Imperial receives £3m to drive growth in UK’s Engineering Biology sector

Professor Kitney and his team are using engineering biology to solve healthcare and sustainability challenges

Transformative technologies that drive growth and jobs will benefit from new investment by the government’s national research funder.

Engineering Biology has the potential to solve some of our biggest global challenges. From developing new vaccines and therapies, to plastic-free packaging and sustainable, animal-free and protein-rich food.

Imperial aims to create new investment-ready collaborations between academics and industry working in Engineering Biology, thanks to a programme that has received £3 million investment from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The programme is open now and will be delivered through the SynbiCITE Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC), based at Imperial College London’s White City DeepTech Campus, part of the WestTech Coridor.

Successful applicants for the ‘proof of concept’ programme will have access to SynbiCITE’s state of the art facilities like The London Biofoundry, providing a suite of equipment and training.

Projects will demonstrate significant commercial potential and have been taken to a stage where their further validation of the technical, market or commercial aspects make them attractive for investment by investors or product development by industry.

Find out more about how to apply here: Synthetic Biology Funding | Engineering Biology | SynbiCITE.

Professor Richard Kitney, Chair of BioMedical Systems Engineering in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and Co-Founder and Co-Director of SynbiCITE, said: “Engineering biology is the new frontier in manufacturing, job creation and solving global challenges in health and the environment. The UK has had extraordinary success in incubating synthetic biology startups, with companies like Multus Media, Colorifix and LabGenius growing from our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The UKRI funding will allow us to provide support and world class research facilities to more companies through the SynbiCITE Extended Proof of Concept Programme. At our White City Deep Tech Campus, part of the Imperial WestTech Corridor, we offer engineers, scientists and business expertise through SynbiCITE (incorporating the London Biofoundry), the UK’s national synthetic biology industry and engineering biology industrial accelerator.

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: “Engineering biology is a technology with transformative potential for our health, the economy and national resilience. From the development of new medicines to creating sustainable fuels, it could significantly help us in our missions to improve healthcare, grow our economy and become a green energy superpower.

“To seize these opportunities, the Government must work closely with our researchers, academics and businesses. This funding will be a welcome boost to innovators who are working to get their engineering biology breakthroughs out of the lab, and onto the marketplace. It is also a key part of how we are delivering the National Vision for Engineering Biology.

Dr Kedar Pandya, UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner and Executive Director of Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: “Engineering biology is one of the technologies critical for UK strength and opportunity. It has the enormous potential to address global challenges and is predicted to add billions of dollars to the global economy over the next decade.

Our latest investment through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund will provide support for researchers to seize the economic potential of this transformative technology to drive growth and bring wider societal benefits to the UK.”

Engineering biology investment for sustainable proteins

Imperial’s Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein received a further £300k funding in today’s announcement, as part of the £2.8m Seed Corn Fund, which will support the development and growth of commercial opportunities in Engineering Biology.

The Centre will develop innovative and evidence-based solutions through the design, delivery, and commercialisation of alternative food products that are economically and environmentally friendly, nutritious, affordable, and tasty. 

Imperial's Dr Rodrigo Ledesma Amaro from Imperial's Department of Bioengineering, who leads the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, said: "The Seed Corn Funding will strengthen the translational activities of the Microbial Food Hub and facilitate the commercialisation of the Hub's outputs. In particular, it will enable dedicated training programmes in entrepreneurship, will provide proof of concept funds to be used towards technology validation and startup creation and will allow the creation of a mentorship program to support the translation of our research."

The Bezos Earth Fund is providing the funding as part of a $100 million commitment to developing sustainable protein alternatives and expanding consumer choice and an overall $1 billion commitment to food transformation.

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said: "Imperial offers a unique innovation culture that drives science entrepreneurship, world-leading expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and powerful networks. This makes us the perfect hub for this new proof of concept programme to generate new investment-ready collaborations between academics and industry working in engineering biology.

"This investment is a boost to researchers at Imperial and beyond who are already developing truly innovative solutions to global sustainability and health challenges, from animal-free foods and chemical-free textile dyes to developing new vaccines.

"I look forward to celebrating the next generation of groundbreaking innovations and industrial applications this programme will support, and the potential of this transformative technology to drive economic growth and bring wider societal benefits to the UK."

Thanks to materials provided by UKRI