Founded in 2018, Global Urgent and Advanced Research and Development (GUARD), also known as Avancées Globales Urgentes en Recherche et Développement (AGURD), is a nonprofit organization that implements innovative and cost-effective strategies for the development of vaccines and diagnostic tools to combat emerging and neglected infectious diseases, thereby improving access to healthcare for populations worldwide.
Located in Batiscan, overlooking the St. Lawrence River, the laboratory is certified by the Public Health Agency of Canada and is equipped for all procedures requiring Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) containment. It features state-of-the-art facilities for molecular biology, cell culture, and recombinant protein production, among other applications.
GUARD played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing diagnostic services to populations across Canada through fully equipped mobile laboratories for molecular diagnostics. These efforts helped prevent the spread of the virus by identifying infected individuals prior to their boarding of flights.
GUARD is actively involved in strengthening response capacities to emerging pathogens in Central and West Africa, notably through field training activities with mobile laboratories, as well as the development of veterinary vaccines targeting zoonoses and vectors (such as ticks and mosquitoes) responsible for the transmission of deadly pathogens, including the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV).
