Author: wayne.powell

EPSRC and BBSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineering Biology

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The Engineering Biology Centre for Doctoral Training (EngBioCDT) is one of nine new CDTs at the University of Bristol, which will equip and nurture engineering and science students, thanks to a nationally-leading £57 million funding boost from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and its Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Engineering biology is one of the five critical technologies predicted to deliver prosperity to the UK as highlighted in the Government’s National Vision for Engineering Biology (December 2023). Sitting at the confluence of Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, AI and Data Science, it has the potential to provide innovative solutions to global challenges for sustainable food, materials and chemicals, combatting climate change, and technologies for improved healthcare, by harnessing biology in new ways and creating biomimetic and engineered living systems capable of surpassing what is possible from single-discipline approaches.

The EngBioCDT, run jointly with the University of Oxford, will provide bespoke cohort-based training with a focus on how engineering biology concepts and technologies can be translated into products with real-world impact. It will include teaching on: modelling and control theory, artificial intelligence and machine learning, gene circuit design, protein design and engineering, and tissue engineering.

The EngBioCDT will train 68 students over five cohorts between 2024 and 2032 in collaboration with over 30 partners including industry, startups, innovation specialists, and national institutes.

 

The Director of the EngBioCDT, Dr Lucia Marucci, said: “I am so excited to start directing our new Engineering Biology Centre for Doctoral Training in partnership with the University of Oxford, and cannot wait to welcome our new students in September. Many thanks to the EPSRC and BBSRC for funding our programme.”

At Bristol, the CDT will be managed also by Prof Imre Berger, Dr Tom Gorochowski (Deputy Director), Prof Jen McManus and Prof Dek Woolfson.

Engineering Biology Mission Award success for BBI researchers

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Two teams from the Bristol BioDesign Institute have been awarded funding from the UKRI – BBSRC Engineering Biology Technology Mission Fund call:

CYBER: Cyanobacteria Engineering for Restoring Environments (Principal Investigator: Dr Thomas Gorochowski)
CYBER aims to develop the foundational multidisciplinary tools needed to de-risk environmentally focused engineering biology and ultimately support its future deployment into real-world ecosystems. It brings together researchers from the Universities of Bristol (lead), Newcastle and Edinburgh, plus the National Measurements Laboratory (NML), NIST, Basecamp, Cultivarium, Bactobio, and Gitlife to improve the trustworthiness of engineered biology for environmental applications.

Haemotoxic and cytotoxic snake venom metalloproteinases – production, enzymatic specificity, snakebite treatment, and biomedical use (Principal Investigator: Prof Christiane Berger-Schaffitzel)
The team will establish robust production of snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMPs) toxins ready for use to develop next generation toxin-specific therapies for tackling snakebite envenoming. SVMPs also exhibit functional specificities desirable for biomedical purposes, as several are used as the basis for anti-platelet drugs or standards for the clinical diagnosis of bleeding disorders. The team will use recombinant, native and engineered toxins to identify new platelet inhibitors that block specific platelet surface receptors that are known drug targets. The project team includes ADDovenom colleagues Professor Nick Casewell (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) as Co-I, and Johara Stringari (University of Bristol) as Researcher Co-I.

Applications open for Engineering Biology CDT

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Deadline: 19 April 2024

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/engineering-biology/

Are you interested in how synthetic biology concepts and technologies can be translated into real-world impact?

Applications are now open for PhDs in Engineering Biology, as part of the EPSRC BBSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Engineering Biology (EngBioCDT), run jointly by the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford. It will provide bespoke cohort-based training with a focus on how synthetic biology concepts and technologies can be translated into products with real-world impact.

Society faces major global challenges including a need for sustainable food, materials and chemicals, solutions to combat climate change, and innovative technologies for improved healthcare. Engineering Biology (EngBio) is an emerging field at the confluence of the Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, AI and Data Science. It has the potential to provide innovative solutions to these challenges by harnessing biology in new ways and creating biomimetic and engineered living systems capable of surpassing what is possible from single-discipline approaches.

