The University of Manchester is a world leading research led university and in January 2015 it was awarded £10.3 million from BBSRC/EPSRC to set up the Centre for Synthetic Biology of Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM).

Synbiochem’s vision is to develop new faster, more predictable and reliable “greener” routes to fine and speciality chemicals production.

More broadly, the Centre will provide the general tools, technology platforms and synthetic biology ‘know-how’ to drive academic discovery and translate new knowledge and processes towards industrial exploitation, through active collaborations with a large variety of industry partners.

The technology will lead to new products and methods for drug development, such as new antibiotics, and agricultural chemicals and new materials for sustainable manufacturing.

The Centre also hopes to develop a series of unique and highly integrated interdisciplinary technology platforms and a truly world-leading physical infrastructure for contemporary fine and speciality chemicals production.