Europe’s biggest biomedical research institute opens in London

The Francis Crick Institute, Europe’s biggest biomedical research institute, has opened in London.

Scientists have moved into the building, which cost £650 million ($864 million) to build, since its opening on September 1, and will continue to do so until the beginning of 2017, by when all scientists are expected to have moved in.

Located next to St Pancras station and the British Library, the Crick was established through the collaboration of six founding partners: the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, University College London, Imperial College London and King’s College London.

Research at the institute is focused on discovering 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.

Paul Nurse, director of the 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."