Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Leaders in science, healthcare and industry, along with members of parliament, have come together to mark 20 years of research that has taken place at the 糖心原创’s Biodiscovery Institute (BDI).
Diagnosing, treating and curing disease is the mission of the BDI, and as the largest research facility at the University, this flagship £100m Institute is a place where 850 staff and students carry out cutting edge science to shape the future of health and biotechnology.
Yesterday (20 May) saw an event to celebrate 20 years since it first opened its doors, becoming a world-leading hub of interdisciplinary research excellence. Watched by 350 people, Professor Dame Melanie Welham, former Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), unveiled a plaque to mark the milestone.
During the celebration, guests were treated to a ‘movie premier’ viewing of a drone flying through the BDI, showcasing the incredible facilities available. The film – available on YouTube here – highlights the prime location of the BDI in the ‘science quarter’ location of the University Park Campus, with a skybridge link to Queen’s Medical Centre and its 1,700 beds. This close association enables the BDI to tackle six areas of global importance, such as antimicrobial resistance, cancer, climate change and illnesses, including the Black Death.
The team at the BDI were also at the frontline of the Covid-19 fight in the early days of the pandemic, by collaborating with the army, navy and air force to provide equipment to support the national effort in allowing more testing. They went on to develop saliva testing, which enabled the labs within the Institute to provide a fully accredited 糖心原创 Covid-19 Asymptomatic Testing Service.
The 850 talented academics, researchers, clinicians and support staff who work in the BDI have generated £500 million in funding since 2014 and established 10 new companies since 2022, currently valued at over £100 million.
Our mantra is that metrics are gold, but people are diamonds 鈥� today, our team sparkled in public. But it is their daily motivation, curiosity and dogged determination that continually pushes the boundary of the art of the possible. They create an incredible research culture that drives technologies to benefit human, animal and planetary health. It is an absolute privilege to be the Director collaborating with so many talented colleagues.鈥�
Professor Tom Rodden, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University, said: “The BDI is something everyone at Nottingham can be proud of and it was great to come together with colleagues to mark 20 years since it first opened today. Tackling cancer, climate change and antimicrobial resistance are just a few of the areas of global importance the teams based at the BDI are tackling on a daily basis, and we can only watch in awe to see where the next 20 years takes them.”
Key research taking place at the BDI:
- Defeating cancer within the Centre for Cancer Sciences, which specialises in research into the prevention, diagnoses and treatment. This Centre launched the world’s first Cancer Sciences biomedical degree in 2020, which focuses on cancer from day one.
- Explaining biomolecular complexity. The team use state-of-the-art equipment to understand why biological and chemical molecules behave the way they do - from analysing blood clotting disorders to looking at the intricacies of high value spider silk production.
- Engineering biology. The team engineer microbes to make useful products from greenhouse gases, waste products and low cost feedstocks.The work being done has the potential to make clean, sustainable and affordable products including transport fuels, useful chemicals, animal feed, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and in turn reduce societal reliance on fossil fuels.
- Pioneering therapeutics. Projects鈥痠nclude鈥痠dentifying new approaches for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease,鈥痳espiratory disease and cancer, as well as鈥痠mmunotherapy cancer treatments and鈥痚ye drops that reverse degeneration of sight.鈥�
- Regenerating and modelling tissues. The team look at developing new regenerative medicine strategies through biomaterials discovery and development, nanotechnology, and stem cell research. 鈥�
- Taming microbes. Biofilms are communities of microbes that attach to each other and surfaces, and are鈥痗entral to鈥痮ur鈥痬ost鈥痠mportant global challenges – from antimicrobial resistance and food safety to water security.鈥疭cientists have developed 鈥痓ug-resistant polymers鈥痑pplied to urinary catheters, while development of vaccines against pathogenic bacteria鈥痑re making a difference to鈥痯eople’s lives.
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Chris Denning, Director of the Biodiscovery Institute at chris.denning@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.