Cambridge University merges Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Institute on new site

The Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute of Biotechnology at the UK University of Cambridge have merged to form a single Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge have merged to form a single Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The University said the move would enable the new organisation increase cross-disciplinary research to address emerging global challenges.

The merger is also expected to promote new research directions, especially in "fundamental bioscience, multi-scale (bio) reaction engineering, biopharmaceutical expression and purification, imaging, proteomics, drug targeting, sensors and diagnostics, and 'smart' materials", said Professor Chris Lowe, director of the Institute of Biotechnology.

Professor Lynn Gladden, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, said:

"Chemical Engineering recognised that it did not have the breadth of expertise in relevant biological subjects to capitalise on research opportunities in bio-energy, biopharmaceuticals, and bioproduct engineering,"

She went on to add that the Institute of Biotechnology would also be "better positioned to achieve its goals" as it would benefit from "the theoretical and numerical skills related to transport and reaction processes which lie at the core of the chemical engineering discipline".

Professor Lowe also underlined the reciprocity of the merger, when he pointed out that the Institute of Biotechnology will be able to "take advantage of the core quantitative skills within Chemical Engineering".

Plans for building a new department on the West Cambridge site over the next few years are under way and a potential site has been identified.