UKRI has invested over £800 million into engineering biology research since 2007. Through sustained public investment we have driven development of the field and expanded the UK’s engineering biology capabilities to establish us amongst the world leaders in the field.
Engineering biology uses the power of nature to help solve some of our major global challenges including climate change, food security and rapid responses to emerging diseases. UKRI has worked with government, academia and industry to translate research into applications so that the solutions provided by the science can be seen in real life.
This collection illustrates how UKRI (guided by the National Engineering Biology Programme) has provided sustained investment in synthetic biology and engineering biology research. Through key flagship programmes, UKRI has:
- set research and innovation priorities
- provided strategic leadership
- fostered national and international partnerships
Stories from the people behind the research are presented alongside case studies demonstrating the wide and varied impacts arising from these investments. This includes applications across agriculture, health and manufacturing, while supporting a cleaner environment for our future.
Find out more in the UKRI engineering biology showcase.
Top image: The Earlham Biofoundry, a BBSRC-supported National Bioscience Research Infrastructure, provides automated platforms and liquid-handling robots for the rapid design, construction and testing of biological systems. This image shows Hamilton MicroLab Star PLUS. Credit: Earlham Institute