UPD
ATED 2013
/14
The Age
of Bioscience
Strategic Plan
The age of bioscience
1
Overview - BBSRC Strategic Plan
2
World-class bioscience
4
Strategic research priorities:
1. Agriculture and food security
6
2. Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy
9
3. Bioscience for health
12
Enabling themes:
1. Enabling innovation
15
2. Exploiting new ways of working
18
3. Partnerships
23
Monitoring progress, measuring success
26
Efficiency and effectiveness
27
Glossary
28
Footnotes and further reading
29
Contents
BBSRC is the UK’s leading funder of academic research and training in the
non-clinical life sciences in universities, institutes and centres.
We fund internationally competitive research to improve the fundamental
understanding of the biological systems upon which all human life depends.
Our research spans the microbial, plant and animal kingdoms, from molecules
to cells to whole organisms and populations.
We also provide training in the biosciences, drive knowledge exchange
and innovation, and enable public engagement around issues of societal
importance.
The Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences
Research Council
For further information on the international standing of the UK research base, see International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base (BIS publication) available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/ performance-of-the-uk-research-base-international-comparison-2013
BBSRC delivers excellence with impact as part of Research Councils UK (RCUK). It is sponsored through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). For more information on BBSRC's funding structure and governance see www.bbsrc.ac.uk
The 21st century is the age of bioscience. A biological revolution is unfolding in the same way that advances in physics shaped the early 20th century and great leaps in electronics and computing have transformed our lives over the past 40 years.
New tools and technologies, advances in computation and multidisciplinary approaches are changing the way in which bioscience is undertaken. Never before have researchers generated and had access to such large data sets, and been able to explore such a range, depth and complexity of questions about living systems and how they function.
BBSRC has a unique and central place in supporting the UK’s world-leading position in bioscience. Our funding for research and training provides knowledge and skilled people thereby making major contributions across society and the economy by: • ensuring a supply of excellent
scientists into UK industry and public bodies
• supporting the development of new technologies that improve lives and boost the economy
• enabling the emergence of new companies and supporting existing ones underpinned by BBSRC research, technology, infrastructure and people
• helping to create centres of excellence which attract inward investment from overseas, bringing employment and income
Excellent bioscience underpins and drives advances in medicine and health, ‘green materials’, new pharmaceuticals, and safe and nutritious food; it leads to more sustainable agriculture, helps to combat infectious diseases and underpins responses to climate change.
In the coming decades bioscience will be at the heart of providing solutions to major challenges facing humankind such as:
• feeding nine billion people sustainably by 2050;
• developing renewable ‘low carbon’ sources of energy, transport fuels and chemicals to reduce dependence on fossil fuels;
• staying healthier for longer
as lifespans increase and society ages.
Building on the UK’s strength, this Strategic Plan continues to drive UK bioscience forward, exploiting new and exciting ways of working and thinking. We will ensure that UK bioscience stays world-class and delivers significant social and economic benefits. The rate of progress will depend on our future budget but support for cutting edge bioscience and skills will remain the overarching priority.
The age of bioscience
BBSRC’s Vision is to lead world-class 21st century
bioscience, promoting innovation in the
bioeconomy, and realising benefits for
society within and beyond the UK
…the first rough draft of the human
genome, published in 2001, was
a landmark achievement, which
took the concerted effort of several
international laboratories more than
ten years to produce. Today, draft
genome sequences of this scale are
generated by single laboratories in a
matter of hours…
© JOHN DURHAM / SCIENCE PHOT
O LIBRAR Y 2014 © EMBL-EBI 2014 © Z OONAR / THINKST OCK 2014
Light micrograph showing chloroplasts in plant cells
Overview
Overview
- BBSRC Strategic Plan
Working with stakeholders, BBSRC has identified
leading priorities and themes that are essential to
keep the UK at the cutting edge of bioscience
Our future plans are structured around:
World-class
bioscience
We will continue to advance excellent bioscience across the breadth of our remit from molecules to systems (pages 4 and 5). High-quality research, people and institutions are the bedrock of a world-class bioscience base that delivers social and economic benefits from public investment in science and attracts co-investment from the private and third sectors.
Key strategic
research priorities
As well as our strong commitment to funding researcher-led bioscience across a broad base we highlight three priority areas for particular focus. These are uniquely at the core of our remit, where focus will have the most impact, nationally and internationally:Agriculture and food security:
bioscience for sustainable and productive agriculture, supplying not only sufficient, affordable, nutritious and safe food, but also non-food products and feedstocks, in a rapidly changing world
Industrial biotechnology and
bioenergy:
energy, industrial materials and biopharmaceuticals, developed and produced using biological processes, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and helping drive the UK bioeconomy
Bioscience for health:
driving advances in fundamental bioscience for better health across the lifecourse, reducing the need for medical and social interventionEnabling
themes
We have also prioritised three enabling themes, which are critical to our vision for UK bioscience. These cross-cutting themes will require clear actions over and beyond this planning period. Getting the themes right, and in some cases embracing the inherent culture change, is essential to deliver economic and social benefits from our investment of public money:
Enabling innovation:
maximising the impact of our science and skilled people in boosting the UK economy, informing policy and improving quality of life
Exploiting new ways of working:
enabling innovative working practices in an era of rapid technological
advancement, multidisciplinary research, high throughput technologies, the next generation internet, and quantitative and computational approaches to bioscience
Partnerships:
working with our many stakeholders, including other funders and the public, nationally and internationally, to deliver our exciting vision for global impact from UK bioscience•
IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE
•
ECONOMIC IMPACT
•
BETTER PUBLIC POLICY AND SERVICES
•
SKILLED PEOPLE AND JOBS
•
STRONG SCIENCE BASE
•
NEW KNOWLEDGE
•
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
•
BIOECONOMY
Partnerships
National and International
Enabling innovation
Agriculture and
food security
Bioscience
for health
Industrial
biotechnology
and bioenergy
Exploiting new ways of working
• Systems approaches • Synthetic biology • Big data • Tools •
WORL
D-CLASS BIOSCIENCE
UK bioscience ranks with the best in the world1. We will keep it that way by funding
high quality research and training across our remit. We will foster and support world-class institutions which are engaged internationally and have access to state-of-the-art facilities. A robust, modern and outward facing research base, which meets user and societal needs, is essential to derive the greatest impact from the public investment in science.
