Kent: Research by Medway School of Pharmacy in the emerging area of nanotechnology, has shown that gold nanoparticles may be the key to developing new treatments for diseases such as allergy, leukaemia and autoimmune disorders. Nanoparticles are so small that they operate on the same scale as biologically active macromolecules, and gold nanoparticles were found to be an excellent platform for drug delivery. With clear potential for therapeutic innovation, these findings led to Dr Vadim Sumbayev’s collaboration with the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (part of the European Commission Joint Research Centre). The work has inspired further research from companies who specialise in nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology and synthetic biology.