£75m UK Biobank centre construction ready

Construction is set to start on UK Biobank’s new £75m centre at Bruntwood SciTech’s Manchester Science Park.Secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Michelle Donelan visited Manchester Science Park this week (7 February) to officially mark the future site of the centre ready for construction.UK Biobank is a comprehensive source of health data used for research, providing access to de-identified data to approved researchers worldwide.The new 131,000 sq ft building, of which UK Biobank will occupy three floors, will include laboratory space and a latest-generation robotic freezer that stores and retrieves UK Biobank’s 20 million biological samples four times faster than before, revolutionising the pace of scientific discovery.It will increase UK Biobank’s capacity, speed and efficiency and is supported by a £127.6m award from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund for the next phase of UK Biobank’s development.UK Biobank will be located alongside fast-growth life science businesses working in diagnostics, genomics, biotech and precision medicine in the highly specialist purpose-built building, which includes specialist labs and features such as increased vibration resistance, piped gas distribution systems, enhanced cooling and ventilation systems, high security access and 100GB superfast connectivity.Michelle Donelan, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said: “UK Biobank makes an unparalleled contribution to science across the whole world, by putting invaluable information at researchers’ fingertips. It is already unlocking insights with the potential to detect Parkinson’s sooner, and tackle heart disease. It is without question a jewel in the crown of UK science, and an envy of the world.”UK Biobank’s new home at Manchester Science Park – supported with an accelerated £21m from Government – will mean it has the state-of-the-art facilities it needs, to keep its place at the forefront of our understanding of human health.”The new centre is due to open in 2026 and will house UK Biobank’s biological samples, laboratories, headquarters and around half of its 250 staff.Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester and member of UK Biobank’s Board, added: “Manchester is home to a globally acclaimed science and technology base and I’m really excited for UK Biobank to join this bustling hub of terrific research organisations which work closely with the University of Manchester to push the boundaries of science.”The secretary of state was joined by senior representatives from UKRI, the University of Manchester, Bruntwood SciTech, and UK Biobank. To mark this celebration, the secretary of state completed the planting of the ‘living wall’ hoarding for the site, which will be maintained throughout construction before becoming part of a seven-metre-high, two-storey green wall wrapping around the building to act as a layer of insulation, increase biodiversity and improve air quality.