The Government has green-lit an additional £21m for the £75m UK Biobank in Manchester.
Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, visited Manchester Science Park this morning to officially mark the site and unveil the additional cash injection.
“UK Biobank makes an unparalleled contribution to science across the whole world, by putting invaluable information at researchers’ fingertips,” she said.
“It is already unlocking insights with the potential to detect Parkinson’s sooner, and tackle heart disease. It is without question a jewel in the crown of UK science, and an envy of the world. UK Biobank’s new home at Manchester Science Park – supported with an accelerated £21 million from Government – will mean it has the state-of-the-art facilities it needs, to keep its place at the forefront of our understanding of human health.”
The Biobank is moving to Manchester Science Park from Stockport, after securing £127.6m funding from UKRI last year. It’s also received £32m from private investors, including the former CEO and Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt.
The centre is set to become the world’s most comprehensive source of health data used for research, providing access to de-identified data to approved researchers worldwide.
The 131,000sq ft building will have 3 floors taken by the UK Biobank, including specialist laboratories and a latest-generation robotic freezer that stores and retrieves UK Biobank’s 20 million biological samples four times faster than before.
“UK Biobank is a unique resource, powering research and innovation in the biomedical sciences, creating jobs, and connecting pioneering organisations. UKRI is investing significantly in UK Biobanks’ future,” said Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE FRS, Chief Executive of UKRI.
“Recent enhancements to UK Biobank, such as the addition of whole genome sequencing data of its half a million participants, are drawing even more scientists to the database, increasing its potential to improve public health. This new facility will help to drive research and innovation on disease prevention and treatment.”
The Secretary of State was joined by senior representatives from UKRI, the University of Manchester, Bruntwood SciTech, and UK Biobank to plant a “living wall” hoarding for the site, which will be maintained throughout construction before becoming part of a 7m high, two-storey green wall wrapping around the building to act as “a layer of insulation, increase biodiversity and improve air quality.”
“The UK’s ambition to be a global leader in life sciences is contingent on the success and continued growth of regional hubs like Manchester Science Park,” added Dr Kath Mackay, Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech.
“The arrival of UK Biobank at the campus marks an exciting milestone in its evolution, further cementing its position as one of the UK’s primary locations for innovation, collaboration, and discovery, and where businesses can gain direct access to some of the world’s most pioneering research, and a fully integrated clinical and academic ecosystem.”
The new centre is due to open in 2026 and will house UK Biobank’s biological samples, laboratories, headquarters and around half of its 250 staff. It will also trial remote forms of assessment, such as apps and wearable technology to find new ways of collecting data.
“This new facility is an essential step forward in ensuring that researchers across the globe can more efficiently access our tens of millions of samples to turn them into data which can be used to propel research and innovation. My huge thanks go to UKRI whose generous funds have made the development of this new facility possible,” said Professor Sir Rory Collins FRS FMedSci, Principal Investigator and CEO of UK Biobank.
