Largest biomedical research building in Europe opens in London

The first scientists have moved into the new £650 million Francis Crick Institute building in London and are starting work in their purpose-built laboratories.

Next to St Pancras station and the British Library, the Crick will be the biggest biomedical research institute under one roof in Europe.

The Crick has been established through the collaboration of six founding partners: the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Wellcome, UCL, Imperial College London and King’s College London.

Named after Sir Francis Crick, the British scientist jointly responsible for the discovery of the double helix in human DNA, it is the biggest biomedical research institute under one roof in Europe and will help ensure the UK continues to lead the world in medical discovery and scientific endeavour.

Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost of UCL, said: “The Francis Crick Institute is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the life and biomedical sciences.”

“Having the Crick on our doorstep gives us the opportunity to form a world-class biomedical cluster for innovation and excellence in the heart of London. Being a founding partner of the Crick strengthens the translation of our remarkable research into new therapies that benefit human health.”

Research groups will continue moving in each week until the end of the year, as laboratory space is adapted for each group. The start of 2017 will see the Francis Crick Institute up and running with all 1250 scientists and 250 other staff moved in and research projects ramping up.

Research at the Crick aims to discover how and why disease develops in order to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, infections and neurodegenerative conditions like motor neurone disease.

On 1 April 2015 the MRC's National Institute for Medical Research and CRUK’s London Research Institute merged to become the Francis Crick Institute. These research groups are being joined by scientists from UCL, Imperial and King’s, who bring with them specialist knowledge, skills and resources across a range of scientific disciplines.

Collaboration and interdisciplinary working is designed into the Crick. Research groups from different disciplines and from different original organisations have been given neighbouring laboratory space. Coupled with lots of open work space, breakout areas and shared core facilities, this means scientists can’t help but bump into each other, have conversations and share ideas. It is all expected to lead to the generation of new insight, research directions and innovations.

The new building is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for biomedical research. Genetics and genomic studies have access to advanced DNA sequencing, while the latest mass spectrometry equipment allows gene expression, proteins and metabolic pathways to be characterised. Bioinformatics support allows studies involving very large datasets. The robots in the high-throughput screening facility allow tens of thousands of drug candidates to be tested in cells. Electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance suites allow biological structures to be studied in fantastic detail.

The Crick specialises in discovery science: investigating the fundamental biological processes underlying human health and disease. But the increased understanding of these key processes can lead to opportunities to develop novel drugs and innovative new treatments.

Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, said: “A remarkable state-of-the-art new home for the Crick has been completed and the occupation by scientists has started.  But this is only the beginning.  As all our research groups move in over the rest of the year, it will be the discoveries we make here that will establish our place at the forefront of science in London, the UK and worldwide.”

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "Since the discovery of penicillin, UK scientists have led the way in pioneering scientific and medical breakthroughs that have changed and improved the lives of patients and their families around the world. Our investment in The Francis Crick Institute will ensure the UK continues to harness the strength of our world-leading research base to improve lives, creates businesses and jobs and drive economic growth across the UK."

Science Minister Jo Johnson said: "The Francis Crick Institute is another jewel in the UK’s crown as a knowledge economy, and will help strengthen our position as the partner of choice for researchers around the world. Attracting the best talent, the institute will help turn the discoveries in the labs into life-saving treatments for patients in the clinics."

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