BBSRC Funds Doctoral Training in AI-Driven Enzyme Design for Industrial Biocatalysis

The University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry is joining forces with Queens University Belfast and collaborators to deliver world-class doctoral training in the use of AI methods to advance sustainable biotechnology.

The programme, titled “BioAID: AI-Driven Enzyme Design for Industrial Biocatalysis”, will be led by Queen’s University Belfast with co-leads including the School of Chemistry’s Dr Amanda Jarvis and the Universities of Manchester and Bristol.

BioAID will equip the next generation of researchers with the specialist skills required to harness the power of artificial intelligence to design bespoke enzymes for industrial applications. This initiative promises to advance sustainable solutions in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and clean energy.

By applying AI to advance sustainable manufacturing, BioAID makes a major contribution to two strands of the University of Edinburgh’s Research and Innovation Strategy 2030 – Data, Digital and AI, and Climate and Environmental Crisis.

BioAID is designed to be interdisciplinary from the outset, with projects co-supervised across biosciences, AI, and engineering, with strong industry links through co-designed projects and placements. Students will follow a structured training programme centred on three integrated scientific themes:

AI-Powered Enzyme Discovery (e.g. metagenomic mining and function prediction)
AI-Guided Enzyme Design (e.g. customizing enzymes accelerated by ML models)
AI-Enhanced Enzyme Applications (e.g. scalable biocatalysis in clean manufacturing)

The six-year BioAID programme will launch in October 2026.

We’re delighted to be part of this new programme to deliver world-class researchers trained in AI methods for industrial biocatalysis design. These skills are critical for driving innovation in bioscience and delivering sustainable solutions to real-world industrial challenges. We look forward to welcoming the Edinburgh-based students and working with all the BioAID partners.

The award has been announced today as part of major £40M investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in flagship doctoral training initiatives designed to strengthen the UK’s talent pipeline in bioscience, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), data science and engineering biology.

Through these investments, UKRI is strengthening the UK’s leadership in critical technologies while creating meaningful opportunities for businesses, researchers and regions across the country. The IDLAs and DFAs will equip a new generation of talented researchers with the skills to drive innovation, support high-growth sectors and improve lives.

Read the full UKRI announcement

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