£11.6m lab shuts down two years after launch

AN £11.6 MILLION research laboratory, aimed at placing Scotland at the forefront of the development of the next generation of new treatments and medicines, is to close - less than two years after being officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond.

The facility at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital was established in April 2009 as the core laboratory for the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC), a partnership between the universities of Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, their corresponding health boards, Scottish Enterprise, and global pharmaceutical giant Wyeth.

Its aim was to provide a world-class facility for the development and validation of biomarkers of disease, which could be used to accelerate the development of new drugs and treatments in five main areas: cardiovascular disease, women's health, neurology, oncology and inflammation.

But it was revealed yesterday that the laboratory is to close with the loss of almost 30 jobs in March, following the collaboration's decision to "review its structure".

The building is instead to be used by Dundee University's School of Medicine.

A spokesman for Dundee University, speaking on behalf of the partnership, said: "The TMRC partners are reviewing and evaluating the structure of this collaboration to develop a more sustainable model of operation."

He added: "The laboratory building is owned by the University of Dundee and will, at the end of March, revert to use by the university as part of the School of Medicine, with translational research and other projects to be pursued there, particularly in the areas of cancer, diabetes and neuroscience. The building will continue to be used for top-class research.

"Of 28 staff employed by the University of Dundee in the building, 11 have now been redeployed to other areas of the university, seven have moved on to alternative employment and one has retired. We are continuing to work with the remaining nine staff to identify opportunities for redeployment."

The spokesman stressed: "Each TMRC partner remains absolutely committed to this ambitious collaboration and to continuing to enhance Scotland's capabilities, capacity and reputation in translational medicine."