Technology Focus For New Research Network Collaboration

£3 million has been awarded to set up five research networks as part of a joint technology initiative established by Technology Touching Life, which in itself is a collaboration between three organisations.

The Cambridge Network explained that the aim of this project is to explore new and emerging developments in the fields of engineering and physical sciences. The hope is that scientists from different disciplines can work together to advance life sciences discovery research.

By helping to forge partnerships between engineers, health and life scientists and physical sciences researchers the network wants to encourage cutting-edge research to help develop advanced technology that can benefit the life sciences sector.

The news provider cited examples where previous collaborations have been successful, such as with the development of genome editing and super-resolution microscopy.

MRC, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have established Technology Touching Life for this purpose.

Speaking to Cambridge Network, head of molecular and cellular medicine at MRC Dr Nathan Richardson said that the establishment of these networks presents an “exciting opportunity” for interdisciplinary research.

“The development and application of innovative technologies is crucial to furthering our knowledge and understanding across biomedical sciences,” Dr Richardson stated.

John Hand, head of physical sciences at EPSRC, added: “Novel engineering and physical sciences research is vital to the development of new tools and technologies for discovery-led research in the life and biomedical sciences.”

Each of the five networks that has received funding will be working on a specific problem or development. For instance, Organ-on-a-chip Technologies will see researchers from engineering, chemistry, materials science and biology backgrounds working to grow cells in “artificial environments that mimic the human body”.

These are known as organs on chips and can be used as an alternative to testing on animals when carrying out early testing for new drugs.

Meanwhile, the ImagingBioPro Network will be exploring new imaging techniques that can allow scientists to capture images that show “the dynamic biological processes on multiple timescales and at different structural levels”.

The other networks that are receiving funding are the Integrative Biological Imaging Network, which is being led by Professor Maddy Parsons from King’s College London; 3DBioNet, which is being headed up by Dr Raphael Levy of the University of Liverpool; and PhenomUK, which is based at the University of Nottingham.

King’s College London was just one of the UK universities that featured in the SQ World University Rankings for 2018 for life sciences and medicine, achieving 17th place. However, the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford ranked in joint second place.

UCL was named in eighth place, Imperial College London took the 11th spot, and the University of Edinburgh just pipped King’s by taking 16th position. All of this is encouraging for the UK’s life sciences sector though at a time when there is some uncertainty over the future due to the impact of Brexit.

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