UOS CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

Translational Energy Research Centre

The fight against climate change demands innovative solutions for clean energy. The Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) is a world-leading pilot-scale research facility in Sheffield, England.

TERC bridges the gap between academic research and real-world applications, working alongside industry to develop and test green energy solutions for a sustainable future.

State-of-the-Art Facilities for Green Energy Development

Everything for Mission-Oriented R&D: TERC boasts comprehensive facilities with the capacity to test, optimize, and demonstrate green energy technologies at scale. This allows companies large and small to focus on commercially viable R&D.
Expertise Across the Green Energy Spectrum: From hydrogen and bioenergy to carbon capture and sustainable aviation fuels, TERC offers expertise in a wide range of clean energy solutions.

Accelerating Decarbonization Through Collaboration

Partnering for Progress: TERC actively collaborates with industrial partners, from start-ups to established organizations, to accelerate their decarbonization efforts through cutting-edge research and development.
Pilot-Scale Testing for Faster Market Entry: The centre's pilot-scale facilities enable companies to develop viable solutions ready for commercialization, ensuring a faster transition from research to real-world applications.

Resources for Innovation

Extensive Pilot-Scale Rigs: Housing over 30 permanent, state-of-the-art rigs with room for expansion, TERC offers unmatched flexibility for testing diverse clean energy technologies.
A Holistic Approach: Individual rigs can be integrated for a "whole energy system" approach, allowing researchers to evaluate the synergy between different technologies for optimal efficiency.
Cutting-Edge Equipment: Researchers have access to a comprehensive range of advanced equipment for research in various clean energy fields, including carbon capture, sustainable fuels, hydrogen, and smart grids.

A Hub for Clean Energy Innovation

Synergy with the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC): TERC's close collaboration with SAF-IC fuels innovation in sustainable aviation fuels, pushing the boundaries of clean transportation.
Powerhouse of Energy Expertise: As part of the University of Sheffield's Energy Institute, TERC has access to over 300 leading energy researchers, ensuring cutting-edge expertise informs their work.
Strategic Location for Regional Impact: Situated within the University of Sheffield Innovation District and neighbouring South Yorkshire's Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, TERC fosters collaboration with other research centres like the AMRC and NAMRC. This fosters regional economic growth, innovation, and the collective pursuit of net-zero emissions.

The Translational Energy Research Centre stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against climate change. By combining cutting-edge facilities, strong partnerships, and a dedication to innovation, TERC is paving the way for a decarbonized future, one green energy solution at a time.

Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre

The University of Sheffield is internationally renowned for its world-class neurodegenerative research. With state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, a clinical database of over 2,000 patients and a large resource of human biosamples and brain-bank material generously donated by patients, we have earned their place as one of the leading players in gene therapy research and innovation.

In partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the National Institute for Health Research Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, their world-class team is driving experimental science into international clinical trials to combat devastating neurodegenerative diseases and transform millions of lives.

The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC) is a new initiative that expands on this work.

Here's what they do:

Develop new gene therapies: The GTIMC has a special lab to create safe and effective gene therapies (using viruses called AAVs) for clinical trials.
Speed up research: By bringing together researchers, hospitals, and other experts, the GTIMC can get new treatments to patients faster.
Train the next generation: The GTIMC offers training programs to make sure the UK has the skilled people needed to keep developing new gene therapies. They offer a MSc course in advanced therapies, and they’re establishing a PhD programme. The GTIMC works in collaboration with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, an organisation set up to catalyse and facilitate growth in the cell and gene therapy industry. The Catapult helps research into gene therapies to be safer, more effective, scalable, and affordable.

The GTIMC is part of a national effort

The GTIMC is one of three national Innovations Hubs for Gene funded by the Medical Research Council and LifeArc, with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The three hubs are at King’s College London (in partnership with University College London and the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust), NHS Blood and Transplant in Bristol and the University of Sheffield.

