The Institute for Life Sciences

 

Modern scientific research is undergoing a revolution

In universities and research institutes around the world the boundaries between the traditional disciplines of biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering are rapidly becoming less distinct. As these boundaries dissolve, we stand on the brink of a scientific revolution. This twenty-first century revolution is driven by the increasing realisation that solutions to the complex and rapidly developing problems facing society require the combined skills and expertise of the multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers.

With the University of Southampton ranking in the top four institutions in the UK for Biomedical research, Environmental Sciences and Engineering and with a strong track record in interdisciplinary research, we are uniquely placed to make major contributions to this scientific revolution. To ensure that the University is able to take full advantage of the hugely exciting potential that already exists in its research groups, it has supported the development of a dynamic physical environment in the shape of the landmark Life Sciences Building, which is due to open for business in the autumn of 2010.

Creating space for challenging minds

As well as delivering undergraduate education for the Schools of Biological Sciences and Medicine, and research in the life sciences, the Life Sciences Building will showcase the full range of University expertise and activity that is already taking place at the life sciences interface and provide a new integrated research base for the University’s significant numbers of life scientists, environmentalists, engineers, physicists, mathematicians and chemists who are already working together. These scientists will be brought together to form a new strategic grouping: The Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS).

The aim of the IfLS is to pioneer an innovative approach to developing multidisciplinary research, and a commitment to develop new talent for the future through new cross-Faculty undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in interdisciplinary subjects. It will provide a novel environment in which to develop researchers who are literate in more than one core science and engineering discipline. These highly skilled individuals will be better equipped to address the grand challenges that will face scientists in the 21st century, and to respond to these challenges as innovators and leaders of multidisciplinary teams.

Enabling research at the interface

Our reputation for world-leading research extends across the full breadth of life and physical sciences, electronic engineering and computer science. Our strong track record in multidisciplinary research is particularly apparent in biomedicine, environmental biosciences and molecular biology, as well as in the areas of biomicrodevices, bionanotechnology and chemical biology. With the generation of new knowledge at its heart and a mission to apply scientific discovery to the unmet needs of the modern world, the IfLS represents a University-wide collaboration that brings together our best scientists and engineers.

The first physical manifestation of this will be the Life Sciences Interface Laboratory, to be located in the Life Sciences building, which will support research activity in Bioelectronics and Bioengineering.

Bioelectronics and Bioengineering
The convergence of life sciences with micro and nanotechnologies is one of the fastest growing areas of research and development. Its impact will be widespread and lead to radical changes in the way that experimental science is conducted. Much of this research is applied, and requires an integrated approach that greatly benefits from the co-location of engineers, biologists, chemists and technologists in one building. Here, both fundamental research and technological advances will flourish through continuous collaboration across the disciplines.

Initial research in the new facility will encompass three themes:

• The science and applied technology of bio-interfacial systems

• Developing semi- biotic systems

• Investigating new concepts of information processing