Spotlight · Engineering innovation
Oxford Nanopore Wins the 2026 MacRobert Award
Published November 08, 2026
The Royal Academy of Engineering selected Oxford Nanopore for portable, real-time genomic analysis technology.
Oxford Nanopore has won the 2026 MacRobert Award, with the Royal Academy of Engineering highlighting the company’s nanopore-sensing technology for real-time DNA and RNA analysis outside conventional laboratory-only settings.
What the award page highlights
According to the Royal Academy of Engineering, Oxford Nanopore pioneered a technology that reads DNA and RNA strands directly, in real time, from anywhere, without the need for complex imaging systems or controlled laboratory environments. The page describes the result as portable, affordable and accessible gene-sequencing technology, rather than a tool confined to specialist facilities.
Examples of real-world use
The Academy says the technology has been deployed in more than 125 countries and has supported surveillance and treatment efforts involving Ebola, Zika and SARS-CoV-2. The same source also highlights clinical scenarios in which rapid analysis can support treatment planning, including during surgery.
Editorial scope
This draft is based on the official MacRobert Award winner page and stays within its stated claims. It emphasizes the award, the technology description and the Academy’s own examples without introducing unverified commercial or medical performance assertions.
Sources
This is an independent IQMIA editorial feature, not an endorsement or statement by the people mentioned.