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Our impact

A selection of case studies about how BBSRC-funded research has had an impact on science, the economy and social issues.

Case studies for the past seven years can be found below. If you would like to view older case studies, please contact us.

Copyright free (Unsplash, Tina Guina/Creative Commons CC0)
Coffee waste could be turned into electricity October 2018
Copyright: Carol Walker
Poppy research creates new cough suppressant supply September 2018
Copyright: Dr. Andrew C.R. Martin, Bioinf
Pharmaceuticals industry benefits from antibody sequence software September 2018
Copyright: Daniela on Flickr by CC 2.0
Insect flight aerodynamics study informs drone design August 2018
Copyright free (Pixabay/Creative Commons CC0)
Innovative packaging to slow potato greening August 2018
Copyright: adam_gulkis on Flickr by CC 2.0
New wheat variety to boost UK whisky production June 2018
Copyright: Professor Andrew Mason, University of Toronto
Insect-inspired microphone could revolutionise hearing aids June 2018
Copyright: Professor Keith Edwards, University of Bristol
Wheat breeding companies benefit from new molecular tools March 2018
Copyright free (Pixabay/Creative Commons CC0)
Bee survival model adopted by industry March 2018
LabGenius – Engineering new biological materials using synthetic DNA March 2018
The Worm Wagon – Educating the public about worm infections March 2018
Natural grapefruit flavouring from industrial biotechnology February 2018
Simple arsenic sensor could save lives February 2018
Academic-industrial partnership leads to potential new cancer therapy January 2018
Safeguarding the Ghanaian coconut crop December 2017
Behavioural neuroscience improves firefighter decision-making November 2017
ONI Ltd – bringing powerful microscopy to the biology lab November 2017
Copyright: Professor Laura Green/The University of Warwick
Lameness in sheep treatment guidelines save UK farmers £700M October 2017
Copyright: University of Sussex
New peptide research tool enables Alzheimer's research June 2017
Copyright: John Hutchinson, Royal Veterinary College
Open source bone biology software brings benefits March 2017
Copyright: Elasmogen Ltd
Elasmogen Ltd – shark proteins for drug discovery January 2017
Copyright: Richard Ling, Wikimedia Commons by CC 2.0
Azul Optics Ltd – From visual ecology to human health December 2016
Copyright: MIKI Yoshihito on Flickr by CC 2.0
Innovative nucleic acid chemistry for industry and academia November 2016
Copyright: T.J. Gehling
Pollinators research informs UK and European pesticides policy debate September 2016
Copyright: Tama Leaver on Flickr by CC 2.0
The craft of beer – reviving old barley for modern brewers August 2016
Copyright: iStockphoto
Activiomics – innovative proteomics methods for the pharma industry July 2016
Copyright: Thinkstock
DNA sequence analysis software aids clinical practice April 2016
Copyright: NASA
From soil to the stars: microbiology informs international space policy April 2016
Copyright: University of Birmingham
UK-Japan collaboration helping with Fukushima clean-up March 2016
Copyright: iStock
Equinox Pharma brings artificial intelligence to drug discovery March 2016
Copyright: Ian Johnston, University of St Andrews
UK marker technology a boost for global fish farming January 2016
Copyright: nanoporetech.com
Oxford Nanopore Technologies: super-fast desktop sequencing January 2016
Copyright: The Centre for Process Innovation
Isogenica: manufacturing better proteins for industry November 2015
Copyright: ICRISAT on Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Greater food security through disease-resistant pearl millet November 2015
Copyright: Andy Simmons on Flickr by CC 2.0
Smart coatings and sensors to guard against infection October 2015
Copyright: Russell Foster group
Illuminating the biological clock October 2015
Copyright: Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Disease resistance cuts fish deaths for £600M Scottish salmon farming industry October 2015
Copyright: Felipe Barrios-Masias at UC Davis
Reducing water use: more crop per drop September 2015
Copyright: C4X Discovery (formerly Conformetrix)
C4X Discovery: speeding up drug discovery September 2015
Copyright: Guy Montag on Flickr by CC 2.0
Milk that benefits the wider food chain September 2015
Copyright: XstalBio
XstalBio: new ways to deliver drugs July 2015
Copyright: Clyde Biosciences
Clyde Biosciences: cutting the cost of drug development June 2015
Copyright: : Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Flickr by CC 2.0
Sharing science: GeneChip and the Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre (NASC) May 2015
Copyright: Steve Jurvetson on Flickr CC BY 2.0
Producing artificial biofuels in bacteria February 2015
Copyright: Masur, Wikimedia Commons
The National Collection of Yeast Cultures February 2015
