Wikipedia

Francis Crick Institute

TheFrancis Crick Institute(formerly theUK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation) is a biomedical research centre inLondon,which was established in 2010 and opened in 2016.[1][2][3][4]The institute is a partnership betweenCancer Research UK,Imperial College London,King's College London(KCL), theMedical Research Council,University College London(UCL) and theWellcome Trust.[5]The institute has 1,500 staff, including 1,250 scientists, and an annual budget of over £100 million,[6]making it the biggest single biomedical laboratory in Europe.[2]

The Francis Crick Institute
Established2010(15 years ago)(2010)
TypeResearch institute
Registration no.England and Wales: 1140062
FocusMedical research
Location
Coordinates51°31′53″N0°07′44″W/ 51.5315°N 0.1289°W/51.5315; -0.1289
Chief Executive
Sir Paul Nurse
Websitecrick.ac.uk
Francis Crick Institute main building

The institute is named after themolecular biologist,biophysicist,andneuroscientistFrancis Crick,co-discoverer of the structure ofDNA,who shared the 1962Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicinewithJames WatsonandMaurice Wilkins.Unofficially, the Crick has been calledSir Paul's Cathedral,a reference to SirPaul NurseandSt Paul's Cathedralin London.[7]

History

edit

Background

edit

In 2003, the Medical Research Council decided that itsNational Institute for Medical Research(NIMR) would need to relocate from Mill Hill. A Task Force, one of whose external members wasSir Paul Nurse,was established to consider options.[8]Sites eventually rejected includedAddenbrooke's[8]and theNational Temperance Hospital.[9]

On 11 February 2005, it was announced that NIMR would relocate toUniversity College London,[10]but this was dependent on funding from the government's Large Facilities Capital Fund and did not proceed.[11]

In December 2006, theCooksey Review,commissioned by theChancellorGordon Brownin March, was published. It assessed the strategic priorities of UK health research, highlighting in particular the importance of translating basic research into health and economic benefits.[12]

Founding: initially named as UKCMRI

edit

The creation of theUK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI)was announced by the thenBritish Prime Minister,Gordon Brown,on 5 December 2007.[13][14]On 13 June 2008, the 3.5 acre eventual site on Brill Place was bought for UKCMRI for £85m, of which £46.75m was provided by MRC.[15]

David Cookseywas chair of the Francis Crick Institute from 2009 to August 2017.[citation needed]

On 15 July 2010 it was announced thatNobel laureatePaul Nursewould be the first director and chief executive of the UKCMRI.[16]He took up his post on 1 January 2011.[17]On 20 October 2010, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,George Osborne,confirmed that the British Government would be contributing £220 million over four years towards the capital cost of the centre.[18]

Finally, on 11 November 2010, Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, UCL and the Wellcome Trust signed an agreement to establish the UKCMRI as a charitable foundation, subject to the agreement of theCharity Commission.[1][19][20]On 14 December 2010, Camden Council granted the planning approval for the scheme which had been submitted on 1 September.[21][22]

Francis Crick(above) andJames Watsonwere two Cambridge scholars who created the first double-helix model of DNA and are the "fathers of modern genetics".

On 15 April 2011 it was announced thatImperial College LondonandKing's College Londonwould be joining the UKCMRI as partners and that both had signed a memorandum of understanding to commit £40 million each to the project.[5]

Renamed as Francis Crick Institute

edit

On 25 May 2011, it was announced that the UKCMRI would be renamed theFrancis Crick Institutein July to coincide with ground being broken on the construction of its building, in honour of the British scientist andNobel PrizewinnerFrancis Crick.[23]In July 2011 the UKCMRI was renamed the Francis Crick Institute.[23]A dedication ceremony for the new building was held on 11 October 2011, attended by Mayor of LondonBoris Johnson,David WillettsMP and Sir Paul Nurse. Francis Crick's surviving daughter Gabrielle gave a short speech, while his son Mike donated Crick's California licence plate "AT GC" into a time capsule buried during the ceremony.[24]On 6 June 2013 a topping out ceremony was held, the institute's science strategy was announced and a £3 million grant from theWolfson Foundationwas confirmed.[25][26][27]

