Biomedical Science Research Complex (BSRC) New World Class Biosciences at the University of St Andrews. (360G-Wellcome-086036_Z_08_Z)

St Andrews University seeks £7.6 M in funding from the Wellcome Trust and will match this investment with over £10.7 M of its own capital. Beyond capital commitment the University will make six new appointments and make permanent three independent research fellows. This is a clear and significant commitment from St Andrews. A new laboratory building will physically link two existing buildings (Purdie/Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences), creating a world leading and sustainable Biomedical Sciences Research Complex (BSRC). The BSRC will promote pioneering activity at the discipline interfaces of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Medicine to address key problems in human health. According to the World Health Organisation infectious diseases account for 25% of all human morbidity and mortality. A UK Foresight report identified key global factors that could drive future threats from infectious disease: increasing travel, migration and trade (e.g. spread of infection); increasing risk from zoonoses (SARS, avian influenza and Escherichia coli O157:H7); the rise of drug-resistant organisms (MDRTB, malaria and MRSA) and climate change (distribution of disease). The report concluded that in order to prepare adequately for the future, 'traditional divides - e.g. between virology, bacteriology, mycology and parasitology, or between medicine, veterinary medicine and plant science need to be bridged.' The key objective is to cluster active researchers from different disciplines working in virology, bacteriology, model systems of human biology and parasitology, to allow rapid interchange of expertise, ideas and people so facilitating the use of state- of-