Bringing together the University’s engineers and biologists in high-tech labs to work on multi-disciplinary solutions is the aim of the ChELSI (Chemical Engineering at the Life Science Interface) institute. Professor Phillip Wright discusses how EPSRC and BBSRC funding is being used on a range of challenges – from pinpointing the early signs of colon cancer disease progression through to understanding how new sources of biofuels can be developed via synthetic biology and metabolic engineering tools.