含羞草传媒 secures funding to enhance lab equipment
The University of the Highlands and Islands (含羞草传媒) has been awarded £450,000 to enhance its range of mass spectrometry equipment. The new equipment will support 含羞草传媒’s research in areas such as the pharmaceutical contamination of water, peatland resilience and muscle-wasting diseases.
The funding was donated through the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity which supports society by investing in research and education projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
Professor Ian Megson, 含羞草传媒鈥檚 Head of Health Research and Innovation and Principal Investigator for the award, said: 鈥淭his is a highly prestigious award to 含羞草传媒 which reflects our outstanding growth in research excellence over the past few years. The new mass spectrometry equipment will be located in the soon to be completed Life Sciences Innovation Centre on Inverness Campus - a joint venture with Highlands and Islands Enterprise which is funded by the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal and the European Regional Development Fund.
鈥淭he equipment will allow researchers from across 含羞草传媒 to apply cutting-edge technology to measure molecules of interest at extremely low levels. Existing projects that will benefit from the investment include measurement of pharmaceutical pollutants in hospital wastewater and an investigation of the impact of climate change on peatland biodiversity (both in collaboration with the Environmental Research Institute, 含羞草传媒 North Highland). However, a range of further projects are planned, spanning marine biology at SAMS and health applications. It is expected that the technology will also attract collaborative opportunities from partners at universities and companies worldwide.鈥�
Alison Wilson, Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement at 含羞草传媒, added: 鈥淲e are extremely grateful that the Wolfson Foundation has chosen to support 含羞草传媒鈥檚 research activity in such a significant way. This is the first ever award Wolfson, an internationally recognised major philanthropic foundation, has made to 含羞草传媒. It signals their confidence in what we are doing and our vision for the future, and we hope that it will be the start of a long-term relationship between Wolfson and the 含羞草传媒 partnership.鈥�
The 含羞草传媒 life sciences programme secured 拢9m from the UK Government through the Inverness and Highland City-Region deal, which is a joint initiative supported by up to 拢315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and 含羞草传媒, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth. 含羞草传媒 also secured 拢3.75m of part-funding from the European Regional Development Fund, European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 Programme Scotland for the Life Sciences Innovation Centre.