Scottish genetics institute receives £60 million funding boost

The Medical Research Council (MRC) has awarded £60 million to
the MRC Human Genetics Unit and the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine (IGMM) at the University of Edinburgh, with the aim of advancing research
into human genetic disorders. It is hoped that the funding, to be spread over
the course of the next five years, will facilitate the translation of research
into the human genome into tests and therapies for inherited diseases.

'The challenge we face
is to work out how human genes work together to build a human', said Professor
Nick Hastie, Director of the MRC Human Genetics Unit and the MRC IGMM at the
University of Edinburgh. 'We also want to find out how subtle DNA
differences help shape human diversity and influence susceptibility to a wide
range of common diseases'.

The MRC IGMM became one of Europe's largest centres for human genetic
research when last year the two-hundred-strong staff of the MRC Human Genetics
Unit joined the University of Edinburgh. 'Great science is all about
scientists coming together, interacting, and exchanging ideas. Combining forces
will give us the impetus to turn the potential of the genetic revolution into
reality, bringing new understanding and treatments of disease', said Professor Hastie.

The combined research efforts of the MRC IGMM and the MRC Human Genetics
Unit, boosted by the recent funding, address a variety of illnesses which have, or are thought to have, a strong genetic component. These include cystic fibrosis, schizophrenia, cancers of the
colon and breast, and eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.

'The Human Genetics
Unit and IGMM are a shining example of the kind of partnership-working needed to
address the challenges of 21st century research', said Dr Wendy Ewart, Deputy
Chief Executive of the MRC. 'The
MRC is proud to continue its support for these establishments and their drive
to transform discoveries about the human genome into benefits for human
health'.