Liverpool launches £20m lab for infectious disease drug discovery
pharmafile | September 16, 2026 | News story | | AI, human organoids, infectious disease drug discovery lab, liverpool, robotics
A new £20m high-security laboratory using robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and human organoids to accelerate drug and vaccine development for infectious diseases has launched in Liverpool.
The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory has been developed through the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON) at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), with £10m of funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It is due to open fully in 2027 and will be available to academic and industry partners.
The facility includes a secure Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratory designed to allow research involving dangerous pathogens, alongside automated liquid handling and robotic systems. It also meets Schedule Five biohazard security requirements.
A key focus will be the use of organoids, in which human cells are grown into miniature versions of organs. The models are intended to provide a more human-relevant indication of how potential treatments affect the body than animal-based testing.
The laboratory will offer models including liver, lung, tonsillar and skin organoids, allowing companies to investigate potential drugs and vaccines. iiCON will also support pilot projects, with the aim of making the facility accessible to smaller companies and start-ups as well as larger commercial partners.
The approach forms part of the UK government’s £75m roadmap for developing alternatives to animal testing in scientific research.
Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, said the facility would provide a platform for companies to develop new approaches to infectious disease research.
“Research using human organoids is at the cutting-edge of infection R&D – moving drug discovery away from animal testing and offering new ways of shaping more targeted treatments,” she said.
The laboratory is expected to generate £40m of investment during its first three years, according to iiCON, while supporting collaborations between industry, academia and the NHS.
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