MAKING BIOMEDICAL HISTORY

The MRC is the UK’s leading publicly funded biomedical research organisation undertaking high-quality research with the aim of improving human health. The MRC has always been guided by it’s principle of supporting the very best science. Our success can be measured by the major medical advances and discoveries which have flowed from MRC research.

1913 Tackling Tuberculosis
1916 Rickets caused by lack of Vitamin D
1933 Influenza is a Virus
1953 Structure of DNA
1956 Smoking causes cancer
1973 Magnetic Resonance Imaging
1974 DNA sequencing
1975 Monoclonal antibody production
1986 Humanized antibodies
1991 Folic acid treatments prevents Spina Bifida
1993 Gene for Huntington’s disease
1998 Genetic blueprint of Nematode worm
2003 Stem cells to treat spinal injuries

The strength of our science can also be seen in the 23 MRC funded scientists who have won Nobel Prizes, including Sir Ernst Chain and Lord Howard Florey for the discovery of penicillin’s curative effect, Dr Francis Crick and Professor James Watson for discovering the structure of DNA, Dr Fred Sanger for DNA Sequencing and Dr César Milstein and Dr Georges Köhler for their discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies

The MRC works closely with health departments, other government agencies, other research organisations and the biotechnology industry, worldwide. The MRC’s independence gives it flexibility to decide which research to support and it has research boards in Health Services and Public Health (HSPHRB), Infections and Immunity (IIB), Molecular and Cellular Medicine (MCMB), Neurosciences and Mental Health (NMHB) and Physiological Systems and Clinical Sciences (PSCSB).

The breadth of research is staggering with over 7000 people in 47 specialist centres in the UK and worldwide.