A £76.6 Million Funding Boost To Research at John Innes Centre
Norwich, UK (May 26, 2023) - The John Innes Centre welcomes a major funding investment in its world-leading research and innovation programs.
The funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UKRI, is part of a £163.9m award made to three institutes based at Norwich Research Park, with Quadram Institute Bioscience receiving £55.9m and Earlham Institute £31.4m.
The 5-year investment announced by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology cements the region’s position as a world-leader in life science research, innovation, and training, particularly in plant science, food science, microbiology, and genomics.
The John Innes Centre receives funding for four strategic research programs enabling research across plant and microbial science, from the unlocking of the remarkable and under-exploited biosynthetic capabilities of plants and microbes, through to the understanding and delivery of sustainable, resilient and robust high-yielding crops.
Professor Graham Moore, Director of the John Innes Centre said, “This welcome strategic investment will enable us to continue our research, and to invest in delivering solutions that contribute to a more secure and sustainable future. In particular, the challenges of transitioning to net-zero agriculture, improving public health and mitigating the effects of climate change on food security, are all nationally important priorities that the John Innes Centre, our partners at the Norwich Research Park and from across the UK, can have a real-world impact on, with our world-leading research and innovation.”
All four Institute Strategic Programmes, Delivering Sustainable Wheat, Building Robustness in Crops, Harnessing Biosynthesis for Sustainable Food and Health, and Advancing Plant Health, aim to build a more sustainable future through the power of plant and microbial science. They inform solutions to meet the era-defining challenges of feeding the world, combating global health threats and climate change. They will be delivered through partnerships or consortiums with other research institutes, universities or with industry collaborators.
As the UK’s major public funder of bioscience research and innovation, BBSRC is responsible for the long-term investment of substantial public funds in these strategically supported research institutes.
The funding for the three Norwich institutes is part of a wider investment from the BBSRC into their strategic research institutes and infrastructure across the UK totalling more than £376m between 2023-2028. The three institutes at Norwich Research Park have attracted more than 40% of the total investment announced today.
Professor Melanie Welham, Executive Chair at BBSRC, said: “BBSRC’s strategically supported institutes are a vital component of the national and international bioscience research and innovation
ecosystem. As experts in their fields, these world-class research institutes provide the UK with the capability and connectivity needed to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the bioscience revolution.
“The investment BBSRC is making in its strategically supported institutes over the next five years will help deliver novel bio-based solutions to some of the greatest challenges we face as a society.
“Bioscience shapes our lives in so many different ways and as the UK’s major public funder of bioscience research and innovation, it is mission critical that BBSRC invests in world-class science that delivers benefits to society as a whole while driving economic growth and prosperity across the UK and beyond.”
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP, the organization that runs Norwich Research Park, said, “This is a massive boost for Norwich Research Park. As well as the clear benefits the funding will bring to the work undertaken by the three institutes, it also recognizes the strategic importance and future role that all of us here at the Park can play.
“Our aim is to make this a hotbed for investors to spot opportunities to grow innovation that will ultimately deliver jobs, revenue and a vibrant future for Norfolk and the rest of the region.”
About the John Innes Centre Institute Strategic Programs 2023 – 2028
Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) aims to address critical challenges in wheat health, yield, and production in order to safeguard the future of this vital crop and brings together four research institutes – the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, Quadram Institute, and Earlham Institute, plus the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and the universities of Leeds, Nottingham, Lancaster, Bristol, and Imperial College London.
Advancing Plant Health (APH) aims to deliver new solutions to promote beneficial interactions and disease/pest resistance in crops of both national and global significance and integrates research expertise from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory.
Harnessing Biosynthesis for Sustainable Food and Health (HBio) will unlock the remarkable and under-exploited biosynthetic capabilities of plants and microbes to make valuable new molecules to address global challenges of food security and human health.
Building Robustness in Crops (BRiC) will deliver genetic diversity and knowledge, innovative technologies and training to allow sustainable production of robust high-yielding crops including oilseed rape, pea, cereals and Brassica vegetables to identify and overcome key challenges caused by our changing climate.
Earlham Institute awarded £31.4m to power data-intensive bioscience
Norwich, UK (May 26, 2023) - The Earlham Institute has been awarded £31.4m from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UKRI, to deliver an ambitious program of research, develop new technology, and deliver innovation and impact over the next five years.
This investment covers two new strategic programs of research - Cellular Genomics and Decoding Biodiversity - and two National Bioscience Research Infrastructures (NBRIs) - Transformative Genomics and the Earlham Biofoundry.
It also includes core funding, helping to support Research e-Infrastructure, advanced scientific training, and operational costs that enable the Institute’s research to deliver maximum impact.
Funding for the Earlham Institute, which is based at the Norwich Research Park, is part of a wider investment from the BBSRC in life science research institutes and infrastructure totalling more than £376m between 2023 - 2028.
Professor Neil Hall, Earlham Institute Director, said: “This significant investment allows us to continue delivering world-leading research in genomics and data science.