High quality research
and skills
Excellent research and excellent people are cornerstones of BBSRC’s strategy. We will operate flexible and efficient funding streams from small, pump-priming or proof-of-concept studies through to strategic longer, larger programmes of research.
Responsive mode funding continues to be a high priority, enabling us to support the best ideas from the best people, and providing vital agility to respond to emerging areas.
Our funding for a broad range of bioscience will be balanced with an appropriate degree of focus on priorities where we can have the most impact and maintain crucial capacity. We will focus research and training through mechanisms such as highlight notices in responsive mode, Research Industry Clubs and targeted studentships.
Developing and retaining a diverse community of highly skilled researchers is vital to the strength of the science base and to attracting industries and investment to the UK. We will invest in the research skills base, supporting and developing researchers throughout their careers from PhD to high-level leadership through our studentship and fellowship programmes (page 15).
Maintaining key
capability - molecules to
systems
Since 2003 BBSRC has driven predictive, integrative and systems approaches in bioscience at a range of scales from molecules to agricultural landscapes. Our major investment has positioned the UK as a leading nation for systems biology, and this Strategic Plan develops that trajectory further (page 21).
Maintaining strength in core underpinning disciplines such as molecular, chemical, cellular and structural biology is a high priority. Major breakthroughs in recent years, including those recognised by Nobel Prizes awarded to UK scientists, have depended on basic cellular and molecular research. Our strength in these disciplines also
provides many of the detailed parameters that make systems modelling possible. BBSRC-funded research and training drives discovery of new leads for drugs or prevention strategies through improved understanding of biological mechanisms underlying normal growth and
development. Our bioscience helps sustain the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in the UK, where the flow of ideas, skills and key capabilities between academia and user sectors provides mutual benefit.
World-class bioscience
Maintaining the UK’s position as a global leader
Fundamental research
by Professor Sir Martin
Evans (Cardiff University)
and colleagues led to the
development of a gene knockout
technology which won the Nobel
Prize for Medicine/Physiology.
This technique has enabled
scientists to study novel aspects
of mammalian physiology.
World-class bioscience
© DR KARI L
OUNA
TMAA / SCIENCE PHOT
O LIBRAR
Y 2014
MRSA bacteria
© CARDIFF UNIVERSITY 2014
BBSRC has a major role in
supporting the training of PhD
students, funding more than a
quarter of all bioscience PhD
students in the UK. Over 40%
of BBSRC studentships are
co-supported with industry.
© IST
OCK / THINKST
OCK 2014
© IBERS / ABER
YSTWYTH UNIVERSITY 2014
5
Key priorities
Ensure UK bioscience has a broad
and robust research base - strong
in core disciplines, skills and
infrastructure
Drive excellence through
researcher-led projects and
programmes, giving high priority
to responsive mode funding
Balance the breadth of our
research and skills funding
with specific focus on strategic
priority areas
Support key facilities and
national capabilities in institutions
and promote wide research
community access
Ensure our funding meets the
challenges of modern bioscience
to deal with multidisciplinary grant
applications, larger programmes of
work and the development of new
tools and resources
Maintain strength in core
underpinning disciplines such as
molecular, chemical, cellular and
structural biology, as well as key
strategic areas, such as plant,
animal and microbial sciences,
particularly where BBSRC is the
main public funder
Continue to stimulate wider use
of multidisciplinary, systems
and predictive approaches to
bioscience
Ensure that engagement with
industry, other users and the
public influences BBSRC’s science
strategy and capacity
The National Plant Phenomics Centre
at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of
Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences.
Research at this BBSRC-supported national
centre will help to develop new plant and
crop varieties to tackle global challenges such
as climate change, food security and the
need for better, more efficient biofuels.
World-class institutions
and facilities
To remain internationally competitive in bioscience, the UK must have the highest quality research environments in our universities and institutes.
We provide strategic funding to eight institutes (see back cover), which provide critical national capability and expertise in strategically important areas. These are central to delivering our vision and priorities both in the short to medium term and in maintaining long-term capabilities. The institutes are also central to BBSRC’s research and innovation campus strategy, supporting the UK’s innovation ecosystem (page 16).
BBSRC will continue to foster excellence across the university bioscience research base. Furthermore, we will build on our strategic partnerships with key universities that have strengths in our priority areas so that we can deliver advances in these areas more efficiently.
Strength through
partnerships
We cannot achieve our ambitions for bioscience on our own. Modern bioscience is becoming increasingly ‘big’ science, requiring multidisciplinary, multi-centre and multi-funder efforts. We will facilitate national and international links with the best researchers and organisations in the world to gain access to knowledge and facilities, which add value and leverage our own funding for greater impact. We will work closely with industry and other users to support the translation of BBSRC science into practical applications.
Public engagement and dialogue is a vital part of our partnerships strategy (page 23). The full impact of bioscience will not be realised unless society is engaged; we will provide opportunities for learning about and discussing BBSRC-funded research.
The challenge
Global demand for food is rising, driven by factors such as population growth, increasing affluence and changing diets. At the same time there is increasing competition for land and fresh water, putting added pressure on production, while climate change will reduce the reliability of food supply, for example through altered weather patterns and increased pressure from pests and diseases.
In addition to food production, there is also increasing scope for agriculture to be a major source of sustainable feedstocks for bioenergy and high value chemicals in a wider bioeconomy. Avoiding direct competition with food by better utilising agricultural waste and production from marginal land are key challenges (see also Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy). In future agriculture must produce more from the same or less land, using less water, energy and other inputs, whilst reducing waste and adverse environmental impacts including greenhouse gas emissions.
