UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is granting the Francis Crick Institute £3.1m to fund equipment including a mass spectrometer, cell analysers, and robotics, supporting a range of projects including COVID-19 research.
The new equipment will be used by various research groups and in the COVID-19 testing pipeline, which provides tests for local healthcare workers and patients.
The funding is part of a £213m investment from UKRI, delivered through the government’s World Class Labs funding scheme, which will expand and upgrade existing research infrastructure across the UK.
The investment 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.”
