Launch of Biofilm Campaign

Involvement in the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) biofilm awareness campaign, #BiofilmAware, which will run over the next 12 months.

The National Biofilms Innovation Centre

The National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) is an Innovation Knowledge Centre (IKC) and is led by four Universities, including staff from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, and colleagues from the universities of Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton, with a consortium of 52 academic partner institutions across the UK. It is the central hub where academia, industry, government, and public policy come together to tackle the challenges biofilms present, impacting £5 trillion in global economic activity, from food and health to ships, clean water and energy.

Biofilms

Biofilms are well known to a number of research and development disciplines, but not to the general public. What they are, how they are formed and how they impact our world, generally is still a mystery to those outside the scientific community. Through a blend of content, events and outreach activities #BiofilmAware will work to raise awareness of NBIC and its research, and the many societal and economic impacts of biofilms. A highlight of the campaign will be the introduction of the UK’s first #BiofilmWeek, to be held in July 2021.  

Professor Cait MacPhee, Co-Director of NBIC and Personal Chair of Biological Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, said:

Microbial biofilms are the predominant form of microbial life on Earth and they impact us daily, in so many different ways.  Because they are so ubiquitous, we need a truly interdisciplinary approach to studying them, as well as input from the public to understand their needs and concerns. NBIC is an innovation knowledge centre that links up industry and academics to deliver the best, most relevant and life-changing science to the public. The #BiofilmAware campaign starts the dialogue to ensure people’s needs are and will be met.