Strategic Research Areas / Grand Challenges

The strong interdisciplinary focus and mode of operation of the MIB places it in a strong position to address a number of grand challenges from across our research themes, from components to systems and design.

Industrial Biotechnology

The MIB houses expertise across all key biochemical areas including: molecular biology, crystallography, synthetic chemistry, enzyme kinetics, computational analysis, spectroscopy etc.

MIB is thus strongly placed to translate this knowledge towards biotechnological application including biocatalysis, biofuel development and remediation.

Energy and Biofuels

The University of Manchester (Manchester Energy project) is supporting research for solutions to help meet "The Global energy challenge" from strategic research to the transfer of technology into the market place. The MIB is particularly focusing on the bio-side of energy including fuel cells, solar energy and 2nd/3rd/4th generation biofuels.

Research into alternative biofuels includes utilizing biomass from both agricultural and marine sources and development of novel biocatalyists. Read more

Biomedical and Healthcare

Development of modern medicines requires understanding of molecules and networks at the systems level. This involves imaging and spatial mapping of cell responses in health and disease and in response to drug challenges.

Work in the MIB ranges from structural mapping of potential drug targets and their interactions through to the challenge of systems mapping of the "virtual human".