
- Speaker bio(s)
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Research reproducibility depends on the quality of the tools used to generate data. Commercial antibodies provide a striking example: widely used reagents can detect the wrong protein, propagating errors through the literature. For the past seven years, I have co-led the YCharOS initiative within the global Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC). I will discuss how standardized, industry-endorsed experiments and open sharing of results can generate reliable ground-truth data on antibody performance. Through the Only Good Antibodies (OGA) initiative, we are also working to improve how antibody evidence is communicated and used by the research community. Combining YCharOS ground-truth data with AI-assisted literature analysis could help evaluate antibody use across the published literature at scale, identifying studies supported by well-characterized reagents as well as those relying on poorly performing ones. As AI-designed protein binders emerge as a new class of research tools, we have an opportunity to learn from the antibody field rather than repeat the same mistakes. Rigorous characterization, transparent reporting, and open data from the outset will be essential to ensure that these next-generation tools support reproducible science. Carl Laflamme investigates the cell biology of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His laboratory characterizes research tools and uses them to study understudied disease-associated proteins and uncover new biology. As an investigator within the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and leader of the uOttawa YCharOS site, he works with academic and industry partners to independently assess the selectivity and performance of antibodies and next-generation affinity reagents. Through this open-science approach, his research aims to improve reproducibility while advancing the discovery of disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets.
- Open to
- Campus Only