CIRCE (the Cambridge Infinitus Research Centre) was established through a collaboration between the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and the Chinese Company Infinitus, with the aim of analyse the biological activity of natural compounds from traditional Chinese medicines. Although many modern medicines derive from natural products, the cellular and molecular details are poorly understood. The major focus of CIRCE will be to understand the molecular regulators of protein homeostasis in cells and model organisms to provide potential strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.