In mid August 2016, construction work finished and the building was handed over. The first scientists moved in on 1 September.[28]On 9 November 2016 the Francis Crick Institute was officially opened bythe Queen,accompanied bythe Duke of Edinburghandthe Duke of York.During the visit a portrait of Francis Crick byRobert Ballaghwas unveiled.[29][30]As part of her tour, The Queen started thesequencingof the genome of the Crick's director, Sir Paul Nurse – all three billion letters in hisDNAcode.[31]

Governance and organisation

edit
Paul Nurse,director and chief executive of the Institute since 2011

Leadership

edit

The Crick is led by a board of trustees, an executive committee, a scientific management committee and a scientific advisory board. As of 2024, the board is chaired byJohn Browneand includesKate Bingham,Adrian Bird,Patrick Chinnery,Isabelle Ealet,Iain Foulkes, Brian Gilvary,Mene Pangalos,Geraint Rees,John-Arne Røttingen,Mary Ryanand Richard Trembath.[32]

The executive committee is staffed byPaul Nurse(director and chief executive) and includesRichard Treisman(director of research), Steve Gamblin, Rahul Saxena, Ali Bailey, Michelle Shuttleworth, Stephen Mayhew and Steve Wilson.[33]

It was announced in July 2024 thatEdith Heardwill succeed Nurse as director and chief executive, expected to be from Summer 2025.[34]

Partners

edit

The participants in the Francis Crick Institute providing funding for its construction and establishment were:[5][20]

Organisations Funding Comments
Medical Research Council £300 million Founding partner (UKCMRI), including incorporating theirNational Institute for Medical Research
Cancer Research UK £160 million Founding partner (UKCMRI), including incorporating theirLondon Research Institute
Wellcome Trust £120 million Founding partner (UKCMRI)
University College London(UCL) £40 million Founding partner (UKCMRI)
Imperial College London £40 million
King's College London(KCL) £40 million

Research

edit

Areas of research

edit

The institute is a biomedical discovery institute aiming to help understand why disease develops and to find new ways to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections and neurodegenerative diseases.[35]

Current science programme

edit

The institute defines its research programme as exploring "seven high-level science questions reflecting both major issues of interest in biomedical research and the current research strategies of its six founders". According to the institute, these questions are:[36]

  • How does a living organism acquire form and function?
  • How do organisms maintain health and balance throughout life and as they age?
  • How can we use biological knowledge to better understand, diagnose and treat human disease?
  • How does cancer start, spread and respond to therapy?
  • How does the immune system know whether, when and how to react?
  • How domicrobesandpathogensfunction and interact with their hosts?
  • How does the nervous system detect, store and respond to information and retain that information throughout life?

In July 2015GlaxoSmithKlinewas announced as the institute's first commercial partner. The deal involves contribution of resources and personnel to joint projects.[37][38]

In May 2022, The Francis Crick Institute announced it had received a £50 million pledge from the Chris Banton Foundation, the largest individual philanthropic pledge in the institute's five-year history. The pledge will fund a new meeting hub initiative to accelerate the translation of Crick discoveries into societal benefits.[39]

Achievements and impact

edit

In 2015,Tomas Lindahl,Emeritus group leader at the Francis Crick Institute and Emeritus director of Cancer Research UK atClare Hall Laboratory,Hertfordshire, was awarded theNobel Prize in Chemistrytogether withPaul ModrichandAziz Sancar.[40]

In 2016, ProfessorTim Bliss,from the Crick, and Professors Graham Collingridge (University of Bristol) and Richard Morris (University of Edinburgh) were awardedThe Brain Prize.[41]

Building and facilities

edit
The Francis Crick Institute building in October 2015

The Francis Crick Institute is located in a state-of-the-art building, opened in 2016, built next toSt Pancras railway stationin theCamdenarea of Central London.[6]It consists of four reinforced concrete blocks up to eight storeys high plus four basement levels. The total internal floor area is 82,578 m2(98,762 sq yd) including 29,179 m2(34,898 sq yd) of laboratories with 5 km (3.1 mi) of laboratory benching and 21,839 m2(26,119 sq yd) of associated write up space.[42]

