£100m Rosalind Franklin Institute to boost pharma and biotech

of medical research projects announced.  

Backed by £103m of government funding, the RFI will employ new technologies in pursuit of breakthroughs in biotechnology, medical diagnostics and drug discovery. Initial projects - funded to the tune of £6m - include an advanced camera system that uses light and sound to tackle cancer, a pioneering approach to molecular discovery for drug development, and a brand new testing facility that will harness AI to explore new drugs for clinical trials.

"The RFI will pioneer disruptive technologies and new ways of working to revolutionise our understanding of biology, leading to new diagnostics, new drugs, and new treatments for millions of patients worldwide,” said Prof Ian Walmsey, pro-vice-chancellor of Research & Innovation at Oxford University and chair of the RFI's Interim Board.

“It will bring university researchers together with industry experts in one facility and embrace high-risk, adventurous research, that will transform the way we develop new medicines."