Research opportunities
Tackling the different but related food security challenges of the UK and developing countries will require multidisciplinary research. BBSRC will take a systems approach applying the latest bioscience and modelling at a range of scales, up to agricultural landscapes. We will support research to increase the efficiency and sustainability of crop and animal production, reduce waste in the food chain and ensure safe and nutritious diets. This includes minimising negative
environmental impacts and preserving biodiversity and other ecosystem services, where partnership with NERC will be particularly important.
To deliver our goals we will boost national capability in research underpinning food security and the bioeconomy through major infrastructure and facilities, and by ensuring that the UK skills base has appropriate critical mass and specialist research expertise. The BBSRC strategically funded institutes are central in our national capability. BBSRC will focus the UK’s excellent plant science on challenges in sustainable crop production such as enhancing yield and quality, preventing or combating pests, diseasesandweeds, and generating crops adapted to the challenges of future environments. Multidisciplinary research to maintain the essential functions of soils, and minimise inputs including energy,
fertilisers and water will be important to improve the efficiency and sustainability of crop production, as will research to maintain the health of beneficial invertebrates for pollination and pest control.
UK strength in animal science is crucial to sustainable food production. BBSRC will support research in areas that have profound implications for food security and food safety such as animal health and welfare, and genetics and genomics for improved production and disease resistance. Endemic and exotic diseases including zoonoses will remain key challenges, as will new and emerging infections, increasing resistance to antimicrobials, and maintaining gut health. There is a need to develop new
epidemiological approaches to investigate disease spread, and new diagnostic tools. BBSRC will also support the development of next generation vaccines, building on the
2013/14 update - what’s new?
Greater recognition that productive, competitive and sustainable agriculture
is essential for both food and non-food uses in a wider bioeconomy
Reflection of the need to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of
‘sustainable intensification’ in agriculture.
Additional emphasis on tackling key challenges for livestock health and
welfare, such as understanding antimicrobial resistance and developing next
generation vaccines
Commitment to BBSRC’s role in delivering the UK Strategy for Agricultural
Technologies, to ensure that the UK’s world-leading agricultural research is
translated into practice.
Strategic research priority 1
Agriculture and food security
Bioscience for sustainable and productive agriculture,
supplying not only sufficient, affordable, nutritious
and safe food but also non-food products and
feedstocks in a rapidly changing world
Agriculture and food security
Bioscience for sustainable and productive agriculture,
supplying not only sufficient, affordable, nutritious
and safe food but also non-food products and
feedstocks in a rapidly changing world
© IST OCK / THINKST OCK 7
Case study:
Vaccines
Scientists at the University of Oxford
/ Diamond Light Source, University
of Reading and The Pirbright
Institute have developed a new, safer
methodology for producing a vaccine
for foot-and-mouth disease virus
(FMDV). FMDV is one of the most
economically important diseases in
livestock worldwide.
Key priorities
Work closely with the Technology
Strategy Board and Agri-Tech
Leadership Council to implement
the UK Strategy for Agricultural
Technologies, accelerating the
translation of research into practice
Address skills shortages in areas of
specialist research expertise and
translational skills, working with
industry, learned societies and other
stakeholders
Continue to build international
partnerships and joint funding for
agriculture and food security research
and to lead key global research
programmes in Wheat and Nitrogen
fertiliser use
Tackle long-term research challenges
that offer a step-change in crop
production, such as nitrogen
fixation, water and other resource
use efficiency, or enhancing
photosynthesis
Improve understanding of the concept
of ‘sustainable intensification’ in
agriculture and the enabling role that
BBSRC funded research, skills and
capability must play
Coordinate a major programme on
veterinary vaccinology to accelerate
research into next generation vaccines
to combat major diseases of livestock
Increase understanding of the drivers
and mechanisms of antimicrobial
resistance in order to reduce its impact
on animal and human health
Case study:
Combating disease
Scientists at Rothamsted Research have
identified two genes in wheat crucial to
resisting infection by the disease Septoria
leaf blotch, paving the way for the
development of molecular approaches to
combat the disease in the future.
strengths of the UK research base in immunology and infectious animal diseases, and the opportunities arising from taking a ‘One Health’ approach, in partnership with the MRC, to the support of multidisciplinary studies that underpin improvements in both human and animal health.
As well as livestock and poultry, we will promote research underpinning food production from aquaculture, where there is a need to increase the diversity of species that are used, improve fish health, and develop sustainable sources of feed for farmed fish.
Food security is a complex issue encompassing international trade, aid, transport, economics and social science.
BBSRC will continue to play a leading role in the funder, multi-disciplinary Global Food Security research programme2 drawing together
partners across RCUK, the Technology Strategy Board, government departments and devolved Governments for greater coordination of funders around shared strategic objectives. The programme provides leadership, enhances synergy, and acts as a focus for attracting greater private and third sector investment. As recognised in the UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies3, there is a need
to accelerate the translation of research into practice for food and non-food products as a key element of the bioeconomy. We will tackle this working closely with many partners to implement the strategy, particularly the Technology Strategy Board, in establishing the Agri-technology Catalyst and Centres for Agricultural Innovation, which will serve to align academic research more
effectively with industry needs, and increase translational skills.
Strategic research priority 1
© IST
OCK / THINKST
OCK 2014
The challenge
Positioning the UK as a low carbon economy, and meeting international targets for reducing emissions, requires a transformation to more economically and environmentally sustainable ways of producing and using energy, transport fuels, chemicals and industrial feedstocks. Industrial biotechnology offers novel solutions through the use of biological processes derived from plants, bacteria, algae and fungi as sources of renewable energy, materials and chemicals from which business investments in the “bioeconomy” will create new opportunities and employment in the UK, leading to economic growth.
