Liverpool launches UK-first £20m high-security robotic AI lab to accelerate drug and vaccine discovery
核心洞察
The £20 million Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory, the first facility of its kind in the UK, has officially opened at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
The facility combines advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and human organoid technology to speed up drug and vaccine development while reducing reliance on animal testing.
Built to Containment Level 3 (CL3) and Schedule Five biohazard security standards, the steel-clad lab enables safe, automated work with dangerous pathogens such as salmonella (搜索) and TB.
A pioneering £20 million robotic artificial intelligence laboratory designed to transform the development of new drugs and vaccines for some of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases has officially launched in Liverpool. The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory, the first facility of its kind in the UK, brings together advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and human organoid technology to help researchers and industry partners develop next-generation treatments faster, more accurately and with reduced reliance on animal testing.
Developed through the Infection Innovation Consortium (搜索) (iiCON), the facility represents a significant investment in the UK's life sciences sector and reinforces Liverpool City Region's growing reputation as an international hub for infection research and innovation. Located at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), the new laboratory has received £10 million in support from the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone programme. While operational activity is beginning, the facility is scheduled to become fully open in 2027.
A high-security, future-proof biosecurity asset
The laboratory has been built to provide a highly secure environment for researchers working with hazardous pathogens. Its new Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratory incorporates state-of-the-art robotics, AI-driven systems and advanced liquid handling technology designed to accelerate the testing and development of new therapeutics.
Importantly, the facility meets Schedule Five biohazard security requirements, ensuring it is equipped for the safe handling of dangerous infectious agents and prepared for upcoming changes to UK terrorism legislation. The steel-clad structure has been designed as a future-proof national biosecurity asset that supports both public health protection and scientific advancement.
Scientists will use cutting-edge automated technology to work with dangerous pathogens like salmonella (搜索) and TB in the CL3 lab. By testing their effects on organoids, they will gain a better understanding of how effective new treatments will be in humans.
Claire Caygill, post-doctoral research assistant who has been integrating the robotics and biology at the lab, said: "The amount of data the robotics will be able to capture is way beyond what we would be capable of so this is going to be an exciting new challenge for us. We now have the capacity to work on high-consequence pathogens without needing a human interface, so it takes away the risk for lab workers while allowing us to do experiments at scale and at speed."
Organoid technology at the core
A key feature of the Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory is its use of organoid technology. Organoids are miniature versions of human organs grown from human cells, enabling researchers to better understand how drugs and vaccines may behave within the human body. The facility will offer a range of organoid models, including liver, lung, tonsillar and skin tissues, providing pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, SMEs and start-ups with access to cutting-edge testing platforms.
Professor Giancarlo Biagini, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at LSTM, said: "The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory is an advanced facility that builds on years of pioneering organoid research at LSTM and partner organisations. It harnesses the potential held by this exciting technology to accelerate the development of advanced human infection models for emerging and high-consequence diseases. By incorporating machine learning, AI and robotics in a highly secure Category 3 facility, we are automating the development and commercialisation of these advanced organoid models, to expand the scale and speed of infectious disease research and development while delivering precision and reproducibility."
Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, added: "Research using human organoids is at the cutting-edge of infection research and development (R&D) – moving drug discovery away from animal testing and offering new ways of shaping more targeted treatments to respond to some of our most challenging infections. As industry responds to changing regulatory pathways, we are offering an advanced platform for pioneering experimental R&D through the development of advanced organoid models. This will support commercial innovation and accelerate the discovery and development of a new generation of drugs and vaccines."
Aligning with the shift away from animal testing
This approach aligns closely with the UK Government's £75 million roadmap aimed at reducing reliance on animal testing and increasing the use of ethical, human-relevant scientific models. By supporting early-stage research and pilot projects through iiCON, businesses will be able to explore innovative testing methods while generating evidence that could ultimately support regulatory approval processes for new medicines and vaccines.
Open to businesses of all sizes, the Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory will support initial pilot research to enable companies to explore new approaches using organoid testing, offering particular benefit to SMEs and start-ups developing novel drugs and vaccines.
Economic impact and regional leadership
Beyond its scientific capabilities, the new laboratory is expected to deliver significant economic benefits. Forecasts suggest the facility could attract as much as £40 million in investment during its first three years of operation. The project is also expected to create highly skilled jobs, strengthen research partnerships and attract additional life sciences businesses to the Liverpool City Region.
The development forms a key component of the wider Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone, which aims to accelerate health innovation, commercialisation and inward investment across the region. Funding for the Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory has been provided through a £10 million investment from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, alongside support from Research England's Expanding Excellence in England (E3) Fund and The Wolfson Foundation.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "Liverpool has been leading the fight against infectious diseases for generations, and this new facility will help keep us at the cutting edge. We're bringing together AI, robotics and world-class research into one place, which means we can develop new drugs and vaccines faster, save lives and reduce the need for animal testing. This is exactly the kind of investment our Life Sciences Innovation Zone was designed to deliver, creating good jobs, attracting further investment and cementing our position as a global leader in infection innovation."
The facility is expected to play a central role in the next phase of iiCON's growth, further strengthening collaboration between industry, academia and the NHS to speed up the discovery, development and commercialisation of new treatments for infectious diseases.