UK Biobank to relocate to Bruntwood SciTech’s Manchester Science Park
UK Biobank has received £127.5m to move to a new home at Bruntwood SciTech’s Manchester Science Park.
The Biobank’s 16m health research samples and half of its 250 staff will relocate to Bruntwood’s 131,000 sq ft Greenheys facility in Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district.
UK Biobank’s move follows a successful application by the Medical Research Council to the UK Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund to support its future development.
UK Biobank has received £127.5m to move to a new home at Bruntwood SciTech’s Manchester Science Park.
The Biobank’s 16m health research samples and half of its 250 staff will relocate to Bruntwood’s 131,000 sq ft Greenheys facility in Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district.
UK Biobank’s move follows a successful application by the Medical Research Council to the UK Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund to support its future development.
The funding will cover a latest-generation robotic freezer that stores and retrieves 20m biological samples that have been donated by UK Biobank’s 500,000 volunteer participants.
The facility is being developed with the support of the University of Manchester, and will enable new projects to turn the samples into data and drive discoveries into how to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases.
Chief executive Professor Sir Rory Collins said: “We are thrilled to be moving to a world-leading centre for genomics and data, where we can build on existing relationships with the University of Manchester. The improved technologies and capacity at our new home will also make it quicker and easier for researchers from around the world to conduct vital research into common and life-threatening diseases and enable new scientific discoveries that improve human health.”
Kath Mackay, director of life sciences at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Manchester is a world-renowned hub for science and technology, and the ability for UK Biobank to grow here is testament to the quality of talent, innovation and support within the city. The development of Greenheys represents the third phase of our masterplan to grow Manchester Science Park to more than 1m sq ft of cutting-edge life sciences and tech space which, critically, will support the creation of over 2,500 jobs as Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor continues to thrive.”
Under the proposed arrangements, UK Biobank will occupy three floors of the new building, which will house upgraded biological sample storage, processing laboratories and offices. Work is expected to start on site in the autumn, with the development fully operational in 2026, subject to planning permission.
Arcadis and Metro-Dynamics are advising UK Biobank on the move. Bruntwood SciTech’s facility design team is led by BDP Manchester with Silcock Leedham, DW Consulting, Walker Sime and Deloitte.
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Image courtesy of Bruntwood SciTech