This is all about making a difference: The goal of the GTIMC is to develop new treatments that can improve the lives of millions of people.

Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience

The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) has emerged as a global leader in the fight against neurological diseases. Established with the ambitious goal of accelerating therapeutic development for devastating illnesses like motor neurone disease (MND), Parkinson's disease, and dementia, SITraN has garnered recognition for its impactful research and its dedication to improving the lives of patients worldwide.

What is SITraN?

SITraN has increased the visibility of neurological diseases research in the UK. The Queen’s Anniversary Award 2019 and The Future NHS Parliamentary award 2019 recognised their impact in developing new treatments that give hope to patients and carers in the UK and worldwide.

SITraN has the potential to bring new treatments and new hope to patients and carers in the UK and worldwide, by significantly accelerating the pace of therapeutic development using technologies such as experimental modelling of disease, gene therapy and stem cell biology, gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis and modelling of the biological processes.

The vision for SITraN is to grow as an international centre of excellence for basic through to applied research in neurological diseases to complement the landscape of academic research groups, government and charitable research funding bodies the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare sector.

As yet, no single institution anywhere in the world has developed the necessary critical mass and facilities to exploit the potential of modern neuroscience, the 'post-genome' era, and exciting developments in biomedical therapeutics with a specific focus on this devastating group of illnesses.

Centres of excellence for neurodegeneration research across the globe have achieved considerable progress, but none are effectively poised to develop these advances to the full.

SITraN brings a coordinated approach to the development and clinical trialling of new therapies based on rational targets of proven preclinical effectiveness.

It has the potential to bring new treatments and new hope to patients and carers in the UK and worldwide, by significantly accelerating the pace of therapeutic development using technologies such as experimental modelling of disease, gene therapy and stem cell biology, gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis and modelling of the biological processes.

Since its opening by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, SITraN has grown immensely and developed into a leading global facility which is at the forefront of research and expertise, pioneering new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and bringing new hope to patients and families across the country.

The £20 million centre houses state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, including a clinical database of over 2,000 patients and a vital resource of human brain-bank material.

Translational therapy pipeline

They have received orphan drug designation status from the European Medicines Agency for M102, identified from their drug screening programmes as a potential therapeutic agent for MND and for the use of SMN1 gene replacement therapy in the childhood form of MND known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). They are now developing M102 for a first-in-man clinical trial. Trialled in the USA, Zolgensma SMN1 gene replacement therapy became a life-changing treatment for SMA commissioned at 4 NHS Trusts including Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

They pioneered SOD1 gene silencing therapy for SOD1-MND preclinically and were the sole UK site invited to deliver Biogen’s phase 1 evaluation of Tofersen for SOD1 gene silencing.

They have a pipeline of translational treatment approaches progressing from target identification and optimisation, in vitro screening in our patient-derived cell assays, preclinical testing to early phase clinical trials supported by industrial partnerships and UKRI programmes.

Clinical research programmes

They are conducting clinical trials for neuroprotection in MND and have devised new ways of supporting nutrition and respiratory function in MND. They tackle new measures to treat troublesome symptoms experienced by patients with MND and developed the novel neck support collar, HeadUp to support neck weakness in MND.

They pulled ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) through from a hit compound in their drug screening assays to a phase 2 drug repurposing trial for Parkinson’s disease and are a leading centre for clinical trials in multiple sclerosis and stroke rehabilitation.

Clinician-scientists from SITraN have led 250 clinical studies to improve understanding of disease biology and evaluate new treatments for neurological disease over the past 10 years.

Working for the Future

By bringing together world-class scientists, clinicians, and cutting-edge facilities, SITRAN has established itself as a cornerstone for neurological research. Their focus on translating scientific discoveries into tangible treatments offers immense hope for patients and caregivers. With a robust pipeline of ongoing clinical trials and a commitment to pioneering new therapeutic approaches, SITRAN is poised to continue its groundbreaking work in the years to come.