False-coloured modified scanning electron micrograph of microparticles.
© Annie Cavanagh, Wellcome Images

Discovery with a purpose — to improve people's health and well-being — will lie at the heart of The Francis Crick Institute.

Encouraging interaction between basic and clinical scientists will drive the process of turning breakthroughs into treatments and ways to diagnose disease.

Extensive links with local clinical centres will help to define research priorities and also provide a route through which clinical application can be progressed. The Institute will not itself house patient facilities, but a wealth of well-equipped specialist centres exists within a short distance.

As the application of research discoveries is one of the core principles of the institute, technology transfer will be a fully integrated activity with equal prestige to discovery research. Researchers will work closely with the existing technology transfer bodies of the founding partners and the Institute will also have its own technology transfer staff.

The Francis Crick Institute will establish links with pharmaceutical and biotech sectors to provide additional routes by which research can be taken forward.

An industry 'club' will be set up to increase exposure to translation and innovation, and a seminar series devoted to clinical, technological and commercial development of research will be organised. As well as visiting fellows from academia, industry researchers will work on secondment within the centre.