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First Minister of Scotland Opens the new Roslin Institute Building

Researchers from The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh have officially taken up residence in a new purpose-built centre with partners from the SAC (Scottish Agricultural College).

First Minister of Scotland at the new Roslin Institute Building

Researchers from The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh have officially taken up residence in a new purpose-built centre with partners from the SAC (Scottish Agricultural  College).

A total of 500 scientists will work at The Roslin Institute building on the outskirts of Edinburgh, which has received key funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Research in the new building is aimed at improving the health and welfare of livestock animals and the sustainability of the livestock sector.

Expertise covers areas such as immunology and infectious disease, clinical sciences, genetics and genomics, developmental biology and diseases affecting the nervous system.

Scientists at the institute also place a strong emphasis on comparative medicine where research can be applied to improve both animal and human health.

The new building is designed to maximise cooperation amongst our experts. Our new home will help us tackle complex problems ranging from fertility and reproduction through the threats of diseases such as avian flu and tuberculosis to animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions. We now have an iconic building that is instantly recognisable.

Professor David HumeThe Director of The Roslin Institute

The new building was officially opened today (Wed, 29th June) by the First Minister of Scotland, chief executives of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Scottish Agricultural College and the Principal of the University  of Edinburgh.

The design of The Roslin Institute was inspired by the shape of a pair of chromosomes, with a rainbow progression of coloured panels that link offices with research laboratories.

The three-storey building covers 14,000 square metres. Open-plan working spaces, with break-out areas, are designed to encourage collaboration between scientists from different disciplines. The building also contains an auditorium and meeting facilities.

Scottish science has an international reputation for quality, and the ground-breaking work of The Roslin Institute is already famous worldwide. This new home here at the University's Easter Bush campus gives an opportunity for further advances.

Alex SalmondScotland's First Minister

The Institute, sited at the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush Campus, replaces the former home of The Roslin Institute, where Dolly the Sheep was cloned, in the nearby village of Roslin.

It has received an award from Architecture Scotland and has been nominated for a number of additional building and design awards.

This new building, constructed with significant support from BBSRC, will house world-class science that tackles some of the most important challenges we face. These high-quality facilities will enable scientists to do research that supports and enhances human and animal health, food security, and social and economic well being in the UK and beyond.

Professor Douglas KellChief Executive of the BBSRC

The Roslin Institute, which is incorporated with the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, currently has more than 100 PhD students and plays a critical role in training researchers for many areas of the UK's livestock sector.

This builds on a long track record of cooperation and collaboration between SAC, The Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh and opens up opportunities for even greater things to come. The kinds of research that are needed to address today's 'Grand Challenges' span the range from new fundamental understanding of biology to practical innovation. That is what is so appealing about the combination of scientists from SAC and the University cheek by jowl in the same building.

Professor Bill McKelveyChief Executive of SAC

Prof McKelvey gratefully acknowledged the financial assistance of the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Science Directorate in supporting SAC's investment.

The new building forms part of a £100 million development at the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush campus, which includes a new teaching building for the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

The Roslin Institute, which has doubled in size since 2007, has attracted more than £24.2 million in research funding to Scotland last year, supporting 1,179 jobs.  

 

For more information please contact

Tara Womersley

Contact details

 

 

The Roslin Institute (www.roslin.ed.ac.uk) is incorporated with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the world leading Veterinary School in the UK in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, at the University of Edinburgh. The Institute undertakes research within the framework of BBSRC Institute Strategic Programmes focussed on the health and welfare of animals, and applications of basic animal sciences in human and veterinary medicine, the livestock industry and food security. BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences and the largest single public funder of agriculture and food-related research.

Sponsored by Government, in 2010/11 BBSRC is investing around £470 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following:

The Babraham Institute, Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (Aberystwyth University), Institute of Food Research, John Innes Centre, The Genome Analysis Centre, The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh) and Rothamsted Research.

The Institutes conduct long-term, mission-oriented research using specialist facilities. They have strong interactions with industry, Government departments and other end-users of their research.

For more information see: www.bbsrc.ac.uk

SAC (The Scottish Agricultural College) is an innovative, knowledge-based organisation, supporting the development of land-based industries and communities through our

  • specialist research and development resources
  • education and training provision
  • expert advisory and consultancy services

Our work is wide ranging but there is a particular emphasis on agriculture and related sciences, rural business development and management, food chain quality and safety, and rural resource and environmental management.