A new £11.6m core research laboratory for the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC) was officially opened in Dundee today.

The new purpose built laboratory at Ninewells Hospital has the capacity to accommodate up to 120 staff, as opposed to 35 in its previous location.

The TMRC is a collaboration involving four of Scotland's leading universities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow), their corresponding health boards, Scottish Enterprise and global pharmaceutical company Wyeth.

The partnership aims to raise the commercial profile of Scotland's translational research in five main therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, women's health, neurology, oncology and inflammation.

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First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This new research laboratory will be a valuable resource in its ongoing efforts to lead the way in translational medicine.

"This expansion is great news for Scottish healthcare and our growing portfolio of intellectual property. At a time of global economic uncertainty these are vital assets and every step in their progress during the current downturn could protect a job or support a breakthrough."

Professor Peter Downes, Acting Principal, University of Dundee, said: "The TMRC's new Core Research Laboratory will provide a vital central research facility for its clinical and scientific research groups throughout Scotland. It will provide a world-class facility for the development and validation of biomarkers of disease which can be used to accelerate the discovery of experimental medicines by bridging a critical gap between preclinical and clinical studies."

(GK/KMcA)