After training in the fundamentals of mathematics, biology, engineering and computing, and undertaking team-based problem-solving projects, you will complete two short research projects, one of which will develop into your substantive PhD project. Throughout the course, you will undertake bespoke training in innovation and commercialisation, responsible innovation, EDI and bioethics, and career development.

Each year, a summer school will take place in June/July which will include talks from engineering biology leaders, student pitches from innovation in engineering biology projects, and outreach projects.

Through close links with our industrial partners, and activities such as industrial placements, mentorship and translational training, the CDT will empower students to deliver EngBio solutions to real-world applications through skills and knowledge training.

Further info for applicants:

SynBioBeta reports on ‘Open-endedness in synthetic biology’ paper

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A paper co-authored by BBI Co-Director Thomas Gorochowski has been featured in a news story on the SynBioBeta website.

Breaking the Mold: Embracing Uncertainty for Enhanced Bio-Innovation reports on Michiel Stock and Thomas Gorochowski’s article: Open-endedness in synthetic biology: A route to continual innovation for biological design, which has been published in Science Advances.

Thomas tells SynBioBeta: “When we try to design a complex biological process, it’s often tempting to just tweak something that partially works rather than take the risk of trying something completely new. In this work, we highlight that in these situations, the best solutions often come from unexpected directions because we don’t always fully understand how everything works. With biology, there are lots of unknowns, and so we need a vast and diverse toolkit of building blocks to ensure we have the best chance of finding the solution we need.”

  • Open-endedness in synthetic biology: a route to continual innovation for biological design
    Michiel Stock & Thomas E. Gorochowski
    Science Advances (2024), Vol 10, Issue 3, eadi3621
    https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi3621

BBI features in UK Government’s National Vision for Engineering Biology

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The Bristol BioDesign Institute has contributed to, and is featured in, the UK Government’s National Vision for Engineering Biology, published on 5 December 2023.

The document outlines the government’s vision for “a broad, rich engineering biology ecosystem that can safely develop and commercialise the many opportunities to come from the technology.”

In a case study in the ‘World-leading R&D’ section (page 21), Bristol is described as a “thriving ecosystem for engineering biology” with a “booming” local bioeconomy. Both the BBI and the Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology are mentioned in this section, alongside BrisSynBio, eight University of Bristol spinouts, and Science Creates.

SBUK 2023 takes place in Bristol

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Over 300 people from 45 institutions in 11 countries attended the Synthetic Biology 2023 conference in Bristol on 6-7 November, organised by the Biochemical Society and the Bristol BioDesign Institute.

We would like to thank all the invited speakers (Prof Patrick Cai, Prof Tanja Kortemme, Prof Petra Schwille, Prof Andreas Plückthun, Prof Susan Rosser, Prof Seraphine Wegner, Prof Julius Lucks, Dr David Riglar, Dr Nicole Wheeler and Dr Gitta Neufang), the oral and poster presenters, the session chairs, the team from the Biochemical Society, and everyone else who attended for their help in making the event a great success.

Themes covered at the conference included biomolecular design and engineering; cell and system-level design; synthetic and minimal cells; data-centric bioengineering, and applications across industry.

Dek Woolfson presents Stephen Wallace with the Colworth Medal.Congratulations to Prof Stephen Wallace, who was awarded the prestigious Colworth Medal and gave a talk on the development of ‘plastic-eating E. coli that can efficiently turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into adipic acid, which is used to make nylon materials, drugs and fragrances’.

Further congratulations to the oral and poster prize recipients:

Biosciences and AI merge with launch of new UKRI Network

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Bringing artificial intelligence (AI) and biosciences together to tackle major societal challenges is the aim of a new five-year £1.6m project involving the University of Bristol and several other UK universities.

The Artificial Intelligence in the Biosciences (AIBIO-UK) network will aim to connect leading AI and core bioscience researchers to unravel biological fundamentals. The ultimate aim of this network is to enhance AI capabilities within the biosciences and be the central point for resources at the interface between AI and the biosciences, placing a strong emphasis on responsible research and innovation and the ethics of AI.

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, AIBIO-UK will provide bio-scientists with practical skills and knowledge in AI to benefit their research, while equipping AI researchers with knowledge of the main challenges facing the biosciences. AIBIO-UK will develop new interdisciplinary ways of working via pilot project funding, and develop Grand Challenges of AI in bioscience.

