Innovation that moves faster, reaches further… and is inspired by snails
17 Apr 2026
Two Manchester teams win UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for emerging research that transcends disciplines.
Manchester researchers have secured nearly £1 million funding to draw upon the slow movement of snails, creating miniature robots that can deliver cancer drugs exactly where they’re needed.
Further funding was also awarded to our Air Spaces project, which is working with communities to understand “air inequalities” and shape fairer, more inclusive responses to air pollution.
The two projects have been awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) scheme, which supports emerging research that transcends disciplines.
Snailbots to tackle cancer
Dr Mostafa Nabawy and his team are developing miniature snail inspired soft robots capable of delivering anti-cancer drugs with unprecedented precision inside the human body.
Current drug delivery methods often struggle to target anti-cancer treatments precisely at tumour sites, leading to unwanted effects elsewhere in the body. Manchester’s snail inspired robots aim to change this by delivering therapies only where they are needed, with highly targeted, region-specific precision. The project aims to transform colorectal cancer treatment by enabling highly targeted drug release directly at tumour sites.
“This research brings together biology, materials science and robotics in a way that could genuinely transform future cancer therapies,” Mostafa explains.
“By studying these remarkable organisms and translating their movement strategies into soft‑robotic systems, we hope to deliver a step change in how medicine is administered deep inside the body.”
Discover more in this short film:
Tackling air poverty
Professor Sophie Woodward and her multi-Faculty team are working closely with community groups and local authorities to develop a new framework for understanding “air inequalities” to inform more inclusive and effective approaches to air quality policy and public health intervention.
Air pollution does not affect everyone equally. Housing conditions, neighbourhood geography, transport infrastructure, and work environments all contribute to unequal exposure. Yet research and policy responses often rely on narrow or fragmented datasets. The project, Air Spaces: Getting the Measure of Air seeks to address that gap.
The team – Sophie, Drs Jenna Ashton, Andrew Balmer, Thomas Bannan, Steve Hicks and Vladimir Jankovic, Ardwick Climate Action, Love Old Trafford, Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and Trafford Council – will explore the social, scientific and environmental dimensions of air quality, focusing on communities in Manchester where pollution levels are significantly above WHO guidelines.
“This project is about recognising that people understand and experience air in multiple ways, not just through scientific measurements,” Sophie explains.
“By working with communities, we hope to support new ways of responding collectively to air pollution that reflect people’s lived realities.”
Delivering Manchester 2035
The two projects are helping deliver our Manchester 2035 strategy. They serve three leaps – Research excellence to impact, Innovation powerhouse and The university to partner with – and help build the foundation, Organised for success: one university.