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.

Bio-engineering creates new peptide-based materials using bacteria December 2019

Step-change in immune cell survival rates benefits viral infection research October 2019

Finding the sweet spot: 'SafePod' improves long-term apple storage October 2019

Biofilm research informs marine coatings design September 2019

Impact Writing Competition 2019: Using Coordinated Varroa Treatments to Improve Honey Bee Health July 2019

Impact Writing Competition 2019: Capacity building in African tertiary education institutions July 2019

Impact Writing Competition 2019: The Ageing Clock at the Babraham Institute July 2019

Improved Control of Bovine Brucellosis in Punjab January 2019

Green Biologics: Sustainable industrial biotechnology supported by academic-industry interactions January 2019

Computational biology enables regenerative medicine advances December 2018

Fluidic Analytics: innovative protein analysis technology November 2018

Coffee waste could be turned into electricity October 2018

Poppy research creates new cough suppressant supply September 2018

Pharmaceuticals industry benefits from antibody sequence software September 2018

Insect flight aerodynamics study informs drone design August 2018

Innovative packaging to slow potato greening August 2018

New wheat variety to boost UK whisky production June 2018

Insect-inspired microphone could revolutionise hearing aids June 2018

Wheat breeding companies benefit from new molecular tools March 2018

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

New peptide research tool enables Alzheimer's research June 2017

Open source bone biology software brings benefits March 2017

Elasmogen Ltd – shark proteins for drug discovery January 2017

Azul Optics Ltd – From visual ecology to human health December 2016

Innovative nucleic acid chemistry for industry and academia November 2016

Milkalyser – bringing the gold standard of fertility detection into the milking parlour November 2016

Autolus Ltd – Engineered immune cells for cancer therapy October 2016

Pollinators research informs UK and European pesticides policy debate September 2016

Policy advice to support pollinators in cities September 2016

Empowering beekeepers to monitor honeybee health September 2016

BBSRC-funded researcher founds Bumblebee Conservation Trust September 2016

New diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness September 2016

Lameness in sheep treatment guidelines save UK farmers £700M September 2016

New Heritage Barley Ltd – reviving a Victorian barley variety for modern brewers August 2016

DNA sequencing tackles global challenges July 2016

Activiomics – innovative proteomics methods for the pharma industry July 2016

Unravelling cell signalling mechanisms to enable drug discovery April 2016

DNA sequence analysis software aids clinical practice April 2016

From soil to the stars: microbiology informs international space policy April 2016

UK-Japan collaboration helping with Fukushima clean-up March 2016

Equinox Pharma brings artificial intelligence to drug discovery March 2016

Government and communities in Tanzania benefit from foot-and-mouth disease research February 2016

Salmon genetics technology from Xelect Ltd boosts global aquaculture industry January 2016

Oxford Nanopore Technologies: super-fast desktop sequencing January 2016

BBSRC impact in the REF December 2015

Spinout Valiseek takes reformulated lung cancer drug through clinical trial November 2015

Isogenica: manufacturing better proteins for industry November 2015

Greater food security through disease-resistant pearl millet November 2015

Smart coatings and sensors to guard against infection October 2015

Illuminating the biological clock October 2015

Disease resistance cuts fish deaths for £600M Scottish salmon farming industry October 2015

Reducing water use: more crop per drop September 2015

C4X Discovery: speeding up drug discovery September 2015

Milk that benefits the wider food chain September 2015

XstalBio: new ways to deliver drugs July 2015

Clyde Biosciences: cutting the cost of drug development June 2015

Sharing science: GeneChip and the Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre (NASC) May 2015

Producing artificial biofuels in bacteria February 2015

The National Collection of Yeast Cultures February 2015

Antimicrobial resistance: case study series November 2014

Tackling poultry industry research challenges October 2014

Hydrogels: a unique solution for stem cell storage and transport September 2014

Big science from small insects: 50 years of the Rothamsted Insect Survey September 2014

Impacts from the Babraham Research Campus September 2014

Plants help clean up explosive-contaminated land August 2014

FLIP case studies May 2014

Astex Pharmaceuticals – structural biology revolutionises drug discovery May 2014

Research into the body clock leads to drug discovery programme April 2014

Rapid test for deadly poultry disease April 2014

Improving drug delivery April 2014

Extending the shelf life of packaged salad April 2014

Publically funded research combats foot-and-mouth disease March 2014

Technologica – chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system for rapid plant screening February 2014

Natural flavours and fragrances from novel bioprocesses February 2014

Medella Therapeutics – monoclonal antibody drugs halt tumour growth February 2014

New microscope technology from Ionscope enables imaging of live cells February 2014

Fighting armyworms January 2014

Fraxinus: a crowdsourcing game to fight ash dieback disease January 2014

The history of the pyrethroid insecticides January 2014

Lumora – bioluminescent assays, courtesy of the firefly November 2013

Dundee Cell Products – supplying life science tools and services November 2013

Newcastle University spin-out OJ-Bio develops wireless disease detector October 2013

Wheat genetics research in the UK October 2013

Thirty years of plant transformation September 2013

Campylobacter strategy unites academia, industry and policy-makers July 2013

Complex sugars could treat serious illnesses June 2013

Gene fragmentation research leads to drug discovery spinout March 2013

From cell biology to an MRSA vaccine March 2013

Diagnostic kits to improve pet and farm animal welfare March 2013

Developing novel therapies for common skin conditions March 2013

M-Scan: supporting the biopharmaceutical industry February 2013

A novel 3D cell culture system from spinout company Reinnervate February 2013

Innovator of the Year awards February 2013

Improving the shelf life of therapeutic proteins January 2013

Prolysis and Demuris: Spinouts founded on basic bacterial bioscience October 2012

Biopesticides regulation informed by RELU research October 2012

VSN International: spinning success from statistics software October 2012

Teaming up to fight bluetongue disease July 2012

Co-funding for international foot-and-mouth disease research July 2012

International policies on arsenic levels in food July 2012

Bioscience research supports UK equipment manufacturers July 2012

Impacts from David Phillips Fellowships May 2012

Long-term benefits from research into Streptomyces bacteria April 2012

Solexa Sequencing – Innovator 2010 overall winner March 2012

Superbroccoli February 2012

Growing plants with friendly fungi January 2012