It aims to:

  • Create a stronger community profile for AI in the biosciences in the UK
  • Facilitate networking, knowledge exchange and the formation of new collaborations
  • Support greater awareness, education and training relating to AI within the bioscience community

Dr Lucia Marucci from the School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, and Co-Director of the Bristol BioDesign Institute, is leading Bristol’s contribution to this project. She said: “AI systems are used in wide-ranging applications, from self-driving cars to language translation.

“Recent AI applications to the biosciences have been promising but efforts have been sparse and uncoordinated, and limited to groups or companies with specific expertise.

“The network vision is to bring together AI and core bioscience researchers to address huge societal challenges we face.”

The network, led by the University of Nottingham, includes University of Bristol, Quadram Institute Bioscience, the University of Manchester, University of Aberdeen, King’s College London and Aberystwyth University.

The management team is planning a series of community-created events over the next five years to help raise awareness across the UK biosciences community of exciting, cutting-edge AI development, the opportunities it presents for research collaboration, as well as its challenges.

 A launch event will be held on 11 January next year in Birmingham.

(This news story was originally published by the University of Bristol)

£10.5 million investment to revolutionise future vaccine manufacture

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Members of the project team pose on the steps on Wills Building at University of Bristol.
Future Vaccines Manufacturing Research (FVMR) Hub UK Visit, University of Bristol

A new collaborative initiative between UK universities and countries worldwide to share cutting-edge vaccine technology to prevent future global outbreaks of infectious diseases has been awarded £10.5 million from the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The funding will support the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (FVMR Hub), set up originally in 2017 by Imperial College London with University of Bristol as a partner, to continue operations for a further five years, until 2029.

As part of this partnership, world-leading vaccine scientists at Bristol are working with one of Vietnam’s major vaccine manufacturers, Vabiotech, to share their expertise in using a powerful recombinant production technology which relies on a synthetic baculovirus used as a production tool.  The technology, pioneered at Bristol, is uniquely suited for producing next-generation vaccines in large quantities in insect cells that can be easily cultured at low cost in Vietnam.

To mark the funding announcement, and to kick-off Vaccine Hub operations, University of Bristol researchers welcomed representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, the CEO and research team of Vabiotech, and leading vaccine scientists and Hub partners from Imperial College London with a reception in the Wills Memorial Building. The visit included a tour of Bristol’s high-tech facilities, including robotics laboratories, the cryogenic electron microscopy facility, and the new biosafety level 3 virology laboratories, all of which were established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bristol FVMR Hub lead Professor Imre Berger, Director of the Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology and Co-Director of the Bristol BioDesign Institute, said: “Our partner Vabiotech is particularly interested in using the technology we developed in Bristol to produce vaccines to combat rabies and avian flu, both major challenges in Vietnam. We saw just a few years ago how quickly avian flu, which began in Vietnam, developed into a global threat for humans around the world. Together with Vabiotech, we will put cutting-edge technology in place to afford cost-effective protection.

Professor Agnes Nairn, Pro Prof Agnes Nairn accepts framed embroidered picture from Dr Do Tuan Dat of Vabiotech Vice Chancellor (Global Engagement) at the University of Bristol said: “As a university, we are committed to building research partnerships that help make a positive health impact on populations around the world, of which this initiative is set to do. We are delighted by this new funding for the Vaccine Hub which will see our efforts continue in fighting infectious diseases that have the potential to affect us all.”

Professor Robin Shattock, Chair in Mucosal Infection and Immunity at Imperial College London and Lead Investigator of the Hub said: “Through the establishment of the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub we are looking to exploit the next wave of biotechnology innovation to rapidly respond to emerging outbreaks and empower countries most at risk to infections to meet their local vaccine needs.”

Dr Dat, CEO and Senior Advisor at Vabiotech, said: “Never has it been more important to work together to help prevent and fight the spread of infectious diseases. The new cost-effective vaccine technology, pioneered at Bristol and shared with Vabiotech, is one example which will help many in our country and, ultimately, also others, who will access these vaccines.”

