Francis Crick Institute facts for kids
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| Established | 2010 |
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| Type | Research institute |
| Registration no. | England and Wales: 1140062 |
| Focus | Medical research |
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Chief Executive
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Sir Paul Nurse |
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The Francis Crick Institute is a very important medical research center in London. It was started in 2010 and officially opened in 2016. This institute is a huge team effort! Many important groups work together here. These include Cancer Research UK, Imperial College London, King's College London (KCL), the Medical Research Council, University College London (UCL), and the Wellcome Trust.
About 1,500 people work at the institute, and 1,250 of them are scientists. It has a budget of over £100 million each year. This makes it the largest single medical research lab in Europe!
The institute is named after Francis Crick. He was a famous scientist who studied living things. He helped discover the structure of DNA, which is like the instruction manual for life. Francis Crick shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for his amazing work. He won it with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins. Sometimes, people jokingly call the institute "Sir Paul's Cathedral." This is a nod to its director, Sir Paul Nurse, and the famous St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Contents
History of the Crick Institute
How the Institute Started
The idea for the Francis Crick Institute began in 2003. The Medical Research Council decided their old research center, the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), needed a new home. A special team was set up to find the best place. Sir Paul Nurse was part of this team.
In 2005, it was announced that NIMR would move to University College London. However, this plan didn't happen because they couldn't get the necessary government funding.
In 2006, a report called the "Cooksey Review" was published. This report looked at the most important health research in the UK. It stressed how important it was to turn basic science discoveries into real health benefits.
Building a New Research Center
On December 5, 2007, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced a new center. It was first called the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI). In 2008, the land for the center was bought in London for £85 million.
David Cooksey was the chairman of the Francis Crick Institute for many years. He led the institute from 2009 to 2017.
On July 15, 2010, it was announced that Nobel Prize winner Paul Nurse would be the first director. He started his job in January 2011. In October 2010, the government promised £220 million to help build the center.
Many important groups signed an agreement in November 2010. These groups were Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, UCL, and the Wellcome Trust. They agreed to create the UKCMRI as a charity. Soon after, the local council approved the building plans.
In April 2011, Imperial College London and King's College London joined the project. They each promised £40 million to help build the new center.
Renamed the Francis Crick Institute
On May 25, 2011, the UKCMRI got a new name: the Francis Crick Institute. This was to honor the British scientist and Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick. The name change happened in July 2011.
A special ceremony for the new building was held in October 2011. Important people like the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, attended. Francis Crick's daughter gave a speech. His son even donated Crick's old California license plate, "AT GC," to a time capsule!
In August 2016, the building was finished. The first scientists moved in on September 1. On November 9, 2016, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Francis Crick Institute. During her visit, she even started the sequencing of Sir Paul Nurse's own DNA code!
How the Institute is Run
Leaders and Teams
The Francis Crick Institute is managed by several groups. These include a board of trustees, an executive committee, and a scientific advisory board. These groups help guide the institute's work.
The current director and chief executive is Paul Nurse. He leads the executive committee, which helps run the daily operations of the institute.
Partners and Funding
Many organizations helped fund the building and setup of the Francis Crick Institute. Here are some of the main partners:
| Organizations | Funding | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Research Council | £300 million | A founding partner, they brought their National Institute for Medical Research into the Crick. |
| Cancer Research UK | £160 million | A founding partner, they brought their London Research Institute into the Crick. |
| Wellcome Trust | £120 million | A founding partner. |
| University College London (UCL) | £40 million | A founding partner. |
| Imperial College London | £40 million | |
| King's College London (KCL) | £40 million |
Research at the Crick Institute
What They Research
The institute is a discovery center for biomedical science. This means scientists here try to understand why diseases happen. They also look for new ways to treat, diagnose, and prevent illnesses. These include diseases like cancer, heart disease, infections, and brain disorders.
Science Questions They Explore
The Francis Crick Institute focuses on seven big science questions. These questions cover major topics in medical research. They also reflect the research goals of its six founding partners.
- How do living things grow and develop their shape and function?
- How do organisms stay healthy as they live and get older?
- How can we use what we know about biology to better understand and treat human diseases?
- How does cancer start, spread, and respond to treatments?
- How does the immune system know when and how to fight off sickness?
- How do microbes and pathogens (like germs) work and interact with our bodies?
- How does the nervous system (brain and nerves) take in, store, and use information throughout life?
In 2015, a company called GlaxoSmithKline became the institute's first business partner. They work together on joint research projects.
In 2022, the institute received a huge gift of £50 million. This money will help them turn their discoveries into real benefits for society.
Important Discoveries and Awards
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have made important contributions.
- In 2015, Tomas Lindahl, a scientist at the Crick, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared it with two other scientists for their work on DNA repair.
- In 2016, Professor Tim Bliss from the Crick won The Brain Prize. He shared it with two other professors for their work on how the brain learns and remembers.
The Amazing Building
The Francis Crick Institute is in a very modern building. It opened in 2016 and is located near St Pancras railway station in Central London. The building has four main sections, up to eight floors high. It also has four basement levels underground.
The building is huge, with over 82,500 square meters of space inside. This includes nearly 30,000 square meters of laboratories. There are about 5 kilometers of lab benches!
The building has very advanced scientific equipment. This equipment is so sensitive that it needs special protection from vibrations and electrical signals. More than a third of the building is used for machinery and services. It has a special power plant that helps reduce carbon emissions. Solar panels on the roof also provide clean energy.
The laboratories are spread across four floors and are connected. This design helps scientists from different fields talk to each other and work together. The institute also has a public exhibition area, a space for education, a large auditorium, and a community center.
Outside the main entrance, there is a tall sculpture called 'Paradigm'. It is 14 meters high and made of weathered steel. It was created by British artist Conrad Shawcross in 2016. It's one of the biggest public sculptures in London!
Images for kids
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Paul Nurse, director and chief executive of the Institute since 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Instituto Francis Crick para niños
