The network

Five universities, a cluster of companies, and a set of research centres that mostly do not talk to each other as much as they could.

Research centres and groups

A directory of the places doing synthetic and engineering biology in the region. If your group is missing, tell us.

  • Newcastle

    Centre for Synthetic Biology and the Bioeconomy (CSBB)

    Multidisciplinary synthetic biology across all faculties; hosts an MSc in Synthetic Biology.

  • Newcastle

    Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS)

    Computational design, bio-design automation and synthetic biology data infrastructure.

  • Newcastle & Northumbria

    Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE)

    Living construction, engineered materials and biotechnology for buildings.

  • Durham

    Centre for Programmable Biological Matter

    Protein nanotechnology, DNA nanostructures and programmable biomaterials.

  • Northumbria

    Department of Applied Sciences

    Engineering biology, metabolic pathway engineering and industrial biotechnology.

This directory is being expanded to cover Sunderland and Teesside during 2026.

Where we are, honestly

Every NEUK seminar so far has been hosted at Newcastle University, with speakers and attendees drawn from across the region and from institutions nationally.

From 2026 we are rotating the programme between partner campuses, so that a researcher at Durham or Sunderland does not have to travel to Newcastle to take part. If you can host a session, we would like to hear from you.

Offer to host

Beyond the universities

The regional picture includes the Northern Accelerator collaboration, industry partners across the Tees Valley process cluster, and a growing set of synthetic biology companies spun out of North East research.

Company scientists have presented at NEUK from InvenireX, NunaBio, GitLife Biotech, MarraBio and Gains.Bio.