Investment to Enhance Capacity at the Crick

The Francis Crick Institute has been allocated £3.1m through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to fund equipment including a mass spectrometer, cell analysers and robotics, supporting a range of projects including COVID-19 research.

The funding has come from the UK Government’s pot of £213 million currently being invested at UK research centres, with aims to secure the UK’s reputation as the best place in the world for scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs to live, work and innovate.

Paul Nurse, director of the Crick, says: “This is a welcome boost to infrastructure and research. To maintain Britain’s world-leading position in science, UK-based researchers must have access to cutting-edge infrastructure and facilities. The Crick is proud to house a range of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies, managed by skilled and dedicated scientists and technical staff. Today’s investment will enhance this capacity and benefit research across the institute.”

Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council Professor Fiona Watt says: “The fight against COVID-19 requires world class scientists and world class labs. The UK has some of the best scientists in the world. It’s important that they have the facilities and equipment they need to do vital work that protects our health. This funding will help secure the UK’s status at the forefront of the global effort to research, understand and combat the coronavirus.”