Research opportunities
Increasing the use of biorenewables in products, processes and industrial feedstocks is a complex economic, environmental, technical, social and policy challenge. There is an urgent need to expand the range, efficiency and cost effectiveness of biorenewables manufacture. Working with key partners such as the Technology Strategy Board and EPSRC, we will invest in research that takes a whole system perspective, from feedstock production through to processes and products. Our funding will apply the tools of modern molecular, cellular and structural biology, systems approaches and bioprocess engineering to develop a range of options for the use of novel crops, products, processes and sustainable biorenewable solutions.
Research underpinning industrial biotechnology and bioenergy is a high priority for BBSRC. Working with industry, other Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board, we will fund the bioscience, tools and skills to advance industrial biotechnology and bioenergy, and particularly to understand the molecular and cellular basis of key biosynthetic processes and their regulation in a range of organisms and manufacturing environments. This knowledge will then be applied to model and improve production of novel and biorenewable chemicals and materials. Genetic modification and the emerging methods in synthetic biology
are crucial tools in tailoring organisms for industrial biotechnology applications.
A major target for research is to convert the complex carbohydrates locked up in plant cell walls (lignocellulose) ultimately into replacements for hydrocarbon-based products and intermediates, including liquid fuels such as petrol, diesel and aviation fuel. Capitalising on the strength of UK plant and microbial science, and the success of the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre, we will support research to improve the efficiency of crop production for biomass
(maintaining or improving production but with reduced inputs of energy, fertiliser, agrichemicals and water), optimise yield and composition of biomass, and develop
new knowledge and tools to help break down plant biomass to provide substrates for conversion into biofuels and other
Strategic research priority 2
Industrial biotechnology
and bioenergy
Energy, industrial materials and biopharmaceuticals,
developed and produced using biological processes,
reducing dependency on fossil fuels and helping drive
the UK bioeconomy
2013/14 update - what’s new?
Increased emphasis on the broader applications of industrial
biotechnology in addition to renewable energy, including
chemical feedstocks, industrial raw materials and intermediates,
and high value chemicals and biopharmaceuticals
New plans to support the development of a cohesive industrial
biotechnology research community in the UK, highly engaged
with industry
Greater recognition of the role of BBSRC, working with others, in
supporting the growth of the UK bioeconomy by encouraging the
translation of excellent research closer to application
Case study:
Industrial biotechnology
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have devised a battery of
proprietary gene technologies which are now being employed to enhance
the productivity of bacterial strains in the large-scale production of chemical
commodities and transport fuels from renewable plant biomass.
Strategic research priority 2
© S.MAR
TIN / TMO RENEW
ABLES L
TD
© JOHN MCGEEHAN / UNIVERSITY OF POR
TSMOUTH 2014
products. Approaches that make use of waste residues from food crops, or non-food crops that can be grown on marginal land, and thus do not compete with food production, are particularly important here. Algae and microbes offer other potential routes to chemicals and biofuels; chemical biology coupled with cellular and
molecular biology, genetics and modelling will provide knowledge to help increase the accumulation and/or secretion of target hydrocarbons, and diversify the options available to produce these chemicals at industrial scale. Further opportunities lie in the use of alternative feedstocks, including municipal waste, syngas, and industrial waste such as CO2, and approaches that
integrate thermochemical and biological waste conversion technologies.
We will also focus on research underpinning biopharmaceutical
production and manufacture, building on the investment and expertise from the Bioprocessing Research Industry Club (BRIC).
Other countries, particularly the USA and Brazil, have made substantial public investments in bioenergy. We will work with international partners to benefit UK researchers and leverage BBSRC’s investment, enabling us to tackle large-scale challenges that are difficult or too costly to do alone.
With its strong science base the UK is well placed to be a world-leader in industrial biotechnology and bioenergy research, with benefits not only in generating high quality ‘green’ products and services, but also boosting the economy through the manufacture of biorenewable products as attractive alternatives to petrochemical products.
Key priorities
Position the UK as a recognised
centre for industrial biotechnology
and bioenergy (IBBE) research by
establishing a range of
academic-led IBBE networks to engage with
business and other stakeholders
In collaboration with the Technology
Strategy Board, establish the
Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst to
support the translation of research
that is led by industry or academia
Lead the bioenergy element of
the RCUK Energy programme by
generating the knowledge and skills
to inform a range of sustainable, low
carbon bioenergy solutions
Apply synthetic biology, systems
biology and modelling to tackle
industrial biotechnology and
bioenergy research challenges at
a range of scales and addressing a
variety of feedstocks
Further enhance UK capacity in
bioenergy and biopharmaceuticals
processing research by building on
our successful investments in the
BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre
and the Bioprocessing Research
Industry Club
Strengthen links and joint working
with international partners,
particularly Europe, Japan and Brazil,
to seek leverage for UK investments
and to enhance translation
Continue to explore societal issues
associated with bioenergy and
industrial biotechnology, e.g. through
public dialogue and our Networks
in Industrial Biotechnology and
Bioenergy.
Explore options for delivering impact
from industrial biotechnology and
bioenergy research, in particular
through BBSRC-associated Research
and Innovation campuses
3D structure of a cellulase enzyme (blue), solved at the Diamond Light Source, interacting with the cellulose substrate (green).
11
Case study:
Biofuels
Scientists from the University of York, University of
Portsmouth, and the US National Renewable Energy
Laboratory have discovered a new enzyme, used by tiny
marine wood-borers called 'gribble' to break down wood, that
could help inform the development of industrial processes to
turn waste materials, such as paper, scrap wood and straw,
into liquid fuel.
The challenge
We are in a period of unprecedented demographic change, with the proportion of older people in the population increasing such that by 2050, 40% of the UK population will be over 50, and 25% over 65. Whilst lifespan is increasing, ‘healthspan’ is not lengthening at the same rate. Basic bioscience understanding and its effective translation is key to increasing the ability of individuals to lead healthier lives over their lifecourse, reducing pressure on the healthcare system.
