911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

As IMSE closes its doors, we want to thank all our Affiliates and Partners for their contributions over the years

The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering (IMSE) was launched in 2016 by Co-Directors Professor Claire Adjiman (Chemical Engineering) and Professor Nic Harrison (Chemistry), supported by Institute Manager Hannah Barclay. Its remit was to bring together cross-disciplinary teams of researchers, businesses and healthcare providers to address grand challenges to society and industry, through combined molecular-level and engineering-level research.

Since then, IMSE has grown to over 170 Affiliated research groups, a professional services team of four (Steph Pendlebury, Leah Adamson, Elena Corujo Simon and Annemarie van Basten), and Associate Directors Professor Jason Riley (Materials) and Professor Joao Cabral (Chemical Engineering), led by Director, Professor Amparo Galindo (Chemical Engineering).  

Building a Community

IMSE focused on building a cross-disciplinary community of academics and early career researchers (ECRs) across 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ. Ideation and co-creation workshops identified a series of grand challenges that could only be solved by experts from a wide range of disciplines working together. These Grand Challenges formed the foundation of the Institute's research and translation activities.

IMSE generated new collaborations between faculties and departments that will last for many years. It also successfully built new relationships generating many of the partnerships with industry that are now at the core of 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ's social and economic impact. Professor Claire Adjiman Co-Director of IMSE, Dept of Chemical Engineering

They developed and evolved into research themes, including: surface engineering to tackle antimicrobial resistance; carbon capture and utilisation; green plastics and sustainable fabrics; waste as a resource; and new drug delivery mechanisms for more effective medicines. A series of Highlight Seminars featured internationally recognised names from academia and industry, including Frances Arnold (Cal Tech), Matt Tirrell (Chicago University), Adah Almutairi (UCSD), Lee Cronin (Glasgow University), Pieter in't Veld (BASF), Marc Koper (Leiden University), and Chinedum Osuji (Yale).

In 2019, Tony Wood (SVP GSK) gave IMSE's inaugural Dr Theo George Wilson Lecture. This flagship event engaged researchers from academia and industry, students, and members of the public. The lectures discussed how molecular science and engineering is being used to address real-world challenges such as developing low-cost renewable energy technologies, new medicines and vaccines, or clean water and sanitation. Subsequent speakers included Kristala Prather (MIT), Teresa Lambe OBE (University of Oxford), Frances de los Reyes (NCSU), Sossina Haile (Northwestern University), and Saiful Islam (University of Bath, now at University of Oxford).  

IMSE formed collaborations with over 30 industrial partners, through co-creation workshops and collaborative grant proposals, proof-of-concept projects, and joint research projects for students on the Institute's Master's programme. Industrial partners ranged from spin-outs and start-ups (such as Nanomox, ProtonDx, Untap Health, Puraffinity, and Surface Measurement Systems) to large multinationals, including BASF, BP, Lavazza, Lilly, P&G, Syngenta, and Unilever.   

Further aspiring inclusivity, were live-streamed, with questions taken from the in-person and online audiences.
 

Thought Leadership

IMSE went beyond advancing knowledge, by shaping public and professional discourse to influence decision-makers. Our flagship series of Briefing Papers set out innovative solutions and policy recommendations, developed by 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ's experts.

Topics range from , to delivering drugs to brain tumours; managing plastic pollution through , to ; development of next-generation batteries, to ; and protecting public health through wearable tech, to .  

"I really enjoyed working with IMSE on the briefing paper about microbial foods. It was a truly collaborative effort bringing together key stakeholders and professional support that culminated in an outstanding publication and launch event." - Professor Rodrigo Amaro Ledesma (Co-Author, Microbial Foods as an alternative source of nutrients)

"The briefing policy paper supported by IMSE has been perhaps our most impactful outcome for broad audiences. Thanks to it my group has been approached by journalists on several occasions, including taking part on TV interviews and having a filming crew in the lab" - Dr Jose Jimenez Zarco (Co-Author, Using microbes to remove microplastics from wastewater and sewage sludge)

Bringing teams of experts together to write briefing papers also resulted in new interdisciplinary research collaborations. For example, Dr Jose Jimenez Zarco is part of a successful team awarded a UKRI Engineering Biology Mission Hub, to support research on preventing plastic pollution. 

Interdisciplinary research 

The Institute's primary purpose was to catalyse, support and promote interdisciplinary research to address societal and industrial challenges. Targeted funding opportunities included Leverhulme Research Centres, Sustainable Manufacturing Hubs, an EPSRC Smart & Sustainable Packaging call, and the recent UKRI Cross-Council call.  We convened teams of 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ academics and external partners to develop grant proposals for new research, providing project management and bid writing support, submitting proposals totalling over £25M. 

We are very proud of what IMSE has achieved and hope that its work will be continued in 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ's new Schools of Convergence Science. Professor Nic Harrison Co-Director of IMSE, Dept of Chemistry

We also supported early career researchers including postdocs, fellows and lecturers to initiate new collaborations with colleagues from other faculties and departments. Two schemes were developed: the IMSE Seed Fund Programme, and the IMSE Proposal Accelerator Scheme.  

