A valuable day with colleagues from the Henry Royce Institute, sharing ideas and discussing our ongoing collaboration around data management and AI for science. Exciting opportunities lie ahead as these technologies reshape the way research is conducted.

Welcome to our new PhD students! We’re excited to see their projects develop and what they achieve during their time with us. Thinking about a PhD at the Franklin? Keep an eye on our social channels for news on applications for our 2027/28 cohort.

John rounded up the discussion by saying that facilities without the connectivity between them don’t make an ecosystem - which highlights the importance of events like these!

Paul Matthews and John Pollard finished off the day at Engine, discussing John’s journey as Chief Scientific Officer of Dark Blue Therapeutics and the importance of the Oxfordshire ecosystem to this.

Richard Goodwin from AstraZeneca captured the value of coming to Harwell when he encouraged potential collaborators not to see Harwell facilities as a catalogue of techniques and technologies, but to have a clear question they would like answered and to have a conversation with scientists here.

Scientists onsite have a good understanding of the capabilities at other facilities and would be happy to signpost you to different facilities if they think they can help - don’t worry about finding the perfect person, just start a conversation!

Thank you to our panelists and everyone who came our “From Molecule to Preclinical - within a 5 minute walk” session at Engine this morning.

We’re heading to careers fairs over the next few weeks! If you’re thinking about a future in scientific research, come and meet the Franklin team and find out more about our PhD Programme, our research and what it’s like to work with us.

By combining imaging data with ultrasound scans and clinical information, the team is working towards technologies that could support earlier identification and improved management of pregnancy complications.

These detailed digital models are helping researchers investigate how placental structure affects the transfer of oxygen and nutrients between mother and baby, providing new insights into conditions associated with high-risk pregnancies.

Working with partners across the UK and internationally, Franklin researchers have developed AI tools capable of analysing complex 3D images of the placenta.

One of the areas showcased during the Science Minister's recent visit to the Franklin was our work using advanced imaging and AI to better understand the placenta's role in healthy pregnancies.

This technology was among the areas showcased during the Minister's recent visit to the Franklin, highlighting the cutting-edge research infrastructure being developed here at Harwell.

Dr Sarah Harper, JEOL’s Sales Director and Global Life Science Strategy Leader, said: “Our work with the Rosalind Franklin Institute has always been a genuine partnership — scientists, engineers and application specialists solving hard problems in biological imaging together. ”

The instrument is the first of its kind globally and the first chromatically corrected instrument in the UK, helping researchers study biological processes in unprecedented detail.

As we celebrate funding for the next five years, we're also looking back at some of the highlights from the last five. One example is our collaboration with @jeoleurope.bsky.social to develop a pioneering chromatic aberration corrected electron microscope.