Microbix Honours the Passing of its Founder

William J. Gastle – 1948 to 2023

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Sept. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQX: MBXBF, Microbix), a life sciences innovator, manufacturer, and exporter, honours the passing of its founder, William J. (Bill) Gastle, surrounded by family in Edmonton, Alberta on September 6, 2023.

Bill trained as a virologist and founded Microbix in 1984. The Company began with the sale of bacterial and cellular growth media to Canadian public health laboratories. It was soon entrusted with culturing different pathogens of concern for those labs and later with producing them as critical ingredients for infectious disease test developers around the world. Today, Microbix is a manufacturer of not only vital test ingredients, but of a wide range of medical devices that help ensure the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

Bill served as Microbix’s CEO for 28 years and as a director for 36 years. Bill retired in October, 2020, after which he and his wife Susan moved west to be closer to their son, Angus, and his family.

Martin Marino, Independent Chairman of Microbix, expressed condolences on behalf of the Board, “Bill was a courageous entrepreneur who loved leading a team of talented people in exploring new ideas and opportunities. I will remember him most as a world-class advocate for the return of Kinlytic urokinase, a life supporting thrombolytic drug. I have always believed that his unwavering dedication to the Kinlytic project was based much more on humanitarianism than financial reward, and that the world will one day be blessed by this enduring legacy. Bill’s contributions to Microbix are immeasurable and, alongside his family, we’ll sorely miss his good cheer, wit, and intelligence.”

Cameron Groome, CEO and President of Microbix, also commented on behalf of management and staff, “Beyond excellence in science and innovation, Bill created a culture of honesty, loyalty, and caring. His leadership and vision will live on at Microbix, which remains an irreplaceable reservoir of Canadian life sciences expertise and the longest-standing locally-headquartered public company in this field.”

Everyone at Microbix wishes the best to the Gastle family at this difficult time.

A service in memory of William J. (Bill) Gastle will be held at the A.W. Mackenzie Chapel at Lakefield College School, located at 4391 County Rd 29, Lakefield, Ontario on Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at 2:00 pm EST with a reception following the service.