Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD)
The Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD) was founded with the mission to act as a one-stop shop for innovators in the diagnostics field. From prototyping to clinical trials, ACAD leverages Alberta's consolidated healthcare infrastructure to connect early-stage innovators with the facilities, equipment, performance testing centres, and healthcare contacts needed for emerging technologies in the pathogen diagnostics sector. ACAD shortens the time and expense required to develop diagnostic technology and provides a unique environment for fast tracking new technologies for detecting infectious diseases. Rapid Infection Diagnostics (RID) Inc. is one of the success stories from the ACAD centre. RID leverages advanced mass spectrometry to enable a suite of rapid diagnostic tests that reduce microbiology testing times from days to hours.