Biotechnologies for advanced therapeutics
We are transforming how medicines are designed, manufactured and delivered through enzymatic synthesis, protein expression, cell engineering, materials science and advanced diagnostics.
Engineering the future of medicines
As healthcare evolves, novel therapeutics – from oligonucleotides and gene therapies to biopharmaceuticals and biomaterials – demand new biological and biocatalytic solutions.
At MIB, we bring together capabilities in cell culture, 3D tissue models, polymer chemistry, protein expression and diagnostic innovation to drive the next generation of therapeutic technologies. Enzyme engineering plays a central role in this work, supporting oligonucleotide synthesis, drug intermediate production and emerging therapeutic modalities. These efforts are underpinned by our mechanistic insights, analytical expertise and modelling approaches, which together strengthen both therapeutic design and diagnostic development.
Our biotechnologies for advanced therapeutics innovation research
Producing new therapeutic modalities via biotechnology
We develop new biotechnologies that help produce the next generation of medicines more efficiently and more sustainably.
Our researchers build on world‑leading expertise in enzyme engineering and industrial biocatalysis. They design custom enzymes and step‑by‑step catalytic processes that can build complex molecules which are hard or inefficient to make using traditional chemical methods.
These technologies support emerging types of medicine, including RNA‑based therapies and other advanced treatments expected to play an important role in future healthcare. By combining AI‑driven design, rapid testing, and automated discovery tools, we speed up the journey from early research to manufacturing methods that can work at scale.
Discovering and biosynthesising new antimicrobials and natural products
Our researchers explore biosynthetic pathways to uncover new antimicrobials and other bioactive natural products urgently needed to address global health challenges. This work combines fundamental bioscience with therapeutic innovation, using genome mining, pathway engineering and synthetic genomics to activate, redesign, and expand natural‑product assembly lines.
By integrating computational tools, automated design–build–test workflows, and engineered microbial hosts, we generate structurally diverse molecules with pharmaceutical potential and develop scalable biosynthetic routes for their production. Together, these approaches strengthen the UK’s capability in next‑generation antimicrobial discovery.
Polymer materials for cryogenic storage and biologic distribution
We develop advanced polymer materials that protect delicate biologics – including proteins, vaccines and cell‑based therapies – during cryogenic storage and transport. This research combines polymer chemistry, materials science and biotechnology to create formulations that prevent freezing damage and maintain product quality.
These materials support the reliable delivery of advanced therapeutics and align with our mission to build new biotechnologies for therapeutic production and deployment. This research underpins both industrial translation and the broader clean‑growth materials agenda.
Novel biogels and biomedical scaffolds
Our researchers design innovative bio‑gels and biomaterial scaffolds that support cell growth, drug delivery and the development of advanced therapies. These materials enable controlled environments for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and therapeutic delivery systems. By integrating peptide, polymer and polysaccharide chemistry with advanced characterisation, our researchers create tailored structures that mimic biological environments and enhance therapeutic performance.
This work is strengthened by collaborations across the Henry Royce Institute and Manchester’s clinical and biomedical networks, supporting translation into real‑world biomedical applications.
Advancing diagnostics
We develop advanced diagnostic technologies that enable earlier, more precise detection of disease and and improved monitoring of how patients respond to treatment.
Our research spans mass‑spectrometry‑based analytical platforms, biosensors, molecular probes and microfluidic systems, delivering rapid and sensitive measurements relevant to both clinical decision‑making and therapeutic development.
By combining expertise in structural and computational biology, analytical science and materials innovation, we create diagnostic tools that accelerate translation from research to real‑world healthcare settings, and strengthen the wider biomedical innovation pipeline.
Why does advanced therapeutics research matter?
Our therapeutic technologies enhance the development and delivery of advanced medicines by reducing manufacturing costs, improving scalability and expanding the possibilities for next‑generation treatments.
At the same time, our deep expertise in areas such as enzymology, materials science, diagnostics and bioprocessing provides a strong foundation for scientific advancement, while our research also contributes to national priorities around health resilience, medical manufacturing and equitable access to lifesaving therapies.
Explore our other research themes
Fundamental bioscience and technology
Sustainable bio-based chemicals and materials
Biological solutions for environmental protection
Get in touch
Reach out to our researchers for more information about their work, or if you have a general enquiry, please contact our team.