The Roslin Institute, famed for creating Dolly the sheep, is joining forces with the University of Edinburgh and will almost double in size with £100 million of investment.

The Roslin Institute will join the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies within the University's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, with the School contributing 18 group leaders and their research teams.

Further recruitment over the next few years, including around ten more research groups, will see The Roslin Institute double its staff numbers to about 500. As part of its expansion, the institute will move to a £58.5m building next to the new Vet School development at Easter Bush, Midlothian, which is planned for completion in 2010.

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The Roslin Institute, known for its work in transgenics and animal science, will also benefit from £40m of research funding from the Biological Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council over the next five years.

Sir Timothy O'Shea, principal and vice chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said: "The coming together of the Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh is a great step forward. Both organisations are renowned internationally for their research and such a union will only serve to enhance and build on that."

Professor David Hume, director of The Roslin Institute, said: "The pooling of resources and expertise between Roslin and the University will provide a significant boost to the work of the Institute and herald the start of a period of expansion, with research that has implications for both human and veterinary clinical medicine.

"It will further cement the position of Scotland as the world's leading centre of animal sciences research."

(GK/JM)