The Biophysical Sciences institute was formed by Professors Judith Howard CBE FRS (Durham University Chemistry), Martyn Chamberlain FInstP (Durham Physics) and Roy Quinlan (Durham Biosciences) with support from the Wolfson Trust. The Wolfson investment of £1.5 Million was used to establish the BSI and to convert laboratories on the top floor of the Department of Chemistry into biosciences laboratories. This location built on the enthusiastic Bioactive Chemistry research group in the Department of Chemistry and gave Durham both a physical space for interdisciplinary biosciences research and a network to connect researchers working in this area. Since they were officially opened in 2009 the Wolfson Laboratories have provided a physical focus to the wider BSI community across the University. They have become an exemplar for interdisciplinary research have stimulated further interdisciplinary biophysical research across the Faculty of Science.

• 14 Biosciences group leaders embedded in Chemistry (total since 2008)
• £27 M funding since 2008 for these embedded academics
• 14 awards between Chemistry and Biosciences since 2008 
• £30.2M Linked to the Wolfson Laboratory since 2008
• £38.2 M in total linked to all Biosciences staff embedded in Chemistry since 2008