NBIC Scientists in Liverpool Win Royal Society of Chemistry Award
A team led by Dr Ishwar Singh from the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC)’s Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces (OPIHAS), at the University of Liverpool, have won the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Emerging Technologies Competition (Health category) for their pioneering work on synthetic teixobactins, next-generation antibiotics designed to combat the urgent global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Synthetic teixobactins mark a transformative advance in antibiotic development. Designed to be cost-effective, scalable, and resilient to resistance, these compounds eradicate drug-resistant bacterial pathogens without inducing detectable resistance. This breakthrough is the result of over a decade of interdisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry, biology, and translational science, combining molecular innovation with real-world applicability.
The RSC Emerging Technologies Competition is the UK’s foremost national platform for early-stage chemical science innovations. Finalists are selected through a rigorous evaluation process by senior decision-makers from leading global companies.
To win this competitive award, Dr Anish Parmar delivered a live pitch to the judging panel, without slides, due to a sudden power cut at the London venue. Despite the unexpected challenge, the judges were impressed by the science, market-readiness, and commercial strategy underpinning the Liverpool platform.
Dr Ishwar Singh, Reader in Antimicrobial Drug Discovery, said:
“To be recognised by such a distinguished panel is a powerful endorsement of the translational and commercial potential of our platform. The award reflects years of interdisciplinary research to create scalable, affordable, and resistance-resilient antibiotics. We are excited to continue this work in partnership with industry to help tackle the AMR crisis.”
Dr Anish Parmar said:
“Presenting at the RSC Emerging Technologies Competition was an unforgettable experience—made even more memorable by the power cut that forced us to present without slides. The overwhelmingly positive response from the judges reflects the strength of our science and the potential impact of synthetic teixobactins in the clinic.
Dr Helen Pain, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said:
“Our annual Emerging Technologies Competition celebrates the very best of chemical science innovation while catapulting exciting ideas towards commercialisation.
“Over the last decade the level of entries from entrepreneurs across the UK just seems to get better and better. It’s truly inspiring seeing first-hand how chemists are working at the cutting edge of scientific discovery, taking on challenges from air quality to antimicrobial resistance, playing a vital role in supporting a sustainable future and driving economic growth.
“It was a closely fought competition this year and I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and finalists on their success – and especially for battling on through a power cut in central London which meant many had to pitch without visual presentations. Previous winners have gone on to raise millions of pounds in equity investment and grant funding, and I cannot wait to watch our 2025 winners go from strength to strength.”
Held on 2 July 2024, finalists came together in London to pitch in person for the competition final. The internationally renowned panel of judges included representation from organisations such as AstraZeneca, GSK, Unilever and Johnson Matthey. After an initial application process, finalists were invited to pitch their innovations to the panel before winners were decided.
The competition showcases some of the most promising chemistry applications across four core categories. This year, entrants represented a range of proposals from tech innovators, start-ups and spin outs. The winners share £100,000 of no strings funding and invaluable publicity to accelerate and grow their businesses.
The synthetic teixobactin platform is being developed as part of a broader strategy to tackle the growing global AMR threat, which is projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if left unaddressed. These compounds also show activity against biofilm-associated infections, a key challenge NBIC aims to address through translational research.
In 2022, Dr Parmar and Dr Singh participated in the NBIC Biofilm ICURe Sprint to explore the market potential of their synthetic teixobactins. The team acknowledged the support of NBIC and the ICURe programme, which played a pivotal role in market validation, commercialisation training, and early-stage innovation support.
“NBIC’s support through ICURe was instrumental in equipping us with the commercial tools and strategic insight needed to bring our synthetic platform closer to real-world impact,” added Dr Ishwar Singh.
For more information, visit the RSC official announcement.