It began as the National Centre for School Biotechnology (NCSB) in 1985 in the Department of Microbiology.
For many years it was the only centre in Europe that was devoted to the teaching of biotechnology in schools.
Money from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist set up the National Centre for School Biotechnology (NCSB).
For the first five years, the UK government's DTI was involved, but from 1990 onwards wanted the organization to become self-supporting as it had to cut back on budgets.
In 2001, the NCBE moved to new purpose-built premises in the University’s School of Food Biosciences, however the creation of a new School of Pharmacy at the University forced the NCBE to move to new premises elsewhere on the campus in 2005.