A new medical research center opens in London today (April 1), that will bring together scientists in four key areas to generate novel treatments for diseases such as cancer, heart disease and tuberculosis.
The Biomics Centre, which occupies 250 m² of a refurbished wing of St George's Hospital Medical School, will be home to researchers in genomics and proteomics, as well as in the newer fields of metabolomics and transcriptomics.
It represents a new breed of research center that attempts to integrate publicly funded research with pharmaceutical and biotechnology interests, and apply them directly to patients' needs.
Other examples include Singapore's Biopolis project, due to be completed early next year, and Genopole in Evry, France. At Kobe in Japan, the Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), which is funded by the government research agency RIKEN, supports basic research geared towards regenerative medicine with a strong emphasis on translation to the clinic.
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