A UK-first £20 million high-security robotic AI laboratory designed to accelerate the discovery of next-generation drugs and vaccines for deadly infectious diseases has launched in Liverpool.
The new Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory, based at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, will give businesses and academics access to advanced technology to develop and test innovative treatments.
The facility will use human organoids – miniature organs grown from human cells – to provide a more accurate indication of how new treatments may react in the body than traditional animal-based testing.
Developed through the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), the laboratory has received £10 million of support through the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone programme and is expected to open fully in 2027.
The secure Containment Level 3 (CL3) facility will allow partners to safely work with dangerous pathogens using cutting-edge robotics, automated liquid-handling systems and artificial intelligence.
It also meets Schedule Five biohazard security requirements and has been designed in preparation for forthcoming changes to the Terrorism Act, positioning the steel-clad laboratory as an important new UK biosecurity asset.
As well as supporting the development of potentially life-saving treatments, the facility is forecast to generate £40 million of investment during its first three years, while creating highly skilled jobs and supporting further research across the Liverpool City Region.
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.”
A major focus of the laboratory will be the use of organoids, with models including liver, lung, tonsillar and skin tissueavailable to commercial partners developing new drugs and vaccines.
The technology provides researchers with human-relevant models that can offer greater insight into how potential treatments will behave before they progress further through development.
The approach also supports the UK Government’s £75 million national roadmap to move away from animal testing in science towards human-relevant alternatives.
Businesses of all sizes will be able to access the Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory, with iiCON supporting initial pilot research to help companies explore new approaches using organoid testing.
The programme is expected to be particularly valuable to SMEs and start-ups developing novel medicines and vaccines, giving smaller companies access to sophisticated infrastructure and expertise that may otherwise be difficult to obtain.
The laboratory will also enable closer collaboration between researchers and industry and, in the longer term, support the development of regulatory dossiers required for the approval of new treatments.
The new facility forms part of the next stage of iiCON’s development, strengthening links between industry, academia and the NHS and helping accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to commercially available drugs and vaccines.
Part of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone, the laboratory has been funded 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.
Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, said:
“We’re so pleased to be marking the launch of this landmark facility. Research using human organoids is at the cutting-edge of infection 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. We are interested in working with companies from start-ups through to multinationals.
“A central pillar of the Liverpool City Region’s Life Sciences Innovation Zone, this facility strengthens the region’s position as a global hub for infection and reinforces iiCON and LSTM’s commitment to fostering impactful collaborations, supporting industry, and creating high-value jobs – ensuring this facility delivers real-world impact for patients, communities, and the wider economy.”
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 R&D while delivering precision and reproducibility.
“This programme aligns with our regional commitment to driving health innovation and regional prosperity, ensuring that the Liverpool City Region remains at the forefront of health science innovation and impact.”
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