COVID catalysts: biotechnology

As we seek solutions to the challenges of COVID-19, biotechnology addresses our emerging need for more sustainable sources of energy, as well as developing new materials and affordable medicines.

In our lectures, we explore how research at Manchester is tackling these issues and how the global COVID-19 pandemic is shaping our approach to green growth and health innovation.  

Our experts offer insights into how bioenergy can be used in our energy economy to limit our CO2 emissions, as well as helping us to supply enough energy to keep up with increasing demand. We also look at how biotechnology is used to create sustainable, scalable, and affordable materials, and how they contribute to creating a circular net zero carbon economy. 

More immediately, biotechnology has the capacity to manipulate biological processes to create affordable and scalable medicines, something that is at the forefront of everyone’s minds while we continue our search for a vaccine.