Building on a fantastic first year of activity, the Midlands Innovation Extracellular Vesicle Network (MIEVN) has already in 2026 delivered three highly popular and hugely successful events, showcasing the exciting potential of the scientific excellence in the Midlands.
In February, Midlands Innovation Health supported the network to deliver a three hour virtual workshop that guided attendees through the entire pathway of Transcriptomic Analysis of Extracellular Vehicles (EVs). The aim of this interactive session was to enable better understanding of the process through which EV RNA cargo, cell-to-cell communication, disease states, and cellular origins can be identified. Open regionally, nationally and internationally, the event saw attendees from 12 different countries and included representatives from academia, industry and healthcare.
The session, led by MIEVN Chair, Professor Lucy Fairclough (Professor of Immunology, University of Nottingham), highlighted the importance of collaborating in this critical area of study that has fundamentally changed our understanding of how cells communicate. Covering the key topics of how to prepare your sample (Dr Georgina Hopkins, University of Nottingham, and Dr Joshua Price, University of Birmingham), where to send it (featuring industry partners TAmiRNA and BGI Genomics), moving beyond detection to functional insight (Professor Victoria James, University of Nottingham) and a case study of EV transcriptomics in action (Dr Emmanuel Acheampong, University of Leicester). A recording of the presentations from this event, suitable for researchers (including early career researchers), technicians and research development staff, can be viewed here.
This month (April 2026), Midlands Innovation and MIEVN delivered an additional industry-led workshop, as well as the MIEVN Annual Conference.
On 16th April, over 100 attendees from across the UK gathered to hear from 20 expert presenters and network with 10 international companies during the annual Midlands Innovation EV Network Conference.
With a focus on showcasing early career researchers (both through presentations and posters) and industry-led research, the conference was split into three sessions – each with Early Career Researchers (ERCs) and industry speakers – and concluded with a showcase keynote presentation from Professor Charlotte Lawson (University of Lancashire): ‘Functional effects of dietary derived extracellular particles on human inflammatory responses in vitro’.
The event featured tailor-made workshops from Beckman Coulter to demonstrate the capabilities of their latest equipment – the CytoFLEX nano, as well as exhibitions from Analytik, Cytiva, Cytek Biosciences Ltd, BGI Genomics, Fisher Scientific, Malvern Panalytical, Secretech, Sony Europe BV, Upper Biotech.
Prizes were awarded for the best ECR content of the day. Standout presentations were delivered by Sophie McCann (1st Prize) from the University of Nottingham, Katherine White (2nd Prize) from the University of Nottingham and Martina Gabrielli (3rd Prize) from Nottingham Trent University. Alongside this were highly impactful posters presented by Eleanor Stanton (1st Prize) from the University of Nottingham, Michael Joseph (2nd Prize) from Nottingham Trent University, Katie Spencer (3rd Prize) from the University of Birmingham and Megan Mayhew (4th Prize) from Nottingham Trent University.
Reflecting on the conference, Professor Lucy Fairclough (Chair of the Midlands Innovation EV Network), said: “It was fantastic to welcome so many EV researchers to the University of Nottingham, and a pleasure to see the volume and range of high-quality research taking place across the Midlands. It was also a delight to welcome Professor Charlotte Lawson, President of UKEV, to discuss her fascinating research on milk- and plant-derived Extracellular Vesicles.”
Following on from this highly successful event, on 17th April, industry collaborator Analytik delivered a focused workshop showcasing the capability and potential use cases of the ZetaView® Evolution (an advanced Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis instrument). This session offered the unique opportunity for attendees to see samples tested live on the equipment and have their questions answered in detail by the Analytik team throughout the process. Mel Disher, Sales Specialist at Analytik, said: “The Midlands Innovation EV Network conference is an invaluable opportunity for Analytik to strengthen relationships with our existing customers while engaging with the wider research community. The accompanying workshop plays a crucial educational role, giving researchers the chance to see the latest technological advances first-hand, ask in-depth questions and gain practical insights into how these developments can enhance and support their existing instruments.”
Midlands Innovation is proud to support a vibrant community of researchers. Professor Andrew Devitt, Board Member of Midlands Innovation Health and Professor of inflammatory cell biology at Aston University, highlighted that: “It is vital that we continue to support collaborative innovation in cutting-edge, blue sky research. This activity is a perfect example of how we can continue to support Midlands researchers to deliver excellent research and to collaborate effectively with each other and industry.”