As well as state of the art scientific equipment, much of it extremely sensitive to vibration and electromagnetic emissions, and requiring advanced methods of air handling,[43]over a third of the building is given over to plant rooms and services distribution.[42]The facility incorporates acombined heat and powerplant in order to provide low-carbon onsite power.[44]Solar panels installed in the roof provide extra renewable power and all light fittings are energy-efficient.[45]The roof also hides the heating and cooling units. A third of the building is below ground to reduce its visible size and provide further protection to sensitive equipment.[42]

Laboratories within the building are arranged over four floors, made up of four interconnected blocks, designed to encourage interaction between scientists working in different research fields.[46]The institute also includes a public exhibition/gallery space, an educational space, a 450-seat auditorium and a community facility.[47]

'Paradigm', a 14-metre high sculpture made of weathered steel and designed by the British artistConrad Shawcross,was installed outside the main entrance to the institute in 2016. It is one of the largest public sculptures in London.[48]

Construction timeline

edit

In July 2008Arup Project Management,who had previously been involved in site evaluation studies (alongside CBRE UK who acted as planning advisors and in the procurement of the site), were appointed by the client UKCMRI as project manager for the institute's chosen location at Brill Place.[49]In August the full professional team was appointed, including architect and lead designerHOK,AKT II(structural engineer), Arup (building services engineering),CBRE Group(UK) (planning consultants) andTurner & Townsend(cost managers).[49][50]In 2010PLP Architecturewas appointed to collaborate with HOK on the building's external envelope and BMJ architects were retained as a biological research facilities consultant.[51]

Following planning approval by Camden in December 2010,Laing O'Rourkewas appointed as main contractor in March 2011.[52][53]

Construction began in July 2011 and reached practical completion on time and within budget in August 2016,[42]with researchers starting work in the new building in September.[3][6][54]

The construction cost was £465 million[51]and including fit-out of the building the capital cost of the project was approximately £700 million.[55]

References

edit
  1. ^ab"Agreement signed to establish UKCMRI".Crick.Retrieved8 July2019.
  2. ^abJha, Alok (19 June 2010)."Plans for largest biomedical research facility in Europe unveiled".The Guardian.London.Retrieved11 August2010.
  3. ^ab"Our building".Crick.
  4. ^Walsh, Fergus (1 September 2016)."The Crick: Europe's biggest biomedical lab opens".BBC News.
  5. ^abc"Three's company: Imperial, King's join UCL in £700m medical project".Times Higher Education. 15 April 2011.Retrieved16 April2011.
  6. ^abc"Project Press Release".UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation web site. 21 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2010.Retrieved11 August2010.
  7. ^Callaway, Ewen (2015)."Europe's superlab: Sir Paul's cathedral".Nature.522(7557):406–408.Bibcode:2015Natur.522..406C.doi:10.1038/522406a.PMID26108834.
  8. ^ab"The Medical Research Council's Review of the Future of the National Institute for Medical Research"(PDF).House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.Retrieved20 October2016.
  9. ^"National Institute for Medical Research".House of Commons Hansard.Retrieved20 October2016.
  10. ^"UCL wins lucrative research contract".The Guardian.11 February 2005.Retrieved23 October2010.
  11. ^"Responses to the Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2004–05"(PDF).House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.Retrieved20 October2016.
  12. ^Cooksey, Sir David."A review of UK health research funding"(PDF).Retrieved20 October2016.
  13. ^"Deal secures £500m medical centre".BBC News.5 December 2007.Retrieved23 October2010.
  14. ^"London to lead in medical research".The Daily Telegraph.5 December 2007.Retrieved23 October2010.
  15. ^"Written evidence UK Centre for Medical Research & Innovation (UKCMRI)"(PDF).House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.Retrieved20 October2016.
  16. ^"Project Press Release".UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation web site. 15 July 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2010.Retrieved11 August2010.
  17. ^"Sir Paul Nurse: Nobel prize-winner Britain's 'most important' scientist".The Daily Telegraph.7 October 2010.Retrieved23 October2010.
  18. ^Davies, Katie (20 October 2010)."King's Cross super-lab UKCMRI gets go-ahead".Ham & High.Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2016.Retrieved20 October2016.
  19. ^"Green light for £600m medical research centre in London".Construction News.11 November 2010.Retrieved11 November2010.
  20. ^abUCL (15 July 2010)."Sir Paul Nurse to head world-leading centre for biomedical research and innovation".UCL News.Retrieved8 July2019.
  21. ^"Plans approved for visionary institute".Retrieved20 October2016.
  22. ^"UKCMRI gets planning permission"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 21 October 2016.Retrieved20 October2016.
  23. ^ab"A new name for UKCMRI".UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation web site. Archived fromthe originalon 26 July 2011.Retrieved25 May2011.
  24. ^e-mail from Mike Crick to Martin Packer 25 October 2011
  25. ^"Strategy launched at Crick Topping Out Ceremony".Retrieved20 October2016.
  26. ^"Crick Topping Out Ceremony June 2013".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2021.Retrieved20 October2013.
  27. ^"Francis Crick Institute receives £3 million grant".Retrieved20 October2016.
  28. ^"Building work finishes at the Francis Crick Institute".Retrieved20 October2016.
  29. ^"Queen and Duke of Edinburgh open the Francis Crick Institute".Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2017.Retrieved17 January2017.
  30. ^Kennedy, Maev (8 June 2016)."Francis Crick portrait unveiled to honour breakthrough DNA work".Guardian online.Retrieved17 January2017.
  31. ^Gallagher, Laura (10 November 2016)."The Queen opens the Francis Crick Institute - Europe's biggest biomedical lab".Retrieved17 January2017.
  32. ^"Board".Francis Crick Institute.Retrieved9 September2024.
  33. ^"Executive committee".Francis Crick Institute.Retrieved9 September2024.
  34. ^"Professor Edith Heard appointed new Director and Chief Executive of the Francis Crick Institute".Retrieved11 September2024.
  35. ^The Francis Crick Institutemrc.ukri.org,accessed 18 October 2020
  36. ^"Science programme".crick.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 19 September 2016.Retrieved12 July2016.
  37. ^Ward, Andrew (14 July 2015)."UK's new biomedical research centre teams up with industry".Financial Times.
  38. ^Hirschler, Ben; Char, Pravin."GSK first drugmaker to tie up with new Crick institute".Reuters.Archived fromthe originalon 16 September 2016.
  39. ^"Francis Crick Institute receives $63 million pledge for research fund".Philanthropy News Digest.2 May 2022.Retrieved4 May2022.
  40. ^"The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015".NobelPrize.org.
  41. ^"The Brain Prize Winners 2016".thebrainprize.org.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved12 July2016.
  42. ^abcd"The Francis Crick Institute, London".Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2016.Retrieved20 October2016.
  43. ^Ferguson, Hugh; Berry, Steve; Partridge, Rob (June 2016)."Francis Crick Institute, London".Ingenia Online(67).Retrieved20 October2016.
  44. ^Francis Crick Institute CHP Plant,clarke-energy, retrieved 07/07/2014
  45. ^"Environment".crick.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2016.Retrieved12 July2016.
  46. ^"Architecture".crick.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 7 February 2016.Retrieved6 February2016.
  47. ^"Frequently asked questions (FAQs)".crick.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2016.Retrieved12 July2016.
  48. ^Waters, Florence (26 February 2016)."Conrad Shawcross unveils imposing new sculpture for The Francis Crick Institute".Wallpaper*.
  49. ^abBerry, Steve."Engineering DNA"(PDF).CIBSE Journal(September 2014):24–28.Retrieved20 October2016.
  50. ^"UCL in partnership".UCL Annual Review:5. 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 17 January 2017.Retrieved20 October2016.
  51. ^abBevan, Robert (24 May 2016)."Francis Crick Institute by HOK with PLP".Architects' Journal.Retrieved20 October2016.(subscription required)
  52. ^O'Rourke wins prized £350m superlab contractConstruction Enquirer, 2 March 2011
  53. ^"Laing O'Rourke to be UKCMRI main contractor".Retrieved20 October2016.
  54. ^"Science begins in the new Francis Crick Institute building".The Francis Crick Institute.Retrieved5 September2016.
  55. ^Matthews, David (26 November 2015)."The Francis Crick Institute: science and serendipity".THES.Retrieved20 October2016.
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related toFrancis Crick Institute.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_Crick_Institute&oldid=1245402084"