A FURTHER boost will be given to Scotland's hopes of creating a thriving life sciences sector when work begins tomorrow on a £58m research centre.
The "Chromosome" building will house 500 scientists on a site at Easter Bush near Penicuik after Midlothian Council gave the go-ahead to the project. Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the building will be a centre
of excellence in areas such as genetics, developmental biology, immunology and infectious disease, neuroscience and behaviour and animal sciences.
It is not known how many of the jobs will be new posts, but the total will include transfers from the Roslin Institute and the Scottish Agriculture College.
The design, and hence its name, is based on the shape of a pair of chromosomes, with coloured panels representing the DNA 'fins' which link the office and research laboratory blocks together. It is expected to provide a focus of world attention on the area and could act as a catalyst for other projects.
Professor David Hume, director of the Roslin Institute, said: "The new building will provide state of the art facilities in which we can undertake research that will strengthen Scotland's international reputation as a world leader in animal biosciences and will make a major contribution to Scotland's knowledge economy.
"It will also provide a focal point for the Easter Bush Research Consortium, bringing together scientists from The Roslin Institute, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the Scottish Agricultural College and the Moredun Research Institute, with a view to fostering new ideas and streamlining research on animal diseases and its implications for human health."
Councillor Russell Imrie, Midlothian council cabinet member for strategic services and chairman of the planning committee, said it "could truly have world-wide significance in the longer term".
He added: "In the short term it will provide a significant boost to the construction industry, while in the medium term will bring hundreds of high-quality jobs to Midlothian."
The building, which is due for completion in 2011, forms part of the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush redevelopment project and will be based opposite a new veterinary school teaching building and the Hospital for Small Animals.
As well as laboratories and office space, the building incorporates breakout areas and meeting areas to encourage collaboration on scientific research.
The planning permission was granted following an application lodged by Rydens, which is acting on behalf of Roslin Developments, which is commissioning the building construction.
The council wants to create 10,000 jobs over 12 years and the new research building forms part of what Imrie described as the '2020 vision' for improving job and quality of life opportunities for the growing Midlothian population.
