The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology was created in 2015 fusing the Departments of Biochemsitry and Cell Physiology. Biochemsitry was established in 1961, is part of the School of Biological Sciences within the College of Medicine and Biological Sciences. It has grown to be one of the largest and most successful departments at the University of Leicester, with around 30 members of academic staff, and a leading Biochemistry Department in the UK, with a wide range of research interests. The Department occupies the new Henry Wellcome Building, which provides a stimulating environment for pursuing state-of-the-art biochemical research. The Department has a strong international reputation in many areas, recognised by the award of a grade 5 in the 2001 RAE. 

The University of Leicester has been ranked as one of the top 200 universities in the world in the league table compiled by the Times Higher Education. This places the University of Leicester in the top 1% of universities worldwide. In the UK, Leicester is ranked as 19th in the Complete University Guide, 20th in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide and 21st in the Guardian University Guide. Leicester is the only university to have won Times Higher Awards in seven consecutive years:

The University's research ranges from the invention of genetic fingerprinting, pioneering space explorations through to the search for King Richard III. The University's Global Challenges are a way in which this work from across the University comes together. Also, the University has established a Centre for Translational Therapeutics to facilitate clinical applications of basic research. The environment at the University of Leicester is optimal for interactions with scientists at the forefront of their fields. 

Leicester is a city of 330,000 habitants in the region of the East Midlands (United Kingdom). The Leicester Urban Area, which includes adjacent towns such as Oadby and Wigson, has a total population of 508,916. Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back at least 2,000 years. Currently, it has a varied ethnic composition. Becasue of this, in addition to English, eight languages are commonly spoken: Gujarati is the preferred language of 16% of the city's residents, Punjabi 3%, Somali 4% and Urdu 2%. Other smaller language groups include Hindi, Bengali and Polish. The area experiences a maritime climate with mild to warm summers and cool winters.

The MoCaA Lab SOUTH is part of the FoodLab of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, in Barcelona (Spain).