After successful sandpit events in Liverpool and London earlier this year, iiCON (Infection Innovation Consortium) is excited to announce 11 new projects during World AMR Awareness Week. These projects are focused on combating infectious diseases and have received a share of £1.5 million in funding from UKRI as part of its ongoing work to support innovative ways of tackling infections.

The projects include:

• Development of a scalable blood test to determine heterosubtypic immunity to avian influenza
• Use of novel technologies to tackle infections: a one stop sputum-free diagnosis for Tuberculosis
• An open innovation network to drive the commercialisation of microbiome research
• Improving knowledge of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker populations in Liverpool through community-based participatory research
• InfectiScan™: Pioneering rapid diagnosis of antimicrobial resistance in bodily fluid samples - A feasibility pilot study
• From Theory to Practice: Mathematical approaches to disrupt infectious disease transmission
• Developing a robust self-disinfecting coating to reduce transmission of pathogens via touch surfaces in hospitals and beyond
• Rational engineering of inorganic crystals as novel therapeutics to induce antimicrobial activity in host cells
• Efficacy of nitric oxide releasing coatings and fibres against the monkeypox virus
• The comprehensive understanding of disease and AI research (CURE) project
• Infection model based on multi-layer vascularised skin-on-a-chip for the evaluation of antibacterial products
   

The call attracted successful applications from private and public sector organisations and stimulated new multidisciplinary collaboration.

The organisations involved in the new projects are: ImmunoServ Ltd, Cardiff University's Division of Infection & Immunity, The Technology Innovation Centre, Primary Care 24 (PC24), Merseyside Refugee Support Network, NHS Merseyside Social Inclusion Team, LCR Ventures Ltd (LYVA Labs), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, CCI Photonics Limited, Research and Enterprise Services, Bowland College, Lancaster University, University of Stirling, University of Leicester, Untap Health, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Bristol, Bristol Dental School, iuvantium Limited,  City St George's, University of London, SmartBiotec, Mircobiology Society, Health Data Research UK, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), IQVIA, VIVLI, The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), Use MY Data, PHA4GE group, 5Dhpg and the University of Liverpool.

The successful projects received network funding of up to £50K or proof of concept funding of up to £150k and are to be completed over the next 6 to 9 months. The aim is to encourage the development of disruptive technologies and methodologies in infectious disease research.

The sandpit events were attended by over 200 multi-sector stakeholders who collaborated to identify fruitful areas for exploration, including the integration of AI and machine learning into infection R&D, improving access to interventions in low socio-economic groups, and advancing innovative approaches to infection prevention.

Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, remarked: “Combatting the transmission of infection is one of the most significant health challenges of our time, and its urgency continues to escalate. We are thrilled to announce the 11 successful innovative projects dedicated to addressing this issue. It is essential that we harness novel, disruptive technologies to advance our efforts in tackling the spread of infection.

“We eagerly anticipate this exciting program, which will foster the creation of new cross-disciplinary networks and empower the winning projects to help shape the future of our response to infection transmission. Together, we will explore new concepts and approaches that may hold the key to resolving this critical challenge.”

About iiCON

Founded in 2020 with an £18.6m UK Government grant, iiCON brings together industry, academia and clinicians to accelerate the discovery, development and deployment of new treatments and products for infectious diseases – saving and improving millions of lives across the world. The consortium has quickly grown into a £240m programme working with a global network of more than 1009 organisations. By enabling industry access to world-leading facilities and expertise, it has supported 36 new products to market, with more than 5 billion units of life-saving products and treatments reaching communities across the world. It has also created 770 jobs and bolstered the region’s R&D infection spend by £859m.