PathoScan Technologies’ Ethan Done credits national innovation organization Mitacs for helping to make the breakthrough possible by providing crucial support for his startup
With the Food and Agriculture Organization reporting that up to 40% of global crop production is lost to plant pests and diseases each year, triggering crop shortages that drive up food costs, an up-and-coming Saskatoon entrepreneur is on a mission to do something about it – and he’s starting with saving crops across the province.
Ethan Done, chief operating officer and co-founder of Saskatoon-based startup PathoScan Technologies, has co-invented a first-of-its-kind portable device with chief executive officer and co-founder Tayab Soomro that enables farmers to test the health of their crops right in their fields in under two hours. Until now, the only pathogen detection option was bringing plant samples to a government lab and waiting days or weeks for results.
“This time lag can mean the difference between farmers losing their crop or having the ability to save their plants by treating them for diseases quickly, which ultimately helps protect both their livelihood and Canada’s food supply, and brings the cost of food down,” said Done, who launched the company in 2024 with Soomro. “We’re harnessing our technology to make farming more efficient, sustainable and profitable,” he explained.
Done came up with the idea of a mobile testing device in 2022 as a University of Saskatchewan undergraduate student while working in a government agricultural internship. Tasked with demonstrating the government’s pathogen testing service – a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test called Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) – at agricultural events, he said many farmers wanted to conduct tests right there, but the devices on display were for in-lab use only.
“I saw that there was a problem and I wanted to help, which is what sparked the idea for a solution that’s smaller, mobile, lightweight, and more affordable for the average producer,” said Done, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology.
With the support of Mitacs – a leading national innovation organization that connects businesses and researchers with unrivalled access to talent, financial support, and the partnerships needed to turn ideas into impactful innovations – Done and Soomro piloted their device, the PathoBox, on select Saskatchewan farms last summer, receiving positive response. They have since refined their technology for the upcoming season and are now developing an artificial intelligence (AI) component – due to be released next year – to make the device even more accurate.
“Mitacs is the reason I’m able to work on this business full time and make the product better,” said Done, 22, who is currently pursuing a PhD in research and development tied to his business at the University of Saskatchewan. “As a company co-founder, it’s extremely hard to get funding for your salary and I’m very grateful that Mitacs has financially enabled me to focus on R&D so that not all our time has to be spent on sales,” he said.
To use the PathoBox – roughly the size of a lunchbox and weighing about a kilogram – producers fill a test tube with a chemical powder-water mixture, to which they add crushed pieces of plant. The tube is then placed into the device, which heats the sample and uses a molecular technique to make millions of copies of any pathogen DNA that might be on the plant. If pathogen levels are high, indicating disease, the liquid in the tube changes colour. One PathoBox can test up to eight tubes at once, enabling farmers to calculate the percentage of their field that may be infected based on the combined sample results.
“At a time when we need to build a stronger and more resilient economy, partnerships like this collaboration between Mitacs and PathoScan demonstrate what’s possible when we invest in ideas, embed talent, and work together to build innovation capacity and accelerate market commercialization for Saskatchewan and Canada’s start-ups,” notes Mitacs CEO Dr. Stephen Lucas, “Mitacs is proud to be part of the PathoScan story. It’s a great example of innovation and Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan at work.”
In last summer’s pilot, Done said a producer was able to detect a pathogen early enough to treat it, “preventing $240,000 in yield losses and ensuring the food made it from the field to the local grocery store and into the community.”
The findings also allow farmers to take targeted action only where it’s needed rather than applying pesticides broadly across their fields.
Once the AI feature is launched next season, the device will integrate vision technology to detect more specifically how much disease is in each plant sample. It will then send a complete disease report and treatment recommendations to the farmer via smartphone within minutes.
PathoScan’s breakthrough earned Done a third-place finish in this year’s Enactus Canada National Exposition, a prestigious student entrepreneur national competition which took place in Montreal in May. Focusing on entrepreneurship as a means for social change, the competition drew more than 100 submissions.
“PathoScan is an exciting tool for us to use with growers to determine whether a fungicide is needed or not and will hopefully bridge the gap needed in the disease triangle that we have been missing for many years when it comes to deciding on fungicide use,” said Weston Bohachewski, an agronomist with Melfort, Saskatchewan-based Shark Ag Consulting, which helps farmers manage their crops. “We hope to see it as our number one tool in disease detection going forward, especially sclerotinia in canola for fast, reliable results.”
About Mitacs
For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. We support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
As a national innovation connector, Mitacs takes a talent-first approach to strengthen innovation capacity and drive global competitiveness. We serve as an essential research-commercialization bridge, accelerating market entry and growth for new products and services.
This is a critical time for Canada to think big and take bold action. Mitacs is ready to help build a strong and resilient Canadian economy, powered by ideas, talent and innovation.
Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
Source : Mitacs
