Seven collaborative research teams from the United Kingdom and the United States have been recognised for groundbreaking scientific achievements that advance fields including quantum technology, cancer imaging, nuclear energy, precision agriculture and museum accessibility.
The teams received the Pioneering UK–US Breakthroughs Award at a reception hosted this week at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. The awards were presented by the UK’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, alongside Frances Wood, International Director at UK Research and Innovation.
The awards celebrate international partnerships delivering global impact through science, technology and innovation. Hosted by UK Research and Innovation North America, the event brought together leading researchers whose work spans disciplines from particle physics to cultural accessibility.
The honoured projects demonstrate the strength of the UK–US research partnership in addressing global challenges, improving healthcare, strengthening food security, accelerating clean energy technologies and widening access to culture.
Revolutionary scanners aiding cancer therapies
A joint UK–US research team has developed advanced medical scanners capable of revealing how new cancer treatments behave inside the body, accelerating drug development and supporting more personalised care.
UK contributors included Matt Wilson of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Dr Diana Caprotti of the Science and Technology Facilities Council Technology Department, and Joshua Nagel Smith of STFC Innovations Ltd. US collaborators included Professor Ling-Jian Meng of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with Xiaopei Huang and Dr Aileen Ouyang of MH3D Inc.
The team demonstrated that HEXITEC X-ray detectors can capture extremely low and complex gamma ray signals produced by emerging targeted alpha cancer therapies. These therapies deliver radiation directly to cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The University of Illinois scaled up the technology, while medical device company MH3D Inc now supplies the scanner to research institutions worldwide.
By allowing scientists to better understand how targeted therapies behave in the body, the technology could speed the development of treatments, reduce healthcare burdens and support the growing shift toward personalised medicine.
Device detects crop viruses earlier
Another UK–US collaboration has developed a portable device capable of detecting crop viruses more quickly and at lower cost than traditional genetic testing.
The project united UK expertise in sensor engineering and machine learning with US leadership in crop virology. UK researchers included Dr Bruce Grieve and Professor Hujun Yin from the University of Manchester, and Dr Vasthi Alonso Chavez from Rothamsted Research. US partners included Dr Siobain Duffy of Rutgers University and Professors Linda Hanley-Bowdoin and Trino Ascencio-Ibáñez of North Carolina State University.
The device targets Cassava Mosaic and Brown Streak diseases, two devastating infections that threaten cassava crops across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
Cassava is a critical carbohydrate crop and is increasingly used as a wheat flour substitute in Europe and the United States because the plant requires less water and tolerates harsh conditions.
Early detection enables farmers to contain outbreaks before they spread, protecting harvests, strengthening rural livelihoods and supporting global food security.
Training the next generation of nuclear scientists
Collaborations between the University of Oxford and American partners have advanced nuclear materials research while helping train the next generation of nuclear scientists.
UK researchers Dr David Armstrong and Professor Chris Grovenor worked with Professor Peter Hosemann of the University of California Berkeley and Dr Brenden Heidrich of Idaho National Laboratory through the EPSRC Nuclear Energy University Program partnership.
Since 2015 the collaboration has delivered the first university-led UK–US neutron irradiation campaign in a generation. It also developed new techniques for microscale mechanical testing of silicon carbide composites.
These materials innovations support safer and more durable nuclear reactors and contribute to cleaner energy technologies, while also improving materials used in advanced jet engines.
The work strengthens the UK’s civil nuclear ambitions, boosts high-value manufacturing and supports global efforts to deploy low-carbon power.
Smart soil sensors for precision agriculture
Researchers from the University of Lincoln and Teesside University partnered with Tufts University in the United States to create a battery-free wireless sensor platform capable of measuring soil nutrients in real time.
Dr Aleksander Radu and Dr Ernesto Saiz Val led the UK effort, developing sensors that measure nitrate and ammonium levels directly in the field.
The technology has already produced a field-ready prototype and attracted around £200,000 in follow-on investment, leading to the creation of a new technology company.
By giving farmers immediate information about soil nutrients, the sensors can improve nitrogen efficiency, reduce pollution and protect soil and water health. The technology also supports precision agriculture and contributes to national climate goals.
Making museums accessible to all
A UK-led project is transforming how museums communicate with visitors who are blind or partially sighted.
Researchers Dr Alison Eardley, Dr Deborah Husbands and Dr Lindsay Bywood of the University of Westminster collaborated with partners at the National Gallery of Art and the University of Michigan.
Their internationally recognised framework, Workshop for Inclusive Co-created Audio Description, enables blind, partially blind and sighted people to work together to create audio descriptions of artworks.
The approach has been adopted by 25 museums across the United Kingdom, United States and Germany, helping cultural institutions offer richer, multisensory experiences and reach wider audiences.
The project strengthens social inclusion and demonstrates how research can broaden access to culture.
Particle physics collaboration advances frontier science
Scientists from the Science and Technology Facilities Council Daresbury Laboratory collaborated with researchers at Fermilab in the United States to develop advanced particle accelerator components.
Peter McIntosh and Ed Cavanagh led the UK contribution to facilities capable of assembling and testing cryomodules, specialised devices used to accelerate particles.
These cryomodules will help propel neutrinos to near the speed of light for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment in the United States.
The international experiment aims to answer fundamental questions about the origins of the universe and why matter exists.
Beyond the scientific discoveries, the collaboration supports industrial supply chains, creates specialised technical skills and strengthens capabilities in frontier research.
Quantum technology pushes the boundaries of discovery
A final collaboration between UK and US researchers has produced a world-leading cold atom source using atomic strontium, a crucial component for next generation quantum sensors.
The UK team included Dr Anna Marchant of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Charles Baynham of Imperial College London, working with collaborators at Stanford University.
The technology could enable sensors capable of detecting ripples in space from merging black holes and help scientists search for dark matter.
Such sensors may also lead to innovations in navigation systems, communications technologies and Earth observation.
The research places the United Kingdom and the United States at the forefront of the rapidly expanding quantum technology sector.
An enduring partnership
Liz Kebby-Jones, Director of UK Research and Innovation North America, praised the impact of the collaborations.
“Over the past five years, I have seen first-hand how UK and US researchers and innovators come together to solve problems neither could tackle alone,” she said.
“These seven teams are a testament to what happens when talent, ambition, and shared purpose cross borders.
“As my time in Washington, DC, draws to a close, I know that UK-US research and innovation will continue to flourish through partnerships built on trust, curiosity, and a genuine desire to make a difference.”
Source: https://www.ukri.org/news/from-farms-to-fusion-uk-us-research-teams-honoured-in-dc/