“We’re embarking on an incredibly ambitious, highly-collaborative, and multidisciplinary program of research we believe will be transformative for the field of life science - as well as benefiting global society in the long term. All of the BBSRC-supported institutes are closely connected, with the ability to work together or share knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure across the whole of the United Kingdom."
Innovative research and infrastructure
The Cellular Genomics research program will explore the origins and impact of genomic variation in healthy cells, and how this affects the response to environmental stress. The Decoding Biodiversity program will develop the tools and resources to turn genome collections and big datasets into new knowledge and discoveries.
In order to maximize the impact of these programs, the Institute has assembled a range of academic and industry collaborators and partners, each adding value and sharing their expertise.
Partners on the Cellular Genomics program include The Alan Turing Institute, UK Health Security Agency, Quadram Institute, and Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Those on the Decoding Biodiversity program include the Quadram Institute, IBERS, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, IBM Research, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The Earlham Institute will also lead a strand of work in the Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) program, which seeks to develop the genomic resources to safeguard the future of this critical source of global calories. DSW is led by the John Innes Centre, with collaborators from across the UK. BBSRC has also provided partnership funding to support the delivery of the Institute’s strategic programs.
The NBRIs are critical to these programs, as well as supporting other research projects, and provide services to the UK bioscience community.
Transformative Genomics provides access to the latest technology platforms and analytical methods for DNA and gene expression analysis, while the Earlham Biofoundry offers both equipment and expertise in automation, large experiment design, and engineering biology approaches.
The investment will also allow the Institute to deliver against strategic priorities, such as:
- Developing science capabilities by opening opportunities for early career research fellows based at EI, as well as delivering a computational and data-science training program;
- Enhancing the organizational culture through equality and diversity initiatives;
- Building connectivity through new industry partnerships, academic collaborations, and working with policy makers.
Delivering impact
"Strategic funding, such as this award from BBSRC, is critical for our successful delivery of longer-term research programs and the technology platforms that support them," says Sarah Cossey, Chief Operating Officer, Earlham Institute.
“Every individual has a role to play, from our operational staff to the research program leaders. Together, our work can deliver policy and socioeconomic impact to address some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.”
The investment from BBSRC will support a national network of vibrant, dynamic, and diverse bioscience national capabilities with links across the research and innovation ecosystem.
As the UK’s major public funder of bioscience research and innovation, BBSRC is responsible for the long-term investment of substantial public funds in these strategically supported research institutes. As well as providing leadership and expertise in important areas of research, the eight institutes also play a key role in driving the vision and core themes outlined in BBSRC’s Institute Strategy - capability, connectivity, and culture.
“All of the BBSRC-supported institutes are closely connected, with the ability to work together or share knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure across the whole of the UK,” said Professor Hall.
“We’re collectively committed to delivering world-class research, collaborating and coordinating our efforts, and building a culture where every person feels valued for the contribution they are making. Through that commitment, we deliver world-class science, innovation, and impact.”
Professor Melanie Welham, Executive Chair at BBSRC, said: “BBSRC’s strategically supported institutes are a vital component of the national and international bioscience research and innovation ecosystem. As experts in their fields, these world-class research institutes provide the UK with the capability and connectivity needed to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the bioscience revolution."
Minister of State for Science at the new Dept of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP, said: “The world is facing a number of major challenges from the climate emergency, food supply security, a growing risk of deadly disease pathogen pandemics, air and water pollution and the urgent need to harness new green energy.
“These challenges are complex and interconnected and will require a concerted effort from the scientific community to harness our knowledge of biological systems to address.
“This £376m investment for UK biosciences announced today will help build on the UK’s longstanding leadership in bioscience – from plant science, to gut biome and nutrition, new biofuels, disease resistant crops and tropical diseases to help attract and retain the best and brightest scientists from around the world, drive innovation and economic growth through the Bioeconomy and help the UKs Science Superpower mission to better harness science and technology for global good.”
The Earlham Institute is a hub of life science research, training, and innovation focused on understanding the natural world through the lens of genomics.
Embracing the full breadth of life on Earth, our scientists specialise in developing and testing the latest tools and approaches needed to decode living systems and make predictions about biology.
The Earlham Institute is based within the Norwich Research Park and is one of eight institutes that receive strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UKRI, as well as support from other research funders.
£163.9m funding boost to world-leading research institutes at Norwich Research Park
Norwich, UK (May 26, 2023) - The Quadram Institute, the John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute have received a combined £163.9m in funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UKRI, to support the cutting-edge science they are undertaking at the Norwich Research Park.
The 5-year investment announced today by George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, cements the region’s position as a world-leader in life science research, innovation, and training – particularly in plant science, food science, microbiology, and genomics.
The funding for the three institutes is part of a wider investment from the BBSRC into their strategic research institutes and infrastructure across the UK totalling more than £376 million between 2023-2028. The three institutes at Norwich Research Park have attracted more than 40% of the total investment announced today.
