Business Secretary Vince Cable announces 40 million for UK synthetic biology

• British ingenuity is using synthetic biology to investigate bacteria in place of fossil fuels as a source of the chemicals we need to make everyday essentials like nappies and credit cards
• £32M will establish three new synthetic biology research centres in Edinburgh, Manchester and Warwick
• £8M to help create the DNA starting blocks for synthetic biology
• Applications in regenerative medicine, skin and gut health, drug development, agricultural chemicals and increasing crop production

Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced £40M investment in UK synthetic biology at the Manchester Institute for Biotechnology, where researchers are using the technology to investigate how to use bacteria in place of fossil fuels to produce the chemicals we need to manufacture a wide variety of everyday products from credit cards, to nappies, to Tupperware tubs.

Dr Cable announced £32M to establish three new Synthetic Biology Research Centres at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester and the University of Warwick. The three new centres will receive funding over five years to boost national research capacity and to ensure that there is the expertise to nurture the growing synthetic biology industry in the UK.

An additional £8M has been awarded to research partnerships across the UK to help create the DNA starting blocks required for synthetic biology applications.

The investment comes from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and capital investment from UK Government.

Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said: "From materials for advanced manufacturing to developing new antibiotics and better tests for diseases, this new £40 million investment is in one of the most promising areas of modern science.

"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."

Synthetic biology is a new way of doing science that applies engineering principles to biology to make and build new biological parts, devices and systems. It's being used to make biological 'factories' that make useful products like medicines, chemicals and green energy, as well as tools for improving crops. Examples include biofuels and anti-malaria drugs made by microbes like yeast or bacteria.

Synthetic biology has been identified by the UK Government as one of the 'Eight Great Technologies' in which Great Britain can be a world leader.

BBSRC Chief Executive, Jackie Hunter, said: "Through previous investments BBSRC, along with funding partners, has been able to position the UK as a world leader in synthetic biology. This new package of investments will ensure that the UK maintains this leadership position and continues to drive the potential of synthetic biology to contribute to the economy and society."

EPSRC's Chief Executive, Philip Nelson, said: "Synthetic Biology is a multi-disciplinary field that needs world class research and skills if progress is to be made. Previous government investments through the research councils have put us at the leading edge in this area. These centres are yet another example of how investing in science and engineering can strengthen the UK's long term economic future."

BBSRC has also awarded £8M to help create the building blocks of synthetic biology - the synthetic fragments of DNA needed to create useful biological components. The funding will build capacity in DNA synthesis through partnerships at the Universities of Edinburgh, Cambridge, Liverpool, Oxford, Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, Imperial College and The Genome Analysis Centre.

Provided by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council