Research opportunities
Basic bioscience is vital to reveal the biological mechanisms underlying normal physiology and homeostatic control during early development and across the lifespan. We aim to achieve a deep, integrated understanding of the ‘healthy system’ at multiple levels, and of the factors that maintain health and wellness under stress and biological or environmental challenge. This includes research to improve our understanding of how the ageing process itself results in increased frailty and loss of adaptability in areas such as
musculoskeletal, brain, immune and sensory systems, and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as to increase our
understanding of the regulatory networks underlying biological rhythms.
A key research goal is to develop a greater awareness of the roles of nutrition and physical activity and the mechanisms by which they affect development and health. Given the complex nature of these relationships, systems approaches are
well suited to modelling the interplay over the lifecourse between the GI tract, nutrition, food properties, microbiome, endocrinology and metabolic regulation. This includes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the influence of behaviour and environmental interactions on health, in partnership with ESRC and other Research Councils. Knowledge of how food interacts with the body is also highly relevant to the breeding of animals and plants for food production (see also Strategic research priority 1: Agriculture and food security). Multidisciplinary research across areas such as stem cells, engineering and materials chemistry is needed for the development of new regenerative biology and tissue engineering applications to improve quality of life for the ageing population.
In partnership with the MRC and EPSRC we will continue to support the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform.
We will also support multidisciplinary studies that underpin improvements in both human and animal health. We will encourage collaboration between experts in human and veterinary sciences to improve the health and wellbeing of animals and humans in the context of ‘One Health’, particularly in
vaccinology, infections of zoonotic origin, vector borne diseases and understanding antimicrobial resistance, linking into our Agriculture and food security priority. Partnership between BBSRC and the MRC in this area will help to ensure impacts and added value are realised across the interface with medical research.
Strategic research priority 3
Bioscience for health
Driving advances in fundamental bioscience for better
health across the lifecourse, reducing the need for
medical and social intervention
12
2013/14 update - what’s new?
Increased emphasis on addressing the societal grand challenge of
maintaining health across the whole lifecourse
Increased prominence for research that will provide a better
understanding of the mechanisms by which nutrition impacts on
development and health
Greater focus on the opportunities to support multidisciplinary studies
that underpin improvements in both human and animal health and
wellbeing
Relocation of aspects of biopharmaceutical development (e.g.
bioprocessing) to S
trategic research priority 2: Industrial biotechnology
and bioenergy
Recognition of the need to support the translation of basic bioscience,
and of the role of key partnerships to deliver impact
© STEPHANIE SCHÜLLER, UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA / IFR 2014
13
Case study:
Gut health
Researchers at IFR have shown that some
bacterial strains are specifically adapted
to use sugars in the gut lining to aid
colonisation. Understanding how different
bacteria make use of these sugars will give
new insights into what makes a healthy gut
bacteria population.
We will support bioscience research to help sustain lifelong health and wellbeing in the modern environment by building on a foundation of
underpinning world class bioscience
to identify novel prevention strategies or underpin new treatments. BBSRC will work closely with the MRC and other Research Councils to promote a joined-up approach to research funding across the spectrum from health to disease. Basic bioscience funded by BBSRC underpins the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, which depend significantly on the strength of the public sector research base to maintain competitive advantage. This is especially so in the discovery and validation of new therapeutic agents and bioactive molecules, reducing cost of development
and increasing efficiency of production. For example, integrated modelling of cells, tissues and associated signalling mechanisms will provide new insights to potential strategies for health monitoring and intervention, including drug targets and pharmaceuticals. In the longer term, the further refinement of virtual human metabolic networks will provide even greater increases in the efficiency of therapeutic design and development. Our funding for research and training also supports open innovation in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and emerging digital health sectors by providing expertise and skills within leading universities and research institutions, and through exploration of new collaborative models and access to resources.
Key priorities
Generate new knowledge of
the biological mechanisms of
development and the maintenance
of health across the lifecourse
Support greater use of resources
and data from cohort studies,
biobanks and longitudinal
monitoring to increase the
translation of research from model
organisms and systems to the
human population
Improve understanding of how
nutrition affects health across
the lifecourse, including dietary
exposure, epigenetics, and
mechanisms of gut function
Generate new knowledge to
advance regenerative biology,
including stem cell and tissue
engineering research, and
accelerate the translation into
applications
Support the multidisciplinary
RCUK programme on Lifelong
Health and Wellbeing, ensuring
that outcomes are translated to
improve quality of life
Develop and apply new tools in
areas such as chemical biology,
high resolution structural analysis,
‘omics, biomarkers and bioimaging,
high throughput and comparative
genomics and modelling
Support fundamental research that
requires collaboration between
veterinary and human medicine to
improve the health and wellbeing
of animals and humans in the
context of ‘One Health’
Promote new ways of working
to accelerate the translation of
basic bioscience to benefit the
health of the population across all
stages of life
Strategic research priority 3
© IST OCK / THINKST OCK 2014 14
Case study:
Regenerative biology
A new technique, which could soon be used to heal shattered limbs, has
been developed at the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton.
The technique involves the use of bone stem cells combined with a
new lightweight degradable plastic that inserts into broken bones and
encourages bone to re-grow. Over time, the plastic slowly degrades as the
implant is replaced by newly grown bone.
BBSRC is working to maximise the social and economic benefit of the researchit funds. We will achieve this in partnership with other Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board by supporting the development of key skills in our scientists, increasing our understanding of users’ needs, supporting impact and innovation from research, and promoting knowledge exchange and translation. We will also drive culture change so that the bioscience community recognises and optimises the impacts of research, to benefit the economy and the public good.
