£40 million for UK synthetic biology
23 Mar 2015 by Evoluted New Media
The UK will invest £40 million in synthetic biology to investigate bacteria found in fossil fuels as a source of chemicals for everyday products.
Business Secretary Vince Cable announced that £32 million will be used to establish three new Synthetic Biology Research Centres at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester and the University of Warwick.
The new centres will be funded over a period of five years in order to boost national research capacity. It will also ensure enough expertise to improve the growing synthetic biology industry in the UK.
The remaining £8 million has been awarded to research partnerships across the UK which will aim to create the DNA platform required for synthetic biology applications.
Cable said: “It will see our world class researchers using bacteria to produce chemicals to make everyday products like toothbrushes and credit cards, which are currently made from unsustainable fossil fuels. Not only will this help improve people’s everyday lives in the future but it will support long-term economic growth.”
This scientific field involves a wide range of applications from advanced manufacturing to new antibiotics and better tests for diseases. It is hoped this new investment will ensure that the UK maintains a leadership position in synthetic biology.
