Our University is set to benefit from further funding for world-class biofilms research and innovation.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK are investing £7.5m to support the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC). Announced during Biofilm Week, the funding boost is for the second phase of a global research programme.
Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation. Photo: Maria Paula Huertas Caycedo (University of Dundee)
As one of NBIC’s four lead research institutions, Southampton hosts the largest group of biofilm academics in the UK and is unique for its interdisciplinary approach. It brings together expertise across biological sciences, medicine, chemistry, computational modelling, engineering and ocean science, and creates impact from medicine and industry to the environment.
NBIC is a UK Knowledge and Innovation Centre which supports the continued expansion of world-class interdisciplinary research and industry partnerships to deliver breakthrough science and technologies to control and exploit biofilms.
Biofilms are all around us in both harmful and helpful ways. From slime on rocks in streams to dental plaque on our teeth, they are central to important global challenges, from antimicrobial resistance and food safety to water security.
They also provide a significant contribution to both the UK and global economy. In May 2022, a study carried out by NBIC estimated that the value of the markets in which biofilms are involved is worth £45 billion in the UK and $4 trillion globally.
In addition to the funding provided by BBSRC and Innovate UK, NBIC has also secured a further £9.5m from its four lead universities (Southampton, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Nottingham) as well as £6.4m industrial support, taking its Phase 2 funding to a total of £23.4m.
The latest funding which comes at the same time as NBIC announces its new CEO, Professor Jo Slater-Jefferies, will support NBIC’s vision to deliver a global innovation hub to prevent, detect, manage and engineer biofilms. It will enable NBIC to continue to drive step-changes in standards and regulation and deliver a diverse training and talent programme.
NBIC University of Southampton Co-Director, Professor Jeremy Webb said:
“Biofilms are central to some of the most urgent global challenges across diverse fields of application, from medicine to industry, energy, and the environment.
“I am delighted that the UK’s world-class expertise in biofilm research and innovation has been recognised through the Phase 2 award. In Phase 1, NBIC became established as a global centre and now connects academic research and business activity across the UK and the world.
“At Southampton we are home to some of the most advanced research and commercial opportunities in this area that bring together and integrate many disciplines across the University. This new award will enable us deliver new breakthrough science and to nucleate new industries and technologies to control and harness biofilms.”
