The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology was completed in 2006 and represented the first university-based, purpose-built interdisciplinary research institute of its kind in the UK. It is one of the leading industry interfaced biotechnology research institute in Europe. Focusing on advanced quantitative approaches to specific biotechnology challenges at the interface between medicine and biology and the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics and computation the MIB enjoys a unique pluralistic and open research culture that is supported by world-class infrastructure. The establishment of multi-skilled interdisciplinary teams with critical mass generates unique capabilities that cannot be realised through virtual associations between PIs or research units to develop regional, national and international partnerships in biotechnology research.