As the UK’s major public funder of bioscience research and innovation, BBSRC is responsible for the long-term investment of substantial public funds in these strategically supported research institutes.
Quadram Institute Bioscience receives £55.9 million for research programs focused on delivering healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food.
The Food, Microbiome and Health program studies how changes in plant food structure and composition can improve the release of nutrients, and promote colonization and resilience of health promoting gut microbes.
The Microbes and Food Safety program develops knowledge of foodborne pathogens and their ability to colonize and persist on surfaces and is being used to predict for potential food safety issues. The program also focuses on the role of microbes in food spoilage and understanding E. coli as an indicator organism of antimicrobial resistance.
Professor Ian Charles, Director of Quadram Institute Bioscience, said: “This latest investment from BBSRC enables us to focus on delivering science programs to promote human health and help tackle real-world global problems such as food spoilage and the hidden hunger caused by deficiencies in key micronutrients essential for health.”
The BBSRC funding also supports the National Bioscience Research Infrastructures (NBRIs), such as the Food & Nutrition National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (F&N-NBRI), formerly Food Databanks, as a national coordinating ‘hub’ in nutrition and health and the leading national provider of new and continuously updated data, tools and services vital for UK public health, research and innovation.
The Earlham Institute receives £31.4m for two new strategic programs of research. The Cellular Genomics research program will explore the origins and impact of genomic variation in healthy cells, helping to understand how these natural differences affect the ageing process and the response to changes in the environment.
The Decoding Biodiversity program will develop tools and resources to turn all of the genomes being sequenced around the world into new knowledge and discoveries. From finding genes that make plants or animals more resilient to developing indicators for healthy soils, the program will help scientists and society to understand, benefit from, and protect life on Earth.
Their funding also supports two National Bioscience Research Infrastructures, which provide the technology platforms and facilities to support these programs, other research projects, and to provide scientific services to the wider bioscience community.
Professor Neil Hall, Earlham Institute Director, said: “This significant investment allows us to continue delivering world-leading research in genomics and data science. We’re embarking on an incredibly ambitious, highly-collaborative, and multidisciplinary programme of research we believe will be transformative for the field of life science – as well as benefiting global society in the long term.”
The John Innes Centre receives £76.6m of funding for four strategic research programs to enable research across plant and microbial science, from unlocking the remarkable and under-exploited biosynthetic capabilities of plants and microbes, through to the understanding and delivery of sustainable, resilient and robust high-yielding crops.
All four programs – Delivering Sustainable Wheat, Building Robustness in Crops, Harnessing Biosynthesis for Sustainable Food and Health, and Advancing Plant Health – aim to build a more sustainable future, through the power of plant and microbial science, informing solutions to meet the era-defining challenges of feeding the world, combating global health threats and climate changes. They will be delivered through partnerships or consortiums with other research institutes, universities or with industry collaborators.
Professor Graham Moore, Director of the John Innes Centre said, “This welcome strategic investment will enable us to continue our research, and to invest in delivering solutions that contribute to a more secure and sustainable future. In particular, the challenges of transitioning to net-zero agriculture, improving public health and mitigating the effects of climate change on food security, are all nationally important priorities that the John Innes Centre, our partners at the Norwich Research Park and from across the UK, can have a real-world impact on, with our world-leading research and innovation.”
Funding also includes research infrastructure and core support, including operational costs that enable their research to deliver maximum impact. BBSRC has also provided partnership funding to support the delivery of strategic program grants.
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP, the organization that runs Norwich Research Park, said, “This is a massive boost for Norwich Research Park. As well as the clear benefits the funding will bring to the work undertaken by the three institutes, it also recognizes the strategic importance and future role that all of us here at the Park can play.
“The world-leading research and innovation we have at the Park creates opportunities for collaborations that will translate the science into tangible products that can help improve the lives of people around the world and the planet itself, through new spin-out, start-up and scale-up businesses. We have already established a thriving business community and are aiming to build a pipeline of next generation businesses which either emerge from research conducted on the Park or from entrepreneurs looking for collaborations and partnerships within our areas of science expertise.
“Our aim is to make this a hotbed for investors to spot opportunities to grow innovation that will ultimately deliver jobs, revenue and a vibrant future for Norfolk and the rest of the region.”
Minister of State for Science at the new Dept of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP, said: “The world is facing a number of major challenges from the climate emergency, food supply security, a growing risk of deadly disease pathogen pandemics, air and water pollution and the urgent need to harness new green energy.
“These challenges are complex and interconnected and will require a concerted effort from the scientific community to harness our knowledge of biological systems to address.
“This £376m investment for UK biosciences announced today will help build on the UK’s longstanding leadership in bioscience – from plant science, to gut biome and nutrition, new biofuels, disease resistant crops and tropical diseases to help attract and retain the best and brightest scientists from around the world, drive innovation and economic growth through the Bioeconomy and help the UK’s Science Superpower mission to better harness science and technology for global good.”