In her UofG laboratory, Dr Jo Mountford is making billions of red blood cells. She and her fellow researchers at UK consortium NovoSang will start human trials next year, and eventually aim to scale up production to provide a much-needed new supply of blood for transfusions.

With its massive potential to save and improve lives, NovoSang sounds like the very definition of a moonshot, and indeed the team are up for the Most Exciting Moonshot at the inaugural WIRED Audi Innovation Awards. Decided by public vote, the Moonshot award recognises audacious British ventures which are intended to change the world. See all the nominees and vote here, and you could win tickets to the ceremony!

Jo explains how - and why - she makes new blood. Recorded at WIREDHealth earlier this year.

NovoSang project leader Professor Marc Turner, Medical Director at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service told Campus e-News: 'The team are honoured to be shortlisted. Our work certainly comes into the Moonshot category and is very challenging on almost every level.

'We are privileged to have been supported by the Wellcome Trust and Scottish Funding Council for a number of years. We hope we can reward their commitment, and that of many others, by developing clinical grade cultured red blood cells for the routine treatment of patients, and spearheading many other types of cellular therapies which hold the promise of treating chronic degenerative diseases in the future.'

As WIRED say 'Innovation requires daring. Who in the UK dreamed biggest and boldest in 2016?'.

Voting for the Moonshot award closes on 30 September and the winners of the WIRED Audi Innovation Awards will be announced at a ceremony in November. 

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First published: 20 September 2016

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