For a second consecutive year, the UK joined forces with the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and other global partners to drive cutting-edge research through the Global Centers 2024 competition.
With an impressive total funding of almost $82 million awarded, the competition catalysed six groundbreaking projects addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges in the bioeconomy.
Notably, the UK features in all six successful international teams, with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) investing £9.9 million to empower UK researchers at the forefront of global scientific innovation.
The strength of international collaboration
The NSF Global Centers competition is testament to the power of international multidisciplinary collaboration, with six like-minded nations actively partnering in this transformative initiative in 2024.
As representatives of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the UK, the 2024 competition saw BBSRC working hand in hand with funding agencies from five partnering nations, including:
- US NSF and National Endowment of the Humanities
- Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Social Science and Humanities Research Council
- Finland’s Research Council of Finland and Business Finland
- Japan’s Science and Technology Agency
- Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology and National Research Foundation
Harnessing the power of bioscience
The Global Centers 2024 competition reflects the growing recognition of the importance of the bioeconomy for sustainable development.
By harnessing the power of biodiversity and biofoundaries, key research themes for the 2024 competition, partnering nations hope to unlock innovative bio-based solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Leveraging biodiversity
When we talk about biodiversity, we’re referring to the wide variety of life on Earth.
It encompasses all living organisms and the ecosystems they form.
Biodiversity is critical for a healthy planet and provides a vast and untapped resource for the bioeconomy.
Unlocking bioinnovation
As part of their research, the Global Centers are exploring the vast diversity of life to discover new biological functions, molecules and processes that can be used to create innovative products and solutions.
This could include new:
- medical treatments
- biofuels
- bioplastics
- sustainable agricultural practices
Advancing biofoundaries
Biofoundaries are a vital element within the interdisciplinary field of engineering biology.
They are facilities that combine automation, advanced measurement tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the design, construction, testing and understanding of biological systems.
They act as a crucial bridge between biological discovery and industrial application.
Accelerating impact
By improving and expanding our global biofoundry capabilities, we will enable rapid prototyping and scaling up of biological designs.
This involves developing standardised tools and protocols, integrating AI and fostering even greater collaboration between researchers and industry.
With this new funding, the Global Centers have a clear mandate to use their knowledge of the bioeconomy to co-develop international research projects that help address global challenges facing humanity.
Driving national priorities
The NSF Global Centers 2024 competition not only fosters international collaboration but also significantly advances key UK priorities.
The UK’s presence in all six Global Centers highlights the strong alignment of the competition with UKRI’s building a green future strategic theme.
It also aligns with the UK’s national vision for engineering biology.
Boosting global bioeconomy
By harnessing our collective strengths in biodiversity and engineering biology research, the six Global Centers aim to boost the global bioeconomy by:
- improving crop resilience and sustainability
- enhancing the efficiency, sustainability and speed of innovation within the biomanufacturing sector
- driving the circular bioeconomy by revolutionising how we use waste carbon
- maximising fossil fuel and petrochemical alternatives to minimise environmental impact
Meet the UK teams
Let’s meet the six UK teams that are playing a pivotal role in driving our global research ambitions for a robust and thriving bioeconomy.
The alliance for socially acceptable and actionable plants (ASAP)
UK project lead: Steven Kelly (University of Oxford)
Project co-lead: George Chryssochoidis (University of Essex)
International partners:
- Finland
- Japan
- US
ASAP harnesses synthetic biology to engineer crops with enhanced lipid content and water use efficiency.
Integrating breakthroughs in AI, biofoundries and biotechnology, the project accelerates plant breeding cycles while exploring public attitudes towards biotechnology.
Through international collaboration, ASAP hopes to pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable bioeconomy.
International research center for enhancing plant resilience
UK project lead: Nicola Patron (University of Cambridge and The Earlham Institute)
Project co-leads:
- Ian Graham (University of York)
- Benjamin Lichman (University of York)
International partners:
- Canada
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- US
This center is pioneering plant resilience strategies by leveraging natural products from plants and microbes.
The project seeks to stabilise food production amid climate fluctuations through green chemistry solutions, offering sustainable alternatives to pesticides while strengthening trust among growers, industry and the public.
Dr Nicola Patron, UK project lead, said:
Research on the natural products made by plants and microbes has identified numerous molecules and drugs that have improved human health.
This chemical diversity also provides the potential to enhance plant health and resilience against climate change.
We are excited to be a part of the global center for plant resilience, which aims to enhance agricultural resilience through green chemistry by exploring the untapped chemical diversity of plants and microbes.
This project will build on our previous work to produce sustainable alternatives to pesticides.
Reliable and scalable biofoundries for biomanufacturing and global bioeconomy
UK project lead: Paul Freemont (Imperial College London)
Project co-leads:
- Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro (Imperial College London)
- Geoff Baldwin (Imperial College London)
- Francesca Ceroni (Imperial College London)
- Robert Smith (The University of Edinburgh)
Researcher co-lead: Marko Storch (Imperial College London)
International partners:
- Finland
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- US
This initiative establishes a Global Center for biofoundry applications.
