ChELSI, University of Sheffield

ChELSI - Chemical Engineering at the Life Science Interfaces - is a unique new research institute at the University of Sheffield.

Their purpose is to create a centre of research excellence founded on co-operation between chemical engineers and biologists and focusing on medical research. 

It is the intention to revolutionise the way life science research is conducted in the UK by adding a new chemical engineering based quantitative systems-level dimension. The ultimate goal is to create ideal conditions for a new type of world-class research leading to biomedical breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, therapies and disease treatments. The University of Sheffield is a UK leader in crossing traditional boundaries between chemical engineering and the life sciences and has already made serious staff, laboratories and equipment investments in the field. A £4.3m EPSRC grant was awarded in 2006 in recognition of this, and to allow the university to develop a brand-new centre to take their work to a new level and to engage with colleagues throughout the country. Historically, the University has focused on heavy combustion engineering; in the 1990s there was a move towards a more molecular focus, and more recently a bio-science bias has been established. The funding is effectively to apply engineering skills to medical issues.

The new ChELSI facilities will provide a base from which the department can provide funding support and specialist training to enable chemical engineers and life scientists to work together on solving problems that cross boundaries between the two disciplines in purpose-designed laboratories.

The facility will provide accommodation in these key areas: ·

• It will provide a dedicated entrance link block joining ChELSI to the existing entrance to the Materials Engineering Department.
• It will provide 280m² of office accommodation both for administration staff, bringing them into the heart of the department, as well as academic staff and students.
• It will incorporate a central ideas space where researchers can meet to discuss problems including theme days and symposia, with the capacity to host visiting academics and students, introducing them to techniques and to potential collaborators.
• It will provide 460m² of specialist laboratory accommodation for research staff and a dedicated teaching laboratory for students.