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L: A view of the Making the Modern World Gallery; R: Tucker Sno-cat used in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctica Expedition. © Science Museum Group.
Today the Science Museum announced an unprecedented eight-figure donation from the Serum Institute of India, led by CEO Adar Poonawalla. Serum Institute of India is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer and part of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group. This generous gift, the largest international donation in the museum’s history, will support the ambitious transformation of one of the museum’s most iconic spaces – the Making the Modern World gallery – which is set to re-open in 2028 as Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery.
Beloved by millions of people who visit each year, the Making the Modern World gallery is now over 20 years old. This significant donation will enable the transformation of this vast space, ensuring the objects and displays in the new gallery reflect current global concerns and scientific thinking. This popular gallery at the heart of the museum will be reimagined by Lawson Ward Studio, the architecture and design studio led by Hannah Lawson and Georgina Ward who were recently appointed as the gallery’s architect.
Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive of the Science Museum Group, said: ‘Through our ambitious new Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery we will create the most significant display of objects from the history of science anywhere in the world. Visitors will be able to journey through 250 years of innovation and explore the scientific ideas shaping our lives today. Thanks to Mr Poonawalla’s generous support, the architectural expertise of Lawson Ward Studio and the remarkable stories of scientific achievements featured in the new gallery, we will ignite the curiosity of the future scientists and innovators needed to meet the challenges facing the world.’
Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India, said: ‘We feel honoured to support the Science Museum’s unwavering commitment in fostering curiosity and discovery. We have always been at the forefront of scientific discoveries and innovation. With this contribution, which will help in bringing in a transformation to this iconic space, we strive to inspire the future generations and celebrate the incredible journey of science that shapes our world.’
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: ‘I thank Mr Poonawalla for this generous donation and indeed all those who support the arts and culture sectors, which bring joy to so many. This is a wonderful demonstration of trust in the Science Museum, which is a powerful advocate for greater cultural and scientific ties between the UK and India. I look forward to seeing this investment support the transformation of this much-loved gallery space and educate and inspire visitors for generations to come.’
Due to open in 2028, Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery will feature the most significant display of objects from the history of science, technology and engineering anywhere in the world. From the rise of the industrialised world to the emergence of new scientific fields, this dramatic and engaging gallery will invite visitors to explore 250 years of innovation to discover the extraordinary objects, stories and people behind the scientific ideas that changed our lives.
The gallery will tell global stories of human ingenuity, scientific discovery and technological change through a reimagining of the existing Making the Modern World Gallery. Hundreds of exceptional and everyday objects connected to some of the most significant developments in science, technology and engineering will be on display in the gallery, from understanding general relativity and measuring climate change to the growth of mass manufacturing, the creation of synthetic materials and the development of the infrastructure and systems that make modern life possible.
Significant objects set to feature in Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery include the telescope used by astronomer Caroline Herschel (1795); the world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive, Puffing Billy (1813-1814); J.J. Thomson's cathode ray tube used in the discovery of the electron (1897); Tucker Sno-cat used in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctica Expedition (1955), and Tracy, one of the first transgenic sheep (1990-97).
Appointed following a competitive open competition, Lawson Ward Studio will draw on the existing architectural features of the space, utilising natural light, the double height and the largest gallery space in the museum to create an inspiring new gallery for visitors to enjoy. Architects Hannah Lawson and Georgina Ward recently completed the National Gallery Roden Centre for Learning and are currently working with the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Wallace Collection and the Natural History Museum.
Earlier this year, the museum announced two further galleries – Space and Tomorrow: The Bennett Gallery – which will delve into space exploration and the scientific research that will shape our future. Together with Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery, these three galleries will reimagine the ground floor of the Science Museum, providing almost 3500m2 of free public gallery space for visitors to enjoy. Space opened at the museum in September 2025, with Tomorrow: The Bennett Gallery set to open in early 2027.
Since 2014, more than 60% of the Science Museum’s vast footprint has been renewed thanks to more than £100 million investment secured from sponsors, charitable trusts and foundations and philanthropists. Eleven free new galleries—and two permanent interactive spaces, Wonderlab and Power Up have opened in that time, which invite visitors to explore diverse topics including medicine, communications technologies, mathematics, the worlds of technicians and engineers as well as the energy transition away from fossil fuels needed to mitigate climate change.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Contact Will Dave in the Press Office at william.dave@sciencemuseum.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7942 4429 for further information. Please find images available to download here
Significant objects from the history of science set to feature in Ages of Invention: The Serum Institute Gallery include:
About The Science Museum
The Science Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, the world’s leading group of science museums that share a world-class collection providing an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. Over the last century the Science Museum has grown in scale and scope, inspiring visitors with exhibitions covering topics as diverse as robots, codebreaking, cosmonauts and superbugs. The Science Museum was named a winner of the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year prize for 2020.
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About Serum Institute of India
Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., part of Cyrus Poonawalla Group is a global leader in vaccine manufacturing, dedicated to providing affordable vaccines worldwide. Present across 170+ countries, including the US, UK, and Europe, SII holds the distinction of being the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. SIIPL's multifunctional production and one-of-the-largest facilities in Hadapsar & Manjari, Pune, with an annual capacity of 4 billion doses, has saved over 30 million lives over the years.
Founded in 1966, SIIPL's primary mission is to produce life-saving immunobiological drugs, with a particular emphasis on affordability and accessibility. Guided by a strong commitment to improving global health, the company has played a pivotal role in reducing the prices of essential vaccines, such as Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, HIB, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Notably, they are the manufacturers of 'Pneumosiil,' the world's most affordable PCV, 'Cervavac' the first indigenous HPV vaccine in India, and R21/Matrix-M™, the second Malaria vaccine to be authorized for use in children in malaria-endemic regions, ‘MenFive’, the first in the world Pentavalent (ACYWX) Meningococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine, approved and WHO-prequalified for use in the pediatric and adult population. Moreover, SIIPL has been at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19, delivering over 2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.
To further expand its global presence and ensure widespread vaccine availability, SII has established Serum Life Sciences Ltd, a subsidiary in the UK and Serum Inc., a subsidiary in the US. Through relentless pursuit of innovation, SII continues to champion the cause of affordable vaccines, making a positive impact on the lives of millions worldwide.
www.seruminstitute.com