Living Systems Institute

Fresh insights into the building blocks of life

Investigating life at the atomic level to advance nanotechnology

A unique research environment

Led by world-leading stem cell biologist MRC Professor Austin Smith

Along with teams of exceptional scientists and technical staff

Working together in creative partnerships

Across a range of fields

Collaborating within three floors of state of the art labs

Pioneering new ways of understanding living systems

Leading the way to novel approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment

Using world-class facilities

A world-class research community collaborating across disciplines to understand and control living systems

The Living Systems Institute (LSI) pioneers transformative science to decode complex biological systems. LSI merges research in biology and medicine with ground-breaking physical sciences technologies and powerful mathematical modelling capabilities. Cross-fertilisation between disciplines enables LSI investigators to interrogate biological complexity at all scales, from the molecular to the whole organism and populations. Our integrated approach aims both at fundamental knowledge and at generating new tools for improving health and treating disease. We tackle major challenges in the fields of RNA & proteins, viruses and microbes, stem cells & development, and neuroscience.

The interdisciplinary vision of LSI is enabled by co-location of scientists with diverse expertise in a dedicated research building equipped with high-specification technologies. The custom-designed LSI building is a flagship investment by the University of Exeter. LSI opened in autumn 2016 and is now home to 28 research teams, comprising biologists, engineers, physicists and mathematicians.