The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory, formerly known as the Liverpool Robotic Infection Research Laboratory, is the UK’s first high-containment robotic laboratory combining AI, robotics and organoid technology for infectious disease research.
Developed by the £260m iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium, which is led by our long‑standing client partner the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the facility represents a major step forward in the UK’s infection innovation landscape. The £20 million facility has been funded by a £10 million investment from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, alongside funding from Research England’s Expanding Excellence in England E3 fund, and The Wolfson Foundation.
The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory is the UK’s first Category 3 robotic infection research facility, combining high‑containment infrastructure with advanced robotics, automated liquid handling systems and integrated AI.
Purpose‑built to accelerate next‑generation drug, vaccine and diagnostic development, the laboratory provides industry and academic partners with the capability to safely study high‑risk infectious diseases using cutting‑edge automated organoid platforms. These human organoids offer a more accurate indication of treatment impact than traditional animal testing models, supporting the UK’s national roadmap to move away from animal testing.
The facility is forecast to generate £40 million of investment within its first three years, creating highly skilled jobs and strengthening Liverpool’s position as a global leader in infection innovation.
Located at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the laboratory meets Schedule Five biohazard security requirements and responds to forthcoming changes in the Terrorism Act, making it a key national biosecurity asset.
The laboratory has been developed through iiCON, a consortium that advances pioneering infection R&D through collaboration between industry, researchers and the NHS. It will house iiCON’s Organoids Platform and Bioactives Library, enabling high‑throughput automated research, 24/7 monitoring and rapid screening of potential antimicrobial therapies.
The Facility supports vital innovative translational pathogen research within a secure containment level 3 working environment thereby strengthening the UKs pandemic preparedness
Image Credit – Infection Innovation Consortium: iiCON
