Nobel laureate Paul Nurse recently sat down with New Scientist to review the development of the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, which he calls "one of the UK's most important biomedical research initiatives in a generation."
Nurse-- chairman of scientific planning at the UKCMRI and president of Rockefeller University--predicts that the new research complex will help generate a treasure trove of information on genetic variations and their impact on disease, new stem cell work that could lead to the development of tissues and organs in vitro that could do away with the need for animals in preclinical work and new chemical markers that would help pave the way to new physiological studies in humans.
Even if the Labour government falls later this year, Nurse says that the development plans for the Centre will likely go on unchanged. Says Nurse: "Strong science is the key to creating wealth and improving the quality of life and health of the nation."
UKCMRI is a partnership of four of the world's most influential and respected scientific research organisations: Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, UCL (University College London) and the Wellcome Trust. And it's expected to solidify a leading role for London in 21st century research initiatives.
- here's the Q&A from New Scientist