EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Biology: Empowering UK BioTech Innovation

Lead Research Organisation: Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemistry

Abstract

Chemical biology is spearheading the development & translation of novel molecular tools and technologies to study biology and develop biomedical understanding. Dovetailing these platforms with industry 4.0/5.0 breakthroughs in automation & robotics, artificial intelligence & machine learning, the CDT will unlock the Lab of the Future paradigm. This will redefine the state of the art with respect to making, measuring, modelling & manipulating molecular interactions in biological systems, leading to novel R&D workflows, promoting efficient design-test cycles and driving sustainability.
These molecular technologies will (i) enable biological & medical research, (ii) revolutionise understanding of disease & (iii) create novel diagnostics, drugs & therapies, focusing increasingly on individual patient outcomes. They will also impact the agri-tech sector which faces huge demand to increase productivity by unlocking strategies to e.g. track agrochemicals in plants/soil, understand modes of action & drive precision farming. Similarly, advances in personal care industrial processes are critically dependent on development of molecular technologies to gain insight into structured product design.
The application of novel molecular tools/technologies, Lab of the Future strategies & their commercialisation through the instrumentation science sector is thus critical to the UK economy, supporting >4,500 healthcare, personal care, agri-science & biotech companies. This will transform (i) therapeutic, agrochemical & personal care product discovery (ii) med-tech/biotech/healthcare instrumentation R&D pipelines & (iii) stimulate creation of SMEs. Working closely with civic partners including Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the NHS, the CDT's talent & research pipeline will act as a growth engine for one of the most rapidly expanding Life Science ecosystems in Europe, the White City Innovation District.
Given the importance of Chemical Biology to UK plc there is great demand but short supply of Chemical Biology PhD graduates able to match the pace of innovation across the physical/life science interface, at a time when industry & health sectors need these skills to accelerate productivity. The CDT in Chemical Biology: Empowering UK BioTech innovation with its unique 5 year programme: 1 year MRes + 3 year PhD + 1 year ELEVATE Fellowship directly addresses this skills gap by training a new generation of career-ready graduates, able to embrace the Lab of the Future concept and unlock its potential by fusing innovative molecular tools & tech with industry 4.0 & 5.0 advances to study molecular interactions & develop applications in the life science, agriscience & personal care sectors.
CDT students will benefit from a research and training programme created with >100 industry/external stakeholders designed to meet future employer's needs. Our cohort-based programme with EDI at its heart, will allow students to contextualise their work within wider CDT activities & find novel solutions to their research, supported by one of the world's largest Chemical Biology communities: the Institute of Chemical Biology (>165) research groups.
Students will be trained in multidisciplinary blue skies/translational research, lean innovation, scale fast/fail fast approaches, creating scientists able to understand molecular technologies, sustainable product design, early-stage commercialisation, & industry's pace of change. To support this, our training includes Future Lab & HackEDU courses (prototyping training), a drug screening programme, Biz-Catalyst (entrepreneurial training), InnovaLab (SME accelerator), a Data Science course, Human Centred Design, Science Communication (with BBC) & Bioethics/RRI/Sustainability/Policy courses. Following PhD completion, students can enter the ELEVATE fellowship programme, bridging the gap between PhD & industry/academia, offering training, personalised workplace opportunities & enable students to kickstart new companies.

Organisations

Publications

10 25 50

Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 30/03/2033
2926789 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Max Barnett
2926772 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Rohan Sekhri
2929326 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Teresa Weckwerth
2926942 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2027 Guanghao Xu
2926921 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2027 Yasmin Gariba-Hamilton
2926818 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Bracha Lawrence
2926780 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Daisy Williams
2926835 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 David Tsang
2926833 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Jak Soon
2926930 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Srija Ghosh
2926938 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2027 Heran Li
2929284 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2027 Saskia Pieters
2926843 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Xinran Li
2926736 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Fawaz Raja
2926825 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Seshagiri Sakthimani
2926808 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Ido Dan
2926819 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Rie Roennow
2926837 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Evanthis Vacanas
2926784 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Konstantina Arvaniti
2926793 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 30/09/2024 29/09/2028 Hayden Jit Hei Cheung
2929926 Studentship EP/Y035186/1 01/11/2024 30/10/2027 Baiqiu Tang