Industry urged to fund bioprocessing

£9m of funding has been committed by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to collaborative research with industry in bioprocessing.

Bioprocessing is the sector that develops the technology, techniques and processes to manufacture new medicines from biological materials. It is expected to underpin half of the top 100 medicines, as measured by sales, by 2014. As an advanced manufacturing sector it is one of the ‘value added’, knowledge-based industries that are expected to contribute to future UK economic growth, as well as helping to deliver new, effective medicines.

The two Research Councils have committed the funding to the second phase of a BBSRC-led public-private partnership - the Bioprocessing Research Industry Club: BRIC 2. The partnership gives industry a voice in setting the strategic direction of research, to ensure that outcomes from the science funded are relevant to the sector.

Lord Drayson, minister for science and innovation, said: ‘This funding builds an important bridge between researchers and industry to boost R&D in bioprocessing and its potential to develop new, improved medicines for patients. It’s now up to the private sector to seize this opportunity.’