Technology and Instrumentation Development
Development
Enabling technologies represent the major driving force for quantitative bioscience. Accordingly, we pursue research and development of various types of technology and instrumentation in parallel with our research themes. The primary thrust of our research in this area is measurement science. Measurement science implies more than just the observation of phenomena; it suggests identification, quantitation, possibly spatial or volume localisation.
A key part of our work is concerned with the measurement of nano-scale molecular processes in biological systems. To carry out such measurements requires that we understand the fundamental science of what we are trying to measure, and also that we be involved in the adaptation or development of instrumentation to measure the desired parameters with the specificity and sensitivity required. Systems to be observed, monitored and measured range in size from small drug molecules through proteins and DNA to cells, small liquid droplets and biological tissue.
A very different type of technology development is in the area of computer software, where we have a great deal of development work that supports activities in systems biology, text mining, molecular modelling, instrumentation control, and other areas.
There are major activities in a number of areas, including:
- Instrumentation development for mass spectrometry, NMR and their applications in bioscience
- Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)
- Microfluidics
- Separations science
- Nanotechnology
- IR spectroscopy
- Fast reaction techniques
- Computer software development
Group Leaders: Sophia Ananiadou, Bill Black, Ewan Blanch, Terry Brown, Philip Day, Claire Eyers, Peter Fielden, Sabine Flitsch, Peter Gardner, Nick Goddard, Sasha Golovanov, Roy Goodacre, Richard Henchman, Dean Jackson, John Keane, Doug Kell, David Leys, Nick Lockyer, John McCarthy, Aline Miller, Goran Nenadic, Paul Popelier, Nigel Scrutton, Paul Sims, Richard Snook, Jun’ichi Tsujii, Nick Turner, John Vickerman, Jon Waltho, Simon Webb, Xue-feng Yuan.
Core Facilities
In addition to housing many activities that drive forward technological boundaries, the MIB is very well equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, much of it within core facilities that are supervised by technical staff (experimental officers, as listed elsewhere on this website). Almost all of this equipment has been acquired using funds obtained via competitive grant funding schemes.