The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have paid tribute
to the dedication of researchers which has “hugely enriched” our
lives.
In an open letter marking the construction of The Francis Crick
Institute in London, David Cameron and Nick Clegg describe how
lives today have been improved by the work of scientists.
They pay tribute to researchers who contribute to the advancement
of science without recognition: “Science and discovery does not
take place on the shoulders of British Prime Ministers,” they
write. “These achievements take time and effort, and their pioneers
rarely share the limelight enjoyed by those who finally make the
breakthrough.
The Institute, being built at St Pancras and Somers Town in
London, aims to understand the basic biology underlying human
health and disease. Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg describe
how science was revolutionised by the Institute’s namesake. They
predict: “the pace of scientific discovery will continue and…
future prime ministers will look back on even more startling
discoveries. Many of them, we trust, will be British and associated
with the Francis Crick Institute”.
The Director and Chief Executive of the Institute, Sir Paul
Nurse, said: “I’m delighted both the Prime Minister and Deputy
Prime Minister have applauded the work of researchers who dedicate
their careers to tackling the most significant questions about how
our bodies work, why we stay healthy or fall ill. The Francis Crick
Institute will build on the extraordinary developments achieved by
scientists. It will bring together researchers from different
disciplines to find new ways to accelerate our understanding,
develop better treatments and prevent disease.”
You can read the letter to The Francis Crick Institute from
Downing Street here.
The Institute is supported by an extraordinary partnership of
Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome
Trust and UCL (University College London), Imperial College London
and King’s College London. It is adjacent to the British Library
and St Pancras International. Construction will be complete
in 2015.