This year saw the launch of the Centre for Microbial Interactions, representing one of the world’s largest concentrations of microbiologists on a single site at Norwich Research Park. Project manager Dr Sam Rowe reveals the journey up to this point.
Our story began in 2017 with the launch of Microbes in Norwich (or MICRON). This was an internal network of microbiologists that came together for biennial meetings to help build partnerships and share knowledge across Norwich Research Park.
As membership and interest grew, we realised the potential for a more formal body that fostered both internal and external collaboration - with capacity to showcase the strength of our microbiology research, teaching and scientific facilities. Following a period of development and close work with the local microbiology community we officially launched the Centre for Microbial Interactions in September 2024.
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Norwich has a rich history of microbiology research and is one of the largest scientific communities in Europe (if not the world) working in this area with over 100 research groups. The new Centre gives us the opportunity to harness the breadth and capacity of this expertise to drive high-quality research and innovation in a coordinated way.
Forming new connections
Excellent work is being done by each of the six partner organisations at Norwich Research Park so the Centre can support and promote this whilst helping to form new national and international connections that enable interdisciplinary research. With our new website and social media channels we can also regularly share news and opportunities with the wider microbiology community.
My hope is that the Centre for Microbial Interactions will be a useful platform for bringing people together and supporting the development of collaborative grants. Our website will give scientists the chance to promote their latest publications, studentships, job opportunities and events.
We will also coordinate a range of seminars and workshops focussed on topics suggested by our members. I think a shared identity under the Centre will really help people highlight the collective knowledge and expertise in Norwich when presenting their work at events around the world.
Early input
Going through the process of developing the new Centre has already been really beneficial because we’ve connected with the diverse microbiology community here and collected early input from a wide range of staff and students.
We want everyone to feel represented within the Centre so it’s been really encouraging to hear their positive feedback following the launch. Ultimately we hope the Centre will be a key contributor to microbiology in the UK (and beyond) with positive long-term impacts for plants, people and the planet.
One of the great strengths of Norwich Research Park - combining the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Earlham Institute, Quadram Institute, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals and the University of East Anglia - is the diversity of our microbiology work. We encompass a wide range of research themes from antimicrobial resistance and biotechnology to infection biology and biogeochemistry - with applications in medicine, agriculture, food, energy and climate change.
Collective power
A specific example of collaborative working was our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From creating 3D-printed face shields to diagnostic tests and vaccine delivery methods, efforts across Norwich Research Park showcased the collective power of cross-organisation and multi-disciplinary work to provide rapid solutions in challenging environments.
So far it’s been really rewarding to see everyone’s enthusiasm for the new Centre. It’s great that the community recognises the need for this initiative and I’m incredibly grateful for all the support they’ve shown over the past few months.
I’m also constantly learning more about the fascinating work done here, particularly how our microbiology expertise spans a huge range of scales - from chemical processes within a cell, to communication between different microorganisms, and interactions with hosts and the environment.
Annual events programme
Now that we’ve formally launched, the Centre for Microbial Interactions will be developing an annual events programme involving research conferences, training workshops and outreach activities. Our first two-day annual conference takes place in February 2025 and we currently have a PhD intern working on our public engagement contributions to the popular Norwich Science Festival 2025.
This will involve a family-friendly microbiology trail around Norwich city centre to share local research findings with new audiences in an accessible way. Overall, we’re really looking forward to supporting the microbiology community at Norwich Research Park and building our external collaborations. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more and if you would like to work with us.
Website: https://www.cmi-norwich.ac.uk/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/micronorwich
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmi-norwich
Email: sam.rowe@quadram.ac.uk
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