Queen’s Anniversary Prize awarded to UCL Biochemical Engineering

In recognition of its "outstanding excellence" UCL Biochemical Engineering has been awarded a 2012-2014 Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The Prizes are a biennial award scheme within the UK's national honours system. As such, they are the most prestigious form of national recognition open to a UK academic or vocational institution. The awards are presented every two years by The Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh, in recognition of work by universities and colleges judged to be of world class excellence. UCL Biochemical Engineering focuses on converting novel biological discoveries into commercial products in a safe, sustainable and cost-effective manner. Recent achievements include collaborations with Moorfields Eye Hospital, where the department contributes to stem cell treatments for blindness, and with the UK Health Protection Agency, where staff have developed a method that could double the UK's capacity to produce anthrax vaccine. In addition, with the international pharmaceutical company Merck, the department helped to create the manufacturing basis for the world's first vaccine for cervical cancer, Gardasil.