Leeds gets major UKRI investment into engineering biology PhD training
The University of Leeds has become a key partner in a new doctoral training programme as part of a UKRI initiative supporting over 100 studentships in engineering biology.
Engineering Biology for Biomedicine (EB4BM), led by King’s College London, is part of the BBSRC Doctoral Focal Awards. It aims to support the application of systematic design principles to biological systems, creating programmable molecules, cells, and materials that can transform medicine.
EB4BM will train researchers to tackle challenges such as designing therapies for previously “undruggable” targets and engineering cells that sense and respond to their environment.
Over the next seven years, the programme will deliver three annual intakes of students undertaking four-year PhDs, with 18 UKRI-funded studentships (from BBSRC and MRC) supplemented by additional studentships from King’s, Leeds, and the National Physical Laboratory, with the aim of expanding to over 40 students through industrial co-funding. UK students will also be eligible for TechExpert funding, which boosts stipends by £10,000 per year.
Professor Bruce Turnbull, from the School of Chemistry, was part of the team that secured this funding and now serves as a co-director of the EB4BM programme.
Professor Bruce Turnbull, from the School of Chemistry, is a co-director of the EB4BM programme.
He said: “Engineering biology is redefining what is possible in medicine, and we are delighted to join forces with King’s and NPL on this pioneering interdisciplinary PhD programme. EB4BM brings together world-class expertise in engineering biology, biomedical research, and metrology to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare.
“The University of Leeds is leading international research programmes in engineering biology, and this initiative allows us to equip the next generation of researchers with the skills to design transformative biotechnologies that will shape the future of medicine.”
EB4BM complements other major research initiatives in the School of Chemistry, including:
- ACROPATH (Artificial cells for highly sensitive and robust diagnosis of pathogen infections), led by Professor Paul Beales, a UK-Japan collaborative project supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED); and
- IMProGlyco, led by Professor Michael Webb, a European Innovation Council-funded project pioneering next-generation cancer treatments through glycoengineering.
Together, these projects highlight the School of Chemistry’s international leadership in engineering biology research and the interdisciplinarity of chemistry, biology, and medicine within the University. PhD studentship opportunities will be advertised on the EB4BM website.
