b'NBIC TECHNICAL MODULEMICROBIOLOGY: FROM CELL BIOLOGY TO BIOFILMS The University of Nottingham hosted NBIC BITE and CTP students for a technical training module where they were introduced to concepts including microbial physiology, the mechanisms of biofilm formation and interactions between different microorganisms within polymicrobial biofilms. Students also learnt about different biofilm models, imaging techniques, antimicrobial targets and mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. This week-long module offered networking opportunities for students with other PhD researchers but also with biofilms experts at the University of Nottingham and industry representatives. NBIC provides entrepreneurial training for early career researchers and established academics. We have strong links to:ALDERLEY PARK ACCELERATOR ICURE AND SETSQUAREDThe on-site incubation and acceleration team specialisesNBIC is working with ICURe and SETsquared to offer our in the start-up and scale up of biotech and life scienceresearchers training and mentoring to bring research businesses by providing the programmes, networksideas and ability through commercialisation processes and support required for success. NBIC has jointly runto the marketplace. May 2022 saw the launch of the a pre-accelerator programme for our community as aBiofilms ICURe Sprint programme. Funded and delivered prelude to offering a full follow-on 8-week acceleratorin conjunction with NBIC, six academic teams from programme for the best performing pre-acceleratoracross the UK have won the opportunity to establish Early Career Researchers and academics selected inwhether there would be a commercial market for a competitive process. Twenty-three students andtheir research with up to 44k of funding. The first of researchers have been introduced to the pre-acceleratorits kind to champion the biofilm industry, it was an programme and 2 researchers have been throughaccelerated version of the well-established Innovate UK the accelerator programme, with one winning theInnovation to Commercialisation of University Research programme prize. (ICURe) programme. It has leveraged the ecosystem of businesses and investors from both NBIC and FLEXIBLE TALENT MOBILITY AWARDS SETsquareds ecosystem to enable the teams to get out The Flexible Talent Mobility Award (FTMA) is a trainingof the lab and validate their commercially promising grant funded by the BBSRC. NBIC received 5 wavesresearch over eight weeks. Further advancement of the of funding that supported 44 placements betweencurrent programme is being developed along with a new industries and academics which led to in-depth industryprogramme, to reflect the high demand for the training understanding and research skills updates. Placementsfrom within the biofilm community.were, on average 3 months in duration and ranged from 10K to 15K in budget. 40'