New innovation centre for medical technology chooses Yorkshire for northern base

It marks the first step in a strategic partnership between the University of Leeds, innovation community Nexus and the NML.

Professor Julian Braybrook, UK government chemist and director of science and partnerships of national laboratories at LGC, said: “Cells provide the structure and function for all living things. However, they are particularly complex to characterise robustly.

"Whilst the partnership coming together through this hub represents significant progress in our collaboration, I most look forward to our working together to develop new internationally leading approaches that support the greater understanding of biological measurement.”

The hub, which represents a new centre for the NML’s existing cell metrology capabilities in the UK, will support health and life science industries achieve safe, reliable and productive solutions through innovative technology and will focus on the standardisation of cell measurements, using flow cytometry and bio-imaging techniques, for analysis of single cells.

Dr Martin Stow, chair and director at Nexus, added: “This is yet another huge accolade for Leeds City Region as a centre of excellence and innovation in healthcare and life sciences.

"As part of the Leeds Innovation Arc – the innovation neighbourhoods formed around our universities and the proposed new adult and children’s hospitals in the city – the new hub confirms Leeds’ status as a welcoming and thriving location for businesses and organisations which have a positive impact on people’s health and society’s wellbeing.”

In addition to the university as partner, the new hub has local support from the Mayor of West Yorkshire, as well as the Yorkshire & Humberside Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Professor Nick Plant, deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Leeds, said: “This partnership is the start of an exciting long-term collaboration between the University of Leeds, Nexus and the NML, further developing our reputation as a national hub for medical technology innovation. We will be working closely with the NML, sharing vital knowledge and equipment through our Cellular Biology specialists at the University’s Astbury Centre.”

LGC makes tools to test food and drug safety. Its tools play a key role in customer workflows from discovery applications through to commercial manufacture.

They enable its customers to bring new diagnostics and therapies to market, progress research and development, optimise food production, and continuously monitor and enhance the quality of food, the environment and consumer products.

LGC is headquartered in Teddington, west London, and has operations worldwide.

It was a public body, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, until it was privatised in 1996.

The company employs over 4,300 employees, of which 27 per cent hold PhD and/or master's degrees.​

It operates from a global network of accredited sites that showcase its scientific and manufacturing capabilities.