The University of Manchester is at the forefront of a bio-industrial revolution.

Fossil fuels have been the primary energy source for society since the Industrial Revolution. They provide the raw material for the manufacture of many everyday products that we take for granted including pharmaceuticals, food and drink, materials, plastics and personal care.    

But our dependency can't continue. The combined effect of fossil carbon depletion and climate change means we must find cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy. We need solutions that will help us respond to society’s grand challenges: an ever-increasing and ageing population, affordable health care, resource efficiency, food security, climate change and energy shortages.

A bio-industrial revolution

Just as Manchester was at the heart of the first Industrial Revolution, The University of Manchester is now leading the way, both nationally and across Europe, towards a bio-industrial revolution. We’re at the forefront of a European industrial renaissance, creating next-generation chemicals for industrial and health care needs.

Using biological resources such as plants, algae, fungi, marine life and micro-organisms, industrial biotechnology, combined with the emerging science of synthetic biology, is changing how we manufacture chemicals and materials, and provides a source of renewable energy.

We’re channelling the full breadth of our expertise in chemicals, materials and energy to find the answers. In the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, the University has one of Europe’s leading industry-interfaced institutes, with world-leading capabilities in chemicals synthesis and manufacture.

Supported by a grant portfolio of more than £100 million, we partner with some of the world’s leading companies from across the chemistry, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors – including GlaxoSmithKline, Shell, Unilever and Pfizer– to drive the creation of new, bio-based chemicals.

Solutions for 21st century industry

As the 21st century progresses and we move towards more bio-based economies, we need solutions for the manufacture of chemicals that are smarter, more predictable and more sustainable.

At The University of Manchester we’re advancing this agenda.

We have the capacity to deliver renewable and sustainable materials, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals and energy that will transform the UK and European industrial landscape.