Biomedical Sciences Research Institute

Centre for Molecular Biosciences

Welcome to a Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Research, the UK’s top-rated unit for Biomedical Sciences Research

The School of Biomedical Sciences attained the highest possible rating of 5* in the 1996 and 2001 Research Assessment Exercises (RAE), demonstrating that its research is of international excellence and placing the University first in the United Kingdom in this highly competitive area.

In order to build on this achievement, the University designated Biomedical Sciences as one of the very high priority research areas that it would selectively support and develop in order to:-

sustain and enhance this international excellence;
maintain and develop the University’s competitive edge/advantage in the highly competitive field of the biosciences; and
strengthen the position of Biomedical research as one of the key wealth creating sectors of the 21st Century.

The University’s Biomedical Science Research Strategy is in line with Northern Ireland Technology Foresight recommendations and focuses on nutrition and on degenerative diseases. A major boost to this strategy was the University’s success in obtaining funding of £14.5m, under the Support Programme for University Research (SPUR) initiative, to facilitate the construction and equipping of a new Centre for Molecular Biosciences (CMB) at the Coleraine Campus.

This investment in the University’s world-class Biomedical research has enabled a dramatic expansion and diversification of this high quality research activity within a state-of-the-art environment. The CMB, and the facilities, equipment and technologies it provides, has further established the University of Ulster as one of the world’s leading biomedical research centres concentrating on degenerative diseases, especially their interaction with nutritional factors. The technological expertise being used to conduct this research is based on genomics, proteomics, molecular imaging, transgenics, biotechnology and the related discipline of bioinformatics/ systems biology.

The SPUR funding has been used to provide a new four-storey, 6,700 square metre building with laboratory facilities housing the highest specification equipment currently available. The CMB building was designed by Boswell Mitchell Johnston & Co. (Glasgow) and GM Design (Coleraine) in collaboration with the scientific users of the building and the University’s Physical Resources Department.

The CMB will further establish Northern Ireland as a Centre of Excellence in molecular biosciences and, together with the University of Ulster Technology Transfer section and Science Research Park activities will help to establish the University of Ulster as a major location for bio-related industries in Northern Ireland.

Support Programme for University Research (SPUR)

Latest News

University of Ulster Research Generates Over £29 Million For Northern Ireland

Professor Norman Black, Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation said that research undertaken at Ulster over the past year has more than fulfilled expectations:

“Research and Innovation at the University of Ulster continues to grow and to make major contributions to the economic and social wellbeing of Northern Ireland and beyond. This past year has seen us climb to a position where we are in the top third of research institutions in the country and are, again, amongst the top performers in the UK in translating our research and research expertise into significant economic benefit.”