Skills and capabilities
Highly skilled researchers are vital for a strong science base, and for attracting and supporting knowledge-intensive industries and investment in the UK. We have particular responsibility for the skills base around our three strategic research priorities, and will foster innovative public-private sector training partnerships (through our
industrial training strategy) to address skills and career vulnerabilities in these areas. Modern bioscience often involves the co-ordination of large, multidisciplinary research teams and interactions with a variety of project partners and stakeholders. BBSRC will support high-quality PhD training to ensure new researchers develop the necessary breadth of skills, including leadership and management, the ability to communicate research outputs and ethical awareness. We will promote understanding of knowledge exchange and the wider opportunities for engagement through professional internships for students. It is not only PhD students that require broad-based training; all early-career researchers must develop a range of skills. We will drive culture change in the employment of postdoctoral researchers to support their career development and movement between sectors.
BBSRC will continue to encourage interdisciplinary research and training, recognising that many of the most exciting advances in biology will occur at interfaces with other disciplines. As bioscience becomes increasingly quantitative, there is also an urgent need to raise the mathematical and computational skills of biologists at all levels.
Strong links between research and teaching are crucial in attracting the best students into research careers. BBSRC will explore schemes to raise the profile of research in undergraduate degrees, and engage more at school level to ensure that students are equipped with the practical and mathematical skills required for higher education in science and related subjects.
Knowledge exchange and
translation
BBSRC has a responsibility to support successful translation of ideas, knowledge, skills and technology arising from research into practical applications that benefit the UK economy and society.
The time-course from basic research to application can be long (often more than 10 years) and the routes to application are often diffuse and diverse. There is also evidence that ideas are sometimes not matured sufficiently within the research context to ensure successful translation. BBSRC, in partnership with other funders, will
develop a better understanding of the various routes and barriers to translation
in different sectors. We will seek to deliver innovative solutions, focusing not only on intellectual property but more broadly on intellectual assets. We will also increase
Enabling theme 1
Research Industry Clubs are highly
successful in delivering strategic
research and skills needed to drive
growth in major industrial sectors.
The Bioprocessing Research Industry
Club (BRIC) skills development
school, devised by BRIC industrial
members, enables PhD students
and post-doctoral scientists to
learn industrially-relevant skills and
develop commercial awareness,
helping to train the next generation
of bioprocessing researchers.
Enabling innovation
Maximising the impact of our science and
skilled people in boosting the UK economy,
informing policy and improving quality of life
© IST
OCK / THINKST
OCK 2014
support for people in translational roles, and develop enterprise skills in researchers. Successful translation requires a two-way flow of knowledge and expertise between academia and users of research. We will use existing and new mechanisms to enhance knowledge exchange, in particular to encourage movement of people.
Promoting innovation
BBSRC sustains a high quality research base that supports innovation in important UK business sectors including agriculture, food & drink, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, chemicals and biotechnology. Discovery and production activities in these industries depend on scientific advances in the academic community. BBSRC seeks to understand the most critical bioscience challenges facing industry and create opportunities for engagement between academia and industry. This ensures that the research and training we fund promote innovation and generate impact.
We will increase the range and depth of our interactions with business, building on successful partnership models such as our Research Industry Clubs but also exploring new opportunities and mechanisms for joint working.
We will also work to develop, and promote internationally, the UK research and innovation campuses associated with the BBSRC strategically-funded institutes, building on the successes seen at the Babraham Research Campus and Norwich Research Park.
These approaches to supporting the interaction between academia and industry contribute significantly to the UK innovation ecosystem. In partnership with other bodies such as the Technology Strategy Board, we seek to ensure that innovation can flow effectively between all parties within this ecosystem, bringing together the research base, SMEs, large companies and other partners, with the objective of supporting innovation from UK bioscience, leading to impact through these businesses and value chains.
Culture change
BBSRC is driving significant culture change in encouraging and recognising a broad range of impacts from bioscience research. We intend to build on this by developing innovative ways to capture, reward and celebrate impact. The benefits will include fostering meaningful public and schools engagement, as well as generating excitement about the social and economic value of research, and the contribution made by bioscience. (see also page 24: Engaging with society)
We will develop incentives and rewards that are applicable across all types of research organisations, and which recognise achievements at individual and institutional levels. We will also engage with the implementation of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), to ensure that this framework drives a culture change in the recognition of the wider impacts arising from research.
Enabling theme 1
Computer model of the structure of the Lisinopril drug molecule, used primarily to treat hypertension (high blood pressure)
© DR ANDREW ALMOND / C4X DISCO
VER
Y 2014
Case study:
Translation
Building on basic research undertaken during
a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship, Dr Andrew
Almond (University of Manchester) developed
a new computational technology to improve
the efficiency of drug discovery by speeding
up the screening of new compounds. A BBSRC/
RSE Enterprise Fellowship and two BBSRC
Follow-on Fund awards enabled Dr Almond
and his spin-out company C4X Discovery to
commercialise his platform technology. In
2012, AstraZeneca signed an agreement to
use C4X Discovery’s technology across their
pre-clinical drug discovery programme.
BBSRC has established the Innovator of the Year,
Activating Impact and Excellence with Impact
awards to encourage a culture change in the
recognition of impacts arising from research.
Dr Ryan Donnelly was named BBSRC Innovator
of the Year 2013 for his work developing
hydrogel-based microneedles for drug delivery
and non-invasive blood monitoring.
