EPSRC launches two new hubs to transform early disease diagnosis in the UK

Quantum-based technologies will explore infectious diseases, cancer and dementia

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced the launch of two new hubs to be delivered by Imperial College London (ICL), the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, to transform early disease diagnosis in the UK.

These hubs are supported as part of a £106m investment from the EPSRC, the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research to launch five hubs to ensure that the UK benefits from the potential of quantum technologies.

By harnessing quantum physics, quantum technologies gain functionality or performance derived from science that cannot be explained by traditional physics.

Led by University College London’s professor Rachel McKendry and the University of Cambridge’s professor Mete Atatüre, the UK Quantum Biomedical Sensing Research Hub (Q-BIOMED) has received £10.8m to exploit emerging advances in quantum sensors capable of detecting cells and molecules, potentially more sensitively than traditional diagnostic tests, to transform early disease diagnosis.

This includes the development of quantum-enhanced blood tests to diagnose infectious diseases and cancer using portable instruments and sensors that measure tiny changes to the magnetic fields in the brain to detect early markers of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms occur, as well as quantum-enhanced MRI scans, heart scanners and surgical and treatment interventions for early-stage and hard-to-treat cancers.

The University of Birmingham’s professor Michael Holynski has received £27.5m to lead the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (QuSIT), which aims to overcome the key research barriers to quantum sensing, imaging and timing being used at scale across sectors including healthcare, infrastructure, transport and security.

This includes quantum brain scanners to enhance the investigation of dementia and epilepsy and quantum microscopy to measure biomarkers for cancer diagnostics.

Peter Kyle, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, commented: “We want to see a future where cutting-edge science improves everyday lives.

“[These hubs] will not only transform sectors like healthcare and security, but also create a culture of accelerated innovation that helps to grow our economy.”