Seed-funded projects received a small amount of IMSE funding to support 2-3 months of staff time and some consumables, which initiated proof-of-concept studies to support external funding proposals. Follow-on funding included several PhD studentships (mostly industry-funded), President's Excellence Fund for Frontier Research grants, and multiple externally funded projects (including a 1.5M ERC Starter Grant). In total, IMSE seed-fund projects generated over £6.3M of follow-on funding for 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ. 

The Proposal Accelerator Scheme supported postdocs and fellows to write their first external research grant, in collaboration with senior 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ academics from different departments. These generated a proposal to the recent UKRI Cross-Council call (involving academics from Chemical Engineering and Design Engineering, collaborating with UCL and paper marblers), and another on developing safer batteries, from academics in Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering. 

IMSE also supported the Network for Excellence in Science & Engineering Research for Cultural Heritage (SERCH), led by Professor Ambrose Taylor. The SERCH Network brings together 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ's academics with cultural heritage professionals from local and national museums, and organisations such as the National Trust, English Heritage, and The National Archives. IMSE supported the organisation of various events to develop links between 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ and cultural heritage organisations, and initiate new collaborations.  These included two conferences of science and engineering researchers, conservators and curators, and various co-creation workshops to investigate interdisciplinary research challenges for grant proposals.  

Training the next generation of researchers 

The Molecular Engineering MRes (Master's of Research) training programme was developed by IMSE in partnership with industry. This unique 12-month postgraduate programme was designed to train a new generation of 'multilingual' transdisciplinary scientists and engineers to work in academia or industry.

The IMSE MRes programme provided an innovative multidisciplinary approach to graduate education and its alumni now populate positions in academe and industry with a unique perspective on how to make the best use of science in technology. Professor Amparo Galindo Director of IMSE, Dept of Chemical Engineering

Students undertook taught modules (delivered by academics from 7 departments across 3 faculties), and a research project undertaken in collaboration with industry. Students presented their project results at the annual IMSE Research Showcase. Since 2018, 73 students have graduated from the programme, with around 50% going on to PhD. Our graduates pursue a wide range of careers, in industry, consultancy, and academia. 

Interdisciplinary PhD training was also a core aspect of IMSE's training activities. The IMSE ECR network brought together post-graduate students and postdocs to support cross-departmental networking and training. We also led and supported a wide range of proposals for doctoral training centres, on topics such as 'Climate-proofing formulations' (with Leeds University), and 'Digital skills for cultural conservation' (in partnership with museums and other heritage sector organisations). A Doctoral Landscape Award proposal that IMSE supported has just been funded by BBSRC.

"The Molecular Engineering MRes was a pioneering programme that exemplified IMSE's mission to tackle global challenges through convergence science. It brought students and academics together with industry partners to work across disciplines and apply molecular-level understanding to problems of real-world impact. As Director, I saw first-hand how the MRes fostered a unique environment for collaboration, equipping students with the skills to bridge academia and industry and to think creatively across traditional boundaries. I hope the legacy of this programme will continue to be recognised in shaping future interdisciplinary training at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ." - Ali-Salehi Reyhani (Co-Director of Masters in Molecular Engineering)

Public engagement with research 

Our outreach activities focused on stands at the and 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ Lates over the years. Members of the public interacted with students and researchers through games and hands-on activities, including 'Build your own multidisciplinary team' and contributing sustainability solution ideas written on 'leaves' stuck to the 'sustainability tree'.  

IMSE's ('Never lick the spoon') and blog raised the profile of the exciting interdisciplinary research at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ. They also gave students and early career researchers the opportunity to engage in science communication.

Our successes stem from the commitment of outstanding collaborations and passionate individuals. We are proud to have laid a remarkable foundation for a new era of cross-disciplinary science.  

What's next - Schools of Convergence Science 

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters and collaborators, including our academic Affiliates, industry and other partners, and our alumni, for their contributions over the years. The mantle of the Global Challenge Institutes is now being passed to the new Schools of Convergence Science.  

Launched as part of 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ's Science for Humanity strategy, the overarching vision for Convergence Science seeks to connect and deeply integrate research and innovation from across academic disciplines and industrial fields in the service of practical challenges that are too complex to tackle in isolation.  

Future Building - bringing together innovators from 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ and partner organisations in academia, business, and government, to create and scale joined-up solutions to complex challenges in: 

• Health and Technology - helping shift the global conversation from treating illness to sustaining lifelong health across populations and geographies. 

• Sustainability - accelerating solutions for planetary health and human prosperity.

• Human and Artificial Intelligence - augmenting the intelligence of humans and machines to help humanity thrive.

• Space, Security and Telecoms - helping connect, protect, and know our worlds, helping set the global agenda at the intersection of these disciplines.

Over the coming months, there will be opportunities for you to engage directly with this exciting new initiative. In the meantime, please do connect with the School co-directors or explore partnership opportunities with our Enterprise team, who are hosting in-person events and 1:1 conversations: enterprise@imperial.ac.uk. 

We look forward to seeing the next phase of interdisciplinary research develop at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ!