- The University of Sheffield has been recommissioned to jointly host the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Environmental Omics Facility for the next seven years
- The facility will support research tackling global challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change
- The original concept of the facility was developed in 1998 by Professor Terry Burke from the University of Sheffield and has served the UK ever since
A facility providing environmental scientists across the UK access to vital expertise and infrastructure to help advance their research has been funded through to 2031.
The University of Sheffield has been awarded funding to continue hosting the NERC Environmental Omics Facility (NEOF) for the next seven years, providing environmental researchers across the UK with access to innovative technologies.
The £16 million Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) award via the British Geological Survey will mean that the NERC Environmental Omics Facility (NEOF), a partnership between world-leading labs at the Universities of Liverpool and Sheffield, can continue to support researchers tackling big questions on biodiversity loss, climate change, soil health and more.
NEOF first went live in 2020 as a centre of excellence that allowed the UK to maintain and develop its world-leading position in environmental omics, and empower the next generation of environmental researchers. Omics refers to disciplines in biology such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.
The facility, which will be recommissioned from 1 April 2024 for a seven year period, will also support studies in a range of fields such as evolution, conservation, animal behaviour, biodiversity and pollution monitoring.
The original concept of the facility was invented in 1998 by Professor Terry Burke, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences.
Professor Jon Slate, NEOF Director at the University of Sheffield, said: “We are thrilled that NERC have recognised the importance of our work and committed to renewing the Environmental 'Omics Facility for seven more years. It means that we can continue to support the very best research in ecology and environmental science.
“Visitors to the Sheffield facility come from all over the UK where they are taught how to design a genomics project, how to prepare DNA and RNA samples, and how to analyse next generation sequence data to address the most pressing ecological questions. We also run regular data analysis and bioinformatics training sessions for UK-based researchers carrying out ecological research. The NEOF Visitor Facility is housed in the Genomics Laboratory in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield, and we work in tandem with the University of Liverpool."
Professor Peter Liss, Interim Executive Chair of NERC, said: “NERC is committed to fostering ambitious world-leading research in environmental sciences, including investing in the UK’s national capability in environmental science analytical facilities, plus support and research equipment for fieldwork.
“This significant investment in NERC’s Scientific Support and Facilities portfolio will ensure that our facilities can continue to provide the expertise and support to continue to meet demand from the environmental science community over the next seven years.”
