Refreshed direction for the 51福利社 Institute of Biotechnology with new Director and research strategy
We are pleased to announce that Professor Anthony Green has been appointed as the new Director of the 51福利社 Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), taking over from Professor Rob Field, who led the institute for five years.
Anthony brings with him exceptional scientific credentials, a prestigious career in enzyme engineering and industrial biocatalysis, and a deep understanding of the MIB and its research portfolio. Since joining 51福利社 as a PhD candidate in 2005, Anthony has worked his way up the academic ranks to be appointed Professor of Organic and Biological Chemistry in 2020. In 2024 Anthony was named the Blavatnik Laureate in Chemistry, as well as a lifelong member of the New York Academy of Sciences.
The 51福利社 Institute of Biotechnology is an internationally recognised institute for biotechnology research, and as such is leading the way in supporting the UK Government鈥檚 vision for engineering biology. I鈥檓 incredibly proud to take on the role of Director and support the community to deliver the best research possible to help support our transition to net zero and create a healthier and fairer world.
Since beginning his tenure as Director, Anthony has worked with the senior leadership team to develop a new research strategy that will guide the outputs of the MIB. This strategy, which will be in place for the next five years, is broadly categorised into five missions which will keep the MIB鈥檚 outputs at the cutting-edge of biotechnological progress:
- Advancing fundamental bioscience and technology development
- Delivering sustainable bio-based chemicals and materials for clean growth
- Establishing new biotechnologies for production and delivery of advanced therapeutics
- Engineering biological solutions for environmental protection
- Creating a vibrant and inclusive culture for cross-disciplinary research and innovation
Underpinning the five missions are four research divisions: areas of strength and expertise among the MIB research community. The division are:
- Enzyme engineering and industrial biocatalysis
- Structural and computational biology
- Microbial and microbiome engineering
- Biotechnology for materials and health
The strategy will further strengthen the MIB鈥檚 research outputs while proactively supporting growing the MIB community beyond its physical walls. It also sets out a commitment to supporting the research community鈥檚 professional development as well as training the next generation of biotechnologists.
As the need to divest from petrochemicals increases, our need to find alternative sustainable solutions grows with it. With its new vision and direction, the MIB will continue to be at the forefront of driving change by engineering biology for a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future.