London Research Institute
Encyclopedia
The Cancer Research UK
London Research Institute (LRI) is a biological research facility whose aim is to conduct research into the basic biology of cancer. The LRI houses 46 research groups based at two locations: Lincoln's Inn Fields
(LIF) laboratories in central London, and Clare Hall (CH) laboratories on London's outskirts at South Mimms
, Hertfordshire.
The LRI has its origins as the principal research facilities of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund which was founded in 1902 - the first specialist cancer research charity in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign merged to form Cancer Research UK
, the largest cancer charity in Europe with an annual scientific spend of £257 million (in 2005/06). The LRI is the largest core-funded institute in Cancer Research UK's portfolio.
The LRI has an international reputation for cancer research. Themes of research are signal transduction (biology of tissues and organs, and molecular cell biology) and genome integrity (cell cycle and chromosomes and DNA repair). Eleven of the scientific staff are Fellows of the Royal Society and two have received knighthoods and two are Nobel Laureates.
gene, the link between growth factors and oncogenes; the identification of mammalian homologues of the cell cycle regulator cdc2; and the identification of the sex-determining gene SRY.
In 1975 Dr Renato Dulbecco
, then Deputy Research Director of the Laboratories shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on the interactions between DNA tumour viruses and cells. In 2001, the Nobel Committee again honoured the Lincoln's Inn Fields Laboratories with the award of a share of the Prize to Dr Paul Nurse
, then Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK and a group leader at the Lincoln's Inn Fields laboratories for his work on the cell cycle.
The Clare Hall laboratories were officially opened in 1986. Under the guidance of Director Tomas Lindahl, Clare Hall became, and remains today, a leading centre for studies of DNA repair
, recombination
and replication
, cell cycle
control and transcription
. In addition, the site has provided scientific support services of increasing sophistication over the years.
Dr Tim Hunt
, a Clare Hall Group Leader, shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with his Lincoln's Inn Fields colleague, Dr Paul Nurse
.
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
London Research Institute (LRI) is a biological research facility whose aim is to conduct research into the basic biology of cancer. The LRI houses 46 research groups based at two locations: Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London, UK. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in developing London", as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner observes...
(LIF) laboratories in central London, and Clare Hall (CH) laboratories on London's outskirts at South Mimms
South Mimms
South Mimms, sometimes spelt South Mymms, is a village and civil parish forming part of the Hertsmere district of Hertfordshire County Council in the East of England although geographically and historically is in the County of Middlesex.-History:...
, Hertfordshire.
The LRI has its origins as the principal research facilities of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund which was founded in 1902 - the first specialist cancer research charity in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign merged to form Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
, the largest cancer charity in Europe with an annual scientific spend of £257 million (in 2005/06). The LRI is the largest core-funded institute in Cancer Research UK's portfolio.
The LRI has an international reputation for cancer research. Themes of research are signal transduction (biology of tissues and organs, and molecular cell biology) and genome integrity (cell cycle and chromosomes and DNA repair). Eleven of the scientific staff are Fellows of the Royal Society and two have received knighthoods and two are Nobel Laureates.
Lincoln's Inn Fields laboratories
The laboratories are associated with a number of major scientific discoveries, including the discovery of the p53P53
p53 , is a tumor suppressor protein that in humans is encoded by the TP53 gene. p53 is crucial in multicellular organisms, where it regulates the cell cycle and, thus, functions as a tumor suppressor that is involved in preventing cancer...
gene, the link between growth factors and oncogenes; the identification of mammalian homologues of the cell cycle regulator cdc2; and the identification of the sex-determining gene SRY.
In 1975 Dr Renato Dulbecco
Renato Dulbecco
Renato Dulbecco is an Italian virologist who won a 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on reverse transcriptase. In 1973 he was awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University together with Theodore Puck and Harry Eagle. Dulbecco was the recipient of the Selman A...
, then Deputy Research Director of the Laboratories shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on the interactions between DNA tumour viruses and cells. In 2001, the Nobel Committee again honoured the Lincoln's Inn Fields Laboratories with the award of a share of the Prize to Dr Paul Nurse
Paul Nurse
Sir Paul Maxime Nurse, PRS is a British geneticist and cell biologist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Leland H. Hartwell and R...
, then Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK and a group leader at the Lincoln's Inn Fields laboratories for his work on the cell cycle.
Clare Hall laboratories
The Scientific Director of the Clare Hall laboratories is Dr John Diffley. The laboratories are housed on a purpose-built research campus adjoining Clare Hall Manor (a Grade II listed building) located approximately 15 miles to the north of central London in the Hertfordshire greenbelt.The Clare Hall laboratories were officially opened in 1986. Under the guidance of Director Tomas Lindahl, Clare Hall became, and remains today, a leading centre for studies of DNA repair
DNA repair
DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light and radiation can cause DNA damage, resulting in as many as 1...
, recombination
Genetic recombination
Genetic recombination is a process by which a molecule of nucleic acid is broken and then joined to a different one. Recombination can occur between similar molecules of DNA, as in homologous recombination, or dissimilar molecules, as in non-homologous end joining. Recombination is a common method...
and replication
Replication
Replication may refer to:Science* Replication is one of the main principles of the scientific method, a.k.a. reproducibility** Replication , the repetition of a test or complete experiment...
, cell cycle
Cell cycle
The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that takes place in a cell leading to its division and duplication . In cells without a nucleus , the cell cycle occurs via a process termed binary fission...
control and transcription
Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...
. In addition, the site has provided scientific support services of increasing sophistication over the years.
Dr Tim Hunt
Tim Hunt
Sir Richard Timothy "Tim" Hunt, FRS is an English biochemist.Hunt was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Nurse and Leland H...
, a Clare Hall Group Leader, shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with his Lincoln's Inn Fields colleague, Dr Paul Nurse
Paul Nurse
Sir Paul Maxime Nurse, PRS is a British geneticist and cell biologist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Leland H. Hartwell and R...
.