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Written question asked by Lord Lebedev (Crossbench) on Monday, 23 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 March 2026. It was answered by Lord Vallance of Balham (Labour) on Monday, 9 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.


Genetic Engineering

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what funding and infrastructure they have provided to ensure that the UK is a global leader in synthetic biology.

Answer

Since 2024, UK Research and Innovation are investing £100 million in six Engineering Biology Mission Hubs, and 22 Engineering Biology Mission Awards. These hubs and awards are driving engineering biology towards tangible, mission-orientated impacts.

In December 2025 Government announced it will invest £644 million in engineering biology, including £184 million to build and upgrade scale‑up infrastructure and £196 million in research and development. This investment will be underpinned by skills development through Doctoral Focal Awards in Engineering Biology delivered through UKRI.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL14728
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Genetic engineering
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk