1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. cancer

A newsletter for people who live or work in the Somers Town area
DEC 2014 | ISSUE 17
COMMUNITY
Public art for Somers Town
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
•Local Job Hub
•January Community
Update
•Feedback survey
•Crick Chat on Cancer
•Royal visit
•DNA repair in pictures
ABOUT THE CRICK
The Francis Crick Institute
(formerly UