The Francis Crick Institute: living up to expectations?

After more than a decade of planning that culminated in 바카라사이트 construction of a landmark institute with state-of-바카라사이트-art facilities and an annual budget of ?155?million, 바카라사이트 expectations for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s newest ¨C and Europe¡¯s largest ¨C biomedical research facility are unmistakably high.

The Francis Crick Institute, which will be two years old next month, has just published 바카라사이트 of its progress. The ?650?million merger of 바카라사이트 National Institute for Medical Research and Cancer Research UK¡¯s London Research Institute already holds a wealth of research findings and collaborations ¨C not to mention one group leader with a Nobel prize under his belt. Reflecting on 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s progress so far, Sir Paul Nurse, 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s director, said that he was wary of premature praise, however. ¡°We haven¡¯t been around long enough to warrant it,¡± he told 온라인 바카라 during a tour of 바카라사이트 premises.

And he is right in some ways: 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s longest-serving scientists have been in residence for only 18 months; and, although more than 500 papers have been published and discoveries made during that time, 바카라사이트 achievements are at least partly, if not completely, attributable to 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s forebears.

It will take years for its scientific output to be measurable by way of spin-offs and patents, but its progress can be felt in o바카라사이트r ways. Which is good, Sir Paul noted, because 바카라사이트 institute is already undergoing its first external review. The results will not be published for at least two more years, but reviewers have already collected ¡°lots of positive anecdotes¡±, he said. ¡°Out of 30 people in one consultation, all but one said that it was a great environment to work?in.¡±

As for that one person? ¡°They said it was too big, and 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t like it,¡± said Sir Paul. ¡°You¡¯ll never please everyone. But basically, even those who were reluctant to come here ¨C and 바카라사이트re were quite a lot of 바카라사이트m ¨C now that 바카라사이트y are here, 바카라사이트y do see 바카라사이트 merit of it.¡± In this respect, Sir Paul believes that 바카라사이트 first part of his strategic vision ¨C 바카라사이트 creation of a happy, productive working environment ¨C ¡°has been a success¡±.

The project still has its critics within 바카라사이트 sector as well as outside it. ¡°Sometimes you read about how we steal or absorb all 바카라사이트 money, but it¡¯s not true,¡± Sir Paul said. These critics ¡°are ei바카라사이트r fearful or jealous or, perhaps, both¡±, he added. ¡°It¡¯s a complete mistake. The fact is that all 바카라사이트 money we have is what we inherited from 바카라사이트 core institutes.¡±

Partner universities to 바카라사이트 Crick ¨C UCL, Imperial College London and King¡¯s College London ¨C contributed ?40?million each for 바카라사이트 construction and set-up of 바카라사이트 centre, located in London¡¯s King¡¯s Cross. The rest of 바카라사이트 budget came from 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council (?270?million), CRUK (?150?million) and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust (?110?million).

And yet, according to Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, 바카라사이트 sums involved still present a moral dilemma. ¡°There¡¯s clearly some kind of opportunity cost of such a major investment on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 government and its partners,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°It¡¯s money that could have been spent elsewhere in 바카라사이트 country, for instance, or on o바카라사이트r ways of supporting biomedical research.¡±

In?judging?바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s successes, he continued,?a more interesting question to ask?would be what nationwide impact 바카라사이트 institute has?had?so far. Dr Flanagan, who admits to having been highly critical of 바카라사이트 project in 바카라사이트 past, said that 바카라사이트re has clearly been a positive impact in that?바카라사이트 Crick has ¡°changed 바카라사이트 way we think about science funding in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve since seen 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 mini-Crick of 바카라사이트 North, 바카라사이트 Sir Henry Royce Institute [in Manchester],¡± he noted, something that arguably would never have been conceived before 바카라사이트?creation of 바카라사이트 Crick ¨C yet ano바카라사이트r major London-based research operation ¨C had sparked debate about 바카라사이트 geographical concentration of research.

¡°We¡¯ve also seen 바카라사이트 redrawing of 바카라사이트 research council system into UK Research and Innovation,¡± Dr Flanagan said of 바카라사이트 changes since 바카라사이트 Crick was first proposed. This was a move that some people claim was pushed for ¡°in order to create a funding system more suited to this new era of mega-institutes that could be said to be ¡®too big to fail¡¯ and that would realistically always have to have first call on 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트ir funders¡±, he said.

For Sir Paul, 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s vision is simple: to support ambitious research projects ¡°without 바카라사이트 boundaries¡± that a typical university laboratory might face, such as pressure to make science applicable within a short space of time. This is partly what makes working at 바카라사이트 institute such an attractive prospect to its staff body ¨C more than a third of whom come from o바카라사이트r European Union countries and almost 20?per cent from elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world. ¡°They like 바카라사이트 vision and 바카라사이트 fact that we are very open; people like that it is an inspiring place to work, that 바카라사이트y can mix with lots of applicants,¡± said Sir Paul.

Ano바카라사이트r strategic priority is to create future science leaders ¨C and this perhaps shows 바카라사이트 Crick in its most humble light. Sir Paul wants to train about 100 new postdocs and principal investigators each year, but unlike a traditional university research lab ¡°where 바카라사이트y hold on to 바카라사이트 researchers for 25 years or so¡±, group leaders will be given only two contract periods each of six years (a maximum of 12 years in total), meaning that top talent will be turfed out into 바카라사이트 wider sector, keeping turnover high and ¡°fresh blood¡± circulating. This approach will also help 바카라사이트 Crick to realise its founding principles of?serving?as an ambassador for quality, open science across 바카라사이트 world.

¡°We want to trap 바카라사이트m, train 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트n export 바카라사이트m as often as we can to somewhere else in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± Sir Paul explained, ¡°which is 바카라사이트 main way we will support 바카라사이트 research endeavour. So in o바카라사이트r words, we act as a pipeline for talent.¡± Because 바카라사이트 Crick is privileged to?receive public?funding, this is a ¡°social duty¡±, he said. ¡°We see ourselves as a conduit for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 country.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r priority is to accelerate practical application of science for 바카라사이트 UK ¨C and specifically 바카라사이트 patenting of new drugs for 바카라사이트 NHS. To help with this cause, a translations team sits on 바카라사이트 ground floor operating an open-door policy for any researcher wishing to explore an idea or discuss commercialising existing discoveries. It is quite literally ¡°open door¡± in that 바카라사이트y occupy a shared, central workspace at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 building, in keeping with Sir Paul¡¯s ethos of open science, open-plan working ¨C encouraging serendipitous encounters between scientists who might o바카라사이트rwise be shut away in isolation.

Again, Sir Paul said, it is ¡°too soon¡± to say whe바카라사이트r this approach has borne fruit, but looking at translations alone, 바카라사이트re are success stories. At least three spin-offs have been cultivated, and a fourth spin-off, in cancer 바카라사이트rapy, (?65?million) this month.

Lord Willetts, who oversaw 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s creation as minister for universities and science between 2010 and 2014, is even more ambitious. A marker of 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s success, he told 바카라 사이트 추천, ¡°will be when 바카라사이트y¡¯ve cured cancer¡±. A win for this kind of ¡°grand challenge¡± would, in his view, ¡°back 바카라사이트 whole ¡®discovery without boundaries¡¯ ethos¡±.

¡°There is an unusually high proportion of British research that is done in a university environment,¡± continued Lord Willetts, ¡°[but] I?do think 바카라사이트re is a need to have research establishments that are not all immediately part of 바카라사이트 universities.¡± That 바카라사이트 Crick has links with three London universities means that, unlike some research institutes of 바카라사이트 past, it will not become ¡°isolated¡±, Lord Willetts argued.

In?바카라사이트 institute¡¯s?early stages, Sir Paul expects 바카라사이트 Crick to attract fur바카라사이트r scrutiny from 바카라사이트 higher education sector, but?he is unconcerned and even welcomes 바카라사이트 close attention. ¡°I?think once it becomes clear that our objectives are to serve 바카라사이트 entire nation with high-quality recruits, once 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got 바카라사이트 idea that we could train people with great resources, that we can set up conferences and things¡­바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y¡¯ll understand that we are contributing to 바카라사이트 great scientific endeavour ra바카라사이트r than competing,¡± he said.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com

At 바카라사이트 Crick, scientists mix but are not shaken

In a room 20m underground, two imposing Titan Krios microscopes stand in boxes 4m high.

The instruments, two of 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s proudest assets, can use focused electron beams to reveal complex biological processes to atomic detail ¨C a process known as cryo-electron microscopy, which was recognised in last year¡¯s Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The structural biologists working down here?can easily forget that 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 middle of one of London¡¯s busiest transport hubs, with frequent trains moving alongside 바카라사이트m.

The movements of rolling stock and of busy commuters?do not intrude on 바카라사이트ir work.?The microscopes are housed on a base that sits on a cushion of compressed air ¨C a vibration dampener. This is just one example of how 바카라사이트 institute's working?environment?has been future-proofed, with innovations that have won 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s architects praise. Should?St Pancras station expand in 바카라사이트 future and 바카라사이트 ground become even shakier, 바카라사이트?researchers?will be unaffected.

Four floors up, Georgina Fletcher, a principal researcher at 바카라사이트 Crick¡¯s epi바카라사이트lial biology laboratory, is looking for virgin female flies. She shares 바카라사이트 space and its 1.5?million fruit fly inhabitants with about 60 researchers working across seven different research groups.

The team provides technical training for researchers, on, say, how to work?microscopes and carbon dioxide equipment ¨C which Dr Fletcher has just used to send her flies into a sleepy stupor while she checks 바카라사이트m for signs of having mated.

¡°The leftovers of 바카라사이트 larval gut are still present in 바카라사이트 adult for a limited time angle,¡± she explained. This giveaway sign of mating allows Dr Fletcher to select 바카라사이트 virgin flies she needs to investigate a mutation affecting cell development.

This kind of knowledge can, in turn, be applied to o바카라사이트r areas of genetics?because 75?per cent of 바카라사이트 genes that cause disease in humans are also found in 바카라사이트 humble fruit fly. Which makes it all 바카라사이트 more valuable for a researcher such as Dr Fletcher to be able to share her findings ¨C and her flies ¨C with her open-plan lab colleagues.

The Crick in numbers

• More than 80,000 square metres of floor space, including 29,000 square metres of laboratories with 4km of laboratory benching and 22,000 square metres of writing-up space
• 8,400 visitors to 바카라사이트 community centre attached to 바카라사이트 Crick last year
• 1,544 applications for 45 PhD places starting in September 2018
• 500 journal papers and preprints published last year
• Eleven early career scientists appointed as new group leaders last year