Copyright: M J Richardson
Antimicrobial resistance: case study series November 2014
Biosensor platforms for real-time medical diagnostics. OJ-Bio
Biosensor platforms for real-time medical diagnostics October 2014
Copyright: Dr Che Connon/University of Reading
Hydrogels: a unique solution for stem cell storage and transport September 2014
Big science with small bugs: 50 years of the Rothamsted Insect Survey. Copyright: RIS
Big science from small insects: 50 years of the Rothamsted Insect Survey September 2014
Plants help clean up explosive-contaminated land. Copyright: Neil Bruce, University of York
Plants help clean up explosive-contaminated land August 2014
FLIP case studies. iStock Thinkstock
FLIP case studies May 2014
Astex Pharmaceuticals – structural biology revolutionises drug discovery. Wikimedia Commons
Astex Pharmaceuticals – structural biology revolutionises drug discovery May 2014
Rapid test for deadly poultry disease. Zoetis
Rapid test for deadly poultry disease April 2014
Extending the shelf life of packaged salad. Hazel Smith
Extending the shelf life of packaged salad April 2014
Technologica – chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system for rapid plant screening - February 2014. Technologica
Technologica – chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system for rapid plant screening February 2014
Natural flavour and fragrance compounds from novel bioprocesses. avdeev007/istockphoto.com
Natural flavours and fragrances from novel bioprocesses February 2014
New microscope technology from Ionscope enables imaging of live cells. Ionscope
New microscope technology enables imaging of live cells February 2014
Armyworms can occur at densities in excess of 50,000 per hectare. Image: Ken Wilson
Fighting armyworms January 2014
Fraxinus: a crowdsourcing game to fight ash dieback disease
Fraxinus: a crowdsourcing game to fight ash dieback disease January 2014
Pyrethroids timeline. InAweofGodsCreation/Flickr
Pyrethroids timeline January 2014
Lumora - bioluminescent assays, courtesy of the firefly. Herky/Wikimedia Commons
Lumora – bioluminescent assays, courtesy of the firefly November 2013
Dundee Cell Products - supplying life science tools and services. npmeijer, Flickr
Dundee Cell Products – supplying life science tools and services November 2013
Thirty years of plant transformation - Joachim Müllerchen
Thirty years of plant transformation September 2013
Diagnostic kits to improve pet and farm animal welfare. Reactivlab Avacta
Diagnostic kits to improve pet and farm animal welfare March 2013
M-Scan: supporting the biopharmaceutical industry. Flickr
M-Scan: supporting the biopharmaceutical industry February 2013
Novel 3D cell culture system sold worldwide. Reinnervate
Novel 3D cell culture system sold worldwide February 2013
Innovator of the Year awards
Innovator of the Year awards February 2013
Improving the shelf life of therapeutic proteins. Zhanfeng Cui
Improving the shelf life of therapeutic proteins January 2013
Prolysis and Demuris: Spinouts founded on basic bacterial bioscience. Dr Nick Allenby, Demuris Ltd
Prolysis and Demuris: Spinouts founded on basic bacterial bioscience October 2012
Biopesticides regulation informed by RELU research. Dave Chandler
Biopesticides regulation informed by RELU research October 2012
VSN International: spinning success from statistics software. Rothamsted Research
VSN International: spinning success from statistics software October 2012
Teaming up to fight bluetongue disease. Credit: IAH
Teaming up to fight bluetongue disease July 2012
Tackling foot-and-mouth disease. Credit: IAH
Tackling foot-and-mouth disease July 2012
International policies on arsenic levels in food. Credit: Professor Andrew Meharg/University of Aberdeen
International policies on arsenic levels in food July 2012
Bioscience research supports UK equipment manufacturers. Image: TTP Labtech Ltd
Bioscience research supports UK equipment manufacturers July 2012
Impacts from David Phillips Fellowships. Image: IHI/University of Glasgow
Impacts from David Phillips Fellowships May 2012
Streptomyces antibiotics. Image: Andrew Davis
Long-term benefits from research into Streptomyces bacteria April 2012
Shankar Balasubramanian collects his Innovator of the Year award. Image: BBSRC
Solexa Sequencing – Innovator 2010 overall winner March 2012
Beneforte broccoli was launched in the UK 4 October. Image: IFR
Superbroccoli February 2012
Trichoderma protects plants (right) from pre- and post-emergence pathogens. Image: Chris Thornton
Growing plants with friendly fungi January 2012
Food security challenges include animal welfare. Image: Scotland's Rural University College
Animal welfare programme October 2011
Poster for the UN-FAO eradication campaign
Eradicating rinderpest June 2011
Image and data management tools are more important than ever.
Open Microscopy Environment – Innovator 2011 winner April 2011