Harwell-based Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI) (
www.rosalindfranklin.edu) has been awarded £1.55 million towards the development of a time-resolved high-resolution transmission electron microscope.
This £10 million project will see the building of a ‘ground breaking’ microscope that will be the first of its kind in the world.
The project is being led by Professor Angus Kirkland, and follows the Government’s announcement in February 2017 confirming that the Rosalind Franklin Institute has been funded with a £103 million investment through its Industrial Strategy.
Universities and Science Minister, Sam Gyimah, said: “This first grant will develop just what the Institute and our Industrial Strategy seeks to achieve — world-leading science that can help create the next generation of life-saving drugs.
Through our Industrial Strategy, we are also supporting vital research and innovation that will help create the high-value high-skilled jobs that will make Britain fit for the future.”
JEOL, a leading manufacturer of electron microscopes that will be supplying the equipment for the first stage of this project, is also making a significant investment in a partnership with RFI.
Managing director Shaun Quill said: “This microscope will be one of the most advanced electron microscopes in the world, linking the technology of electron microscopy across physical and life sciences.
"Electron microscopy has made enormous progress in the last decade and it is great to see the UK at the forefront of future developments.”
The project will significantly advance the electron microscopy for life sciences within the UK, a technique that allows visualisation of structures at near atomic scale in time and space.
The ability to quickly image structures before they degrade will allow researchers to understand how drugs interact with their targets and enable understanding of many biological processes in fine detail.