He became a familiar face to the nation at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific advisor, was a regular fixture on televised coronavirus briefings - often seen standing alongside Professor Chris Whitty and then prime minister Boris Johnson.

But while Sir Patrick took a more public-facing role in the pandemic, he has now praised those working behind the closed doors of a Norwich life science hub.

Eastern Daily Press:

Sir Patrick visited the Quadram Institute in the Norwich Research Park this week.

Here, he spoke highly of the role its scientists played in fighting Covid-19, which saw them help to develop life-saving tests and vaccines.

He said: "The thing I'm very interested in is life sciences, which is not just human health and pharmaceutical sciences.

"It literally means all the things that go on in any living organism.

"I think it is an area we undervalue in the UK and haven't really understood the extraordinary jewels that we have.

"And this [the Quadram Institute] is definitely a site which is a very big jewel in the crown of our life sciences industry and all the potential benefits that brings."

Scientists at Quadram played pivotal roles throughout the pandemic, including conducting a trial to develop the Novavax vaccine.

They also carried out thorough research into the sequencing of the virus, helping us learn more about it as it spread.

Sir Patrick added: "During Covid, many of the people here were instrumental in everything from sequencing through to clinical trials of vaccines, the Novavax, which shows the power of having a strong, resilient, high-quality science base in a country.

"That notion, that the science base is fundamental for national security, for national resilience, economic grown, for societal well-being, is to an extent encapsulated in what you're doing here."