Key priorities
Strengthen the wider skills of
scientists at all levels and explore
opportunities to further develop
these skills by spending time
outside of academic research
Prioritise training of bioscience
researchers, particularly around our
three strategic priorities and in the
development of mathematical and
computational skills
Develop the BBSRC-associated
research and innovation campuses,
driving economic growth, impact
and innovation from bioscience
Underpin the research needs
of business by supporting
Research Industry Clubs and other
innovative models for working
with business
With the Technology Strategy
Board and others, support
translation of bioscience to
commercial application, further
strengthening the UK innovation
ecosystem and enabling
connectedness between the
research base, SMEs and larger
companies
Ensure that ideas and technologies
are incubated for sufficient time
within the research base to enable
effective translation, including
through enhanced Follow-on
Fund schemes
Enhance opportunities for
the exchange of knowledge,
technology and people between
the science base and user
communities
Recognise, reward and disseminate
the impact of bioscience research
and translation and help to
embed this culture change in the
bioscience community
© TIM GANDER 2014
Cutting-edge bioscience is critically
dependent on the availability of modern and sustainable research infrastructure and the adoption of new ways of working. New tools and capabilities will continue to revolutionise bioscience, making it possible to ask and solve previously intractable questions and inspiring major breakthroughs.
BBSRC will continue to support
developments in tools, technologies and approaches that enable researchers to push the boundaries of scientific discovery and increase the impact of their research.
New tools and facilities
Multidisciplinary research in areas such as
bioimaging, ‘omics’ technologies and biomolecular characterisation advances knowledge in bioscience. We will promote technology development, strengthen the associated skills base and embed the latest equipment in facilities. The Institutes and
Centres we support play an important role in providing access to the specialist facilities our strategy demands. For example, the large-scale redevelopment of The Pirbright Institute will provide the UK with world-class high-containment facilities for animal health research.
The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC)
provides national capability in genomics and bioinformatics for the development and application of sequencing in animals, plants and non-medical microbes. Low-cost, high-speed, next-generation sequencing will fundamentally change the range and depth of questions that bioscientists can address. BBSRC will continue, with other funders, to build on commitment to the Diamond Light Source and previous investment in structural biology to support cutting-edge research on interactions between biomolecules.
Data-driven biology
Biological discovery is increasingly being driven by ground-breaking technologies, such as high-throughput genomic and proteomic analysis and next generation biological imaging, that generate massive and complex datasets. In order to investigate complex biological phenomena, researchers need access to comprehensive, integrated and interoperable data resources, built to community-accepted standards. To meet these challenges, BBSRC will strengthen investment in bioinformatics and biological resources, focusing on the needs of the research community, and facilitating the development of sustainable models of operation.
We will stimulate data-driven biology and data reuse and promote open data initiatives, including supporting data reusability through improved, and greater uptake of, standards. We will support development of compute (and software) resources for large-scale data analysis, e.g. genome assembly, metagenomics, real-time image analysis. We will also continue to shape and support the ELIXIR project to establish a sustainable infrastructure for biological information in Europe, as well as working with other Research Councils on the provisioning and sustainability of cross-cutting e-infrastructure such as sustaining software.
A further challenge lies in bridging the gap between hardware architectures and the researchers generating biological data. We will target potential new user communities, hardware architectures and facilities including ‘cloud’, and ‘biologist-friendly’ software solutions.
The ELIXIR Technical Hub at
the European Bioinformatics
Institute, opened in 2013,
forms part of a pan-European
infrastructure for the sharing and
analysis of the vast quantities
of biological data, which is
essential in tackling the serious
challenges our society faces,
from providing healthcare to an
ageing population to sustainable
production of food and energy.
Enabling theme 2
Exploiting new
ways of working
Enabling innovative working practices in an era of rapid technological
advancement, multidisciplinary research, high throughput
technologies, the next generation internet, and quantitative and
computational approaches to bioscience
© EMBL-EBI 2014
Case study:
New technologies
BBSRC-funded research at Cambridge
University on DNA chemistry led to a
high-speed DNA sequencing company,
Solexa, which sold for $600M in 2007.
The impact of this funding extends
beyond commercial benefit; this new
technology generated a step change
in the production of biological data.
© PHOT
ODISC / THINKST
OCK 2014
Enabling theme 2
© TEK IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOT
O LIBRAR
Y 2014
Case study:
New ways of working
In May 2011, a new strain of
E. coli bacteria
claimed over 50 lives as it spread around
Europe. The event mobilised researchers
across biological disciplines and highlighted
a new form of scientific cooperation –
crowdsourcing – in which genomic data
from the outbreak strain was released into
the public domain allowing all scientists to
join in the race to decode the organism's
DNA; the resultant analyses provided
valuable information on the virulence,
resistance genes, and evolutionary origins
of the new strain.
Working practices in the biosciences were largely set down in the pre-internet age. In contrast, data sharing and mass collaboration are now a reality, and the quantity of information instantaneously available is almost overwhelming. Exploiting information-rich approaches is essential to maintaining the UK’s competitive position. Increasingly these will deliver new biological understanding that is not possible via other routes. BBSRC will drive the development and uptake of ‘new bioinformatics’ that includes semantic computing and novel web tools, and share best practice with industry and other partners, nationally and internationally. In this era of data-driven bioscience, a new cadre of skilled researchers is required, from computationally proficient and mathematically literate biologists to software engineers, developers and data curators, to tackle the complexity and diversity of biological data. BBSRC will strengthen capacity and ensure that the necessary skills and expertise are supported and rewarded.
Integrative and
systems biology
Increasingly, researchers routinely apply
computational and mathematical modelling techniques to high-quality
quantitative biological data, and use the models generated to test new hypotheses and inform experimental strategies. This enables a deeper and more rapid understanding of complex biological problems at molecular, multicellular, and multiorganism or ecosystem scales. BBSRC will continue to drive integrative and systems approaches to tackle complex biological questions, particularly in our priority areas. We will also promote collaboration between Systems Biology Centres and other BBSRC-funded researchers to ensure widespread application of systems approaches, as well as building on strong international links within the EU and further afield. The ultimate realisation of predictive biology lies in the development of ‘digital organisms’ - collections of integrated models underpinned by quantitative data, which together represent key biological systems and processes. The UK is well
placed to take a leading role in this long term, international challenge.
