Rosalind Franklin Institute
The Rosalind Franklin Institute is dedicated to bringing about transformative changes in life science through new technology development and interdisciplinary research. It is funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The spectrum of tools under development at the Franklin are individually extraordinary, but when combined at the Franklin’s Hub, they allow us to develop tomorrow’s healthcare innovations.
As an organisation we appreciate that our people are one of our biggest strengths. With brand new world-class laboratory facilities, we are committed to supporting your learning and development, helping you gain the skills you need to succeed in your role. Regardless of your level of experience and your role, we can assist you with building your expertise, experience and professional qualifications at key career stages.
We pride ourselves in creating an inclusive culture with remarkable resources and facilities where we can encourage creativity and celebrate diversity.
Research and impact
Our work at the Rosalind Franklin Institute is driven by a clear aim of making transformative leaps forward in life science.
Utilising our new tools, we will image, interpret and intervene in biological systems. These insights will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics, push forward microbial and plant sciences and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease.
In our next five years we will apply and combine our novel technologies in adventurous ways to push atomic resolution, mechanistic understanding and control into cells, tissues, organs and organisms.
Our core technologies
The Franklin has selected a unique suite of techniques where we can push developments that are synergistic and impactful. We work with interdisciplinary research teams, developers, engineers and manufacturers to create novel technologies both in-house and collaboratively with partners.
Find out more about our core technologies here.
Exemplar applications
These carefully selected areas demonstrate the utility of our technologies. These areas are all of strategic importance to the UK economy and international health, and are all open to transformative insight through our image, interpret, intervene model.
Meet Our PhD Student
Emily Barot – PhD Student
Thesis title: Time-resolved imaging of biomolecules using liquid-cell TEM
Emily studied Biochemistry with Genetics at Lancaster University before heading to Copenhagen University for an MSc in Bioinformatics, where she developed a keen interest in AI and image processing. After graduating she worked as a data manager at the Collaboration for Research in Intensive Care at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), where she helped to facilitate ICU-based clinical trials.
Now here at the Franklin, Emily is exploring the new and exciting world of liquid-cell TEM, applying this novel technique to biology. By combining expertise in the Correlated Imaging and Structural Biology themes at the Franklin, with Prof Sarah Haigh’s group at University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, Emily hopes to push the boundaries of this technique and watch biomolecular self-assembly in real-time, in its native environments.
Here is what Emily has to say about the PhD programme: “It’s been great to get experience of so many exciting new techniques and pieces of equipment – there’s a real ‘kid at Christmas’ vibe here, and the feeling that you’re joining at the start of something special.”