The hubs were announced by Minister for Health and Secondary Care Will Quince. He said: “I’m thrilled that the UK is building on its strong working relationship with global researchers by funding these innovative vaccine hubs, which will support partners across Africa and South East Asia to improve vaccine manufacturing capability.

“These innovative partnerships between British universities and vaccine developers – with £33 million of UK aid funding – will ensure vaccines are accessible to everyone in need, and allow us to future-proof health systems both here and abroad by accelerating the availability of new vaccines for future pandemics.”

The meeting was also attended by University of Bristol’s Professor Jeremy Tavare, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, Health and Life Sciences; Professor Liang-Fong Wong, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation; Professor Michele Barbour, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor  for Enterprise and Innovation; Professor Elek Molnar, International Director of the Faculty of Life Sciences; Professor Nigel Savery, Head of the School of Biochemistry; and Dr Kathleen Sedgley, Mr Wayne Powell and Ms Justyna Gol from the Bristol BioDesign Institute.

The initiative is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN), a UK Aid programme to develop vaccines for diseases with epidemic potential in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

(This news story was originally published by the University of Bristol)

Bristol soil study unearths microbe diversity discovery

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Human impacted soils tend to harbour different microbial communities to those areas less affected by human activities, a team of researchers working with Bristol school children have found.

Together, they studied the species of bacteria found in soils at two local schools, Merchants Academy and Brunel Academy, the Avon riverbank, Queens Square, Fenswood Farm and Ashton Court Deer Park.

The team found that human impacted soils still showed a large diversity between sites in terms of the microbes present and the study highlighted that other factors like the geochemical make-up of the soil and environmental factors also play a key role.

Lead author, Dr Matt Tarnowski explained: “One reason researchers are doing this is that many important biotechnologies like novel antibiotics are found in the soil. Building on this interest our multidisciplinary team from the University of Bristol investigated what the soils of Bristol contained in collaboration with local people to try and understand how discoveries in soils might be used in a fair and equitable way. The project started by working with local school children, who helped with the science.”

Dr Thomas Gorochowski, a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Associate Professor of Biological Engineering at the University of Bristol School of Biological Sciences, and co-author on the study added: “Surprisingly, there is a real lack of studies on soils from urban environments. We not only got the chance to sample some of these, but had a lot of fun doing so too. The children loved supporting us as citizen scientists and people of all ages were fascinated by the live DNA sequencing experiments we performed at festivals and community events across the city to see what the soils contained.”

The full University of Bristol press release is available here.

New BBI Innovation Training Programme

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Alewo Idoko-Akoh speaking at a BBI Innovation Training event.
Alewo Idoko-Akoh speaking at a BrisEngBio training event (photo: Charlie Proctor)

The Bristol BioDesign Institute is offering an Innovation Training Programme to early career researchers looking to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and deepen their understanding of translational opportunities and innovation.

Building on the success of the BrisEngBio Innovation Programme, participants will be provided with innovation training, mentoring and networking opportunities, and support to drive the translation of their research. 

The programme is primarily aimed at postdoctoral researchers, but others with a strong interest in innovation are also welcome to apply.  

Monthly training sessions, running over a six-month period, will cover topics such as:  

  • Introduction to Research Translation.  
  • What is Intellectual Property and how can I protect it? 
  • Developing impact from your research. 
  • Presenting my research to a non-expert audience. 
  • What is a start-up and how do start-up incubators work? 

In addition, participants will be matched with an industry-based mentor, to gain exposure to industry and to access the broader community and ecosystem. 

Participants are expected to attend all of the training days, as there will be an emphasis on cohort building and peer-to-peer learning.  

At the end of the programme, participants will have: 

  • learned new skills and knowledge, and developed an entrepreneurial mindset. 
  • an understanding of different ways to get involved in innovation and enterprise activity (also known as knowledge exchange). 
  • the ability to identify translational opportunities within their research. 

The sessions will be co-delivered with the DREI Research Commercialisation Team, Science Creates, Spin Up Science, and SetSquared.  

For further information, please contact Kerstin Kinkelin.  

The BBI Innovation Programme is funded through a Harmonised EPSRC-ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Strategic Impact Award.