Synthetic biology
World-class bioscience is critically dependent on new technologies, methodologies and resources. BBSRC will continue to support the emerging area of synthetic biology, which can be described as the design and construction of novel biologically based parts, devices and systems, as well as redesign of existing natural biological systems for useful purposes4. It incorporates the
principles of engineering into classical biotechnology, and has a broad range of potential applications within the bioeconomy, in areas such as medicine, energy, the environment, chemicals, national security and agri-food.
Working with other Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board, BBSRC is leading the Synthetic Biology for Growth programme, which will enable the UK to compete globally by establishing an expanded world-leading UK research community working on strategic research challenges, collaborative industry-academia research projects and new biological and engineering platforms. The programme will support the long-term growth of UK synthetic biology, development of a highly skilled workforce, and an infrastructure to underpin and enable cutting-edge research in industry and academia, as well as providing support for synthetic biology start-up companies. Additionally we will continue to foster strong international links in synthetic biology, in Europe and further afield, through participation in ERA-NETs and other international initiatives.
New technologies can be disruptive to society and they can raise social, ethical and legal issues. As an investor in research BBSRC recognises its responsibly to engage with these issues and to support our researchers to do the same.
Key priorities
Deliver the Synthetic Biology
for Growth programme, in
collaboration with the Technology
Strategy Board, EPSRC and other
Research Councils
Enhance the UK’s international
lead in systems biology and
exploit integrative and systems
approaches to research across a
range of scales
Develop the next generation of
bioscience tools to drive new
and deeper understanding in
bioscience
With industry and the Technology
Strategy Board, harness the
economic potential of new
technologies (e.g. systems and
synthetic biology)
Provide bioinformatics and
biological resources required by
the UK research community to
stay internationally competitive,
and through ELIXIR establish
a sustainable infrastructure for
biological information across
Europe
Enhance skills and capacity
to exploit new tools and
approaches e.g. through training
for researchers and working
to establish a career track for
technical experts
Working with other Research
Councils, exploit the ‘data deluge’
and thereby facilitate
information-rich biological research
Ensure computational hardware
and software solutions are
accessible to, and used by, a wide
range of bioscience users
Enabling theme 3
© IST
OCK / THINKST
OCK 2014
We cannot achieve our vision for UK bioscience alone. Science is increasingly a connected global endeavour and this provides excellent opportunities for leveraging the world leading strength of UK bioscience. BBSRC will work with a wide range of partners – nationally and internationally – to co-fund research and training, enhance our understanding of users’ and society’s needs and deliver a full range of impacts. This will involve engagement with industry, policy makers and other users around the bioscience that affects them. We aim, through dialogue, to be open and engage with public views around our research and training.
Collaborative funding for
research and training
BBSRC sits within a network of research funders, spanning charities, other Research Councils, the Technology Strategy Board, government departments, devolved administrations, regional authorities, international organisations and industry. Partnerships with these organisations improve the efficiency, co-ordination and leverage of research funding in areas of mutual interest. By working together, we are able to tackle large-scale challenges that
it would be difficult or too costly for any single funder to do alone, as well as enabling a holistic approach that recognises the social, ethical, environmental and economic context to such challenges.
Joint working between the Research Councils, through RCUK, has brought many benefits, such as concerted action on training and skills, and investment in major multidisciplinary and international research programmes. Partnerships with other Research Councils, individually and as part of cross-Council and cross-government programmes, will continue to be an important part of our strategy.
We will review our interfaces with sister Research Councils and other funders to ensure optimal integration and continuity of funding between disciplines, particularly in areas where basic bioscience funded by BBSRC is taken up and used in other fields such as medicine and healthcare and the environmental services and industries.
Enhancing impact
Bioscience is central in addressing many of the major challenges facing the world
today. To ensure that the research and training we fund has maximum benefit to the UK economy and society, it is essential that BBSRC works closely with the research community, learned societies, industry, policy makers and the public.
Our funding underpins a variety of users and business sectors, each with its own research and skills needs and patterns of interaction with researchers in academia. We will work closely with these stakeholders to focus bioscience and skills into areas where we can make the biggest difference.
Building on our strong working relationships with the Technology Strategy Board and industry, we will drive a culture of open innovation to enhance impact through the free flow of knowledge and skills between private and public sector research. We will develop closer relationships with our academic community, including partnerships with key HEIs and learned societies, which will help us to deliver impact in areas of strategic importance through shared strategies for research, training and infrastructure investment.
Partnerships
Working with our many stakeholders, including other
funders and the public, nationally and internationally,
to deliver our exciting vision for global impact from
UK bioscience
Cross-Council research programmes, co-ordinated through RCUK, enable a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to
major research challenges.
Ageing Research
BBSRC-funded research provides vital evidence for policy makers in many fields. We will continue to develop engagement and working practices to ensure that government departments, agencies and devolved administrations understand what bioscience can offer in providing evidence for the development of policy and regulation, nationally and internationally. Equally, greater engagement with policy colleagues will help BBSRC understand their policy needs.
Engaging with society
A growing number of advances in bioscience, including stem cells, genetic modification and synthetic biology, hold great promise to increase prosperity and improve lives. They also pose challenges that must be addressed by society as a whole. BBSRC will continue to raise awareness of scientific developments and their implications, and to identify and respond to public attitudes, aspirations and concerns. We will work through RCUK and with others to ensure that routine consideration of societal issues enriches our policymaking and funding, and to equip and encourage scientists to engage constructively with wider society. We will develop our use of online and social media, including blogs, which complement our outreach through publications, workshops, consultations and exhibitions. We will continue to engage with young people, for example through RCUK and with others on schools-scientists interactions.
With advice from our Bioscience for Society strategy panel, and with appropriate partners, we will develop greater openness
around our decision making, including drawing in diverse views around our strategic direction in emerging areas of science and the ways in which we work. We will continue to encourage best practice across our portfolio, and the application of the 3Rs principle (replacement, refinement and reduction) in research that uses animals.