By developing global standards for biofoundries, the project enhances biomanufacturing efficiency, enabling the rapid translation of biotechnology innovations across diverse sectors.
Professor Paul Freemont, UK project lead, said:
A global bio-based bioeconomy is essential if we are to remove our dependence on petrochemicals which cause harmful pollution and contribute to carbon emissions.
This international collaboration on biofoundries will not only accelerate biotechnology development but will also allow cooperation and sharing of best practices and enhance the global community of public-funded biofoundries.
Global Center for sustainable bioproducts (GCSB)
UK project lead: Jhuma Sadhukhan (University of Surrey)
Project co-leads:
- Karen Johnston (University of Strathclyde)
- Stephen Lyth (University of Strathclyde)
- Xiaolei Zhang (XZ) (University of Strathclyde)
Specialist: Angela Bywater (University of Surrey)
International partners:
- Canada
- Finland
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- US
GCSB aims to create sustainable bio-derived materials through innovative bioprocessing.
By refining biomass conversion techniques and developing circular economy solutions, the project drives progress in biomanufacturing, ensuring both environmental and economic sustainability.
Center for innovative recycling and circular economy (CIRCLE)
UK project lead: Neil Dixon (The University of Manchester)
Project co-leads:
- Andrew Blacker (University of Leeds)
- Samantha Bryan (University of Nottingham)
- Timothy Bugg (The University of Warwick)
- Rosa Cuellar-Franca (The University of Manchester)
- Alexander Darlington (The University of Warwick)
- David Leys (The University of Manchester)
- Aline Miller (The University of Manchester)
- Keeran Ward (University of Leeds)
- James Winterburn (The University of Manchester)
Research and innovation associates:
- Micaela Chacon (The University of Manchester)
- Piya Gosalvitr (The University of Manchester)
- Dominic Whittall (The University of Manchester)
Senior research technician: Ruth Lopez Perez (The University of Manchester)
International partners:
- Canada
- Republic of Korea
- US
CIRCLE tackles global waste challenges by transforming waste carbon into valuable chemicals.
Using advanced biotechnological approaches, the center aims to drive the replacement of petrochemical feedstocks, significantly improving sustainability in industries such as plastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
Dr Neil Dixon, UK project lead, said:
We are excited to be given this award and to have the opportunity to work across international boundaries to address one of the largest challenges facing humanity today.
We are keen to drive forward the technologies that underpin a bioeconomy to not only make industry more efficient and sustainable, but to create a cleaner, healthier and fairer world for all.
International bioeconomy macroalgae center (IBMC)
UK project lead: Michele Stanley (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
Project co-leads:
- Suzannah-Lynn Billing (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
- David H Green (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
- Puja Kumari (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
Researcher co-lead: Kati Michalek and Reina Veenhof (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
International partners:
- Canada
- Republic of Korea
- US
IBMC explores the untapped potential of macroalgae (seaweed) as a sustainable bioresource.
By advancing macroalgae breeding, microbial interactions and environmental monitoring, the center positions marine biomass as a viable alternative to fossil-derived chemicals, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions.
Global skills and expertise
Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF Director, said:
The Global Centers are leveraging expertise and resources across like-minded nations and uniting multidisciplinary teams from around the world to accelerate innovations in the bioeconomy for great impact.
Together, we are forging new solutions to pressing socioeconomic challenges while creating international centers of research excellence that are generating crucial knowledge, empowering communities and strengthening the foundations of global cooperation.
Global challenges, global solutions
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive Officer, said:
Alongside replacing fossil fuels, there is an urgent need to replace petrochemical industrial feedstocks across a wide range of sectors.
This is a global challenge that requires global solutions, and UKRI is delighted to be partnering in the NSF Global Centers programme to meet this need.
These six global centers will be at the forefront of real-world solutions, from improved recycling to new bioplastics, building a sustainable circular economy.
Furthermore, they will help create crucial global networks while developing skills needed to drive a thriving bioeconomy benefitting all.
Celebrating British bioscience
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, said:
It is with great pride that I congratulate these six outstanding UK research teams, whose success in the Global Centers 2024 competition exemplifies the very best of British bioscience on the world stage.
These ambitious projects showcase how international collaboration, powered by visionary research and cutting-edge bioinnovation, can drive transformative solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges.
At BBSRC and UKRI, we are committed to advancing bold, interdisciplinary science that not only deepens our fundamental understanding of biological systems but also delivers tangible benefits for society, the economy and our planet.
The UK’s leadership in all six winning teams is testament to our researchers’ ingenuity and the critical role we play in shaping a sustainable and resilient bioeconomy for the future.
Find out more about our international collaborations for bioscience research or email us at bbsrc.iru@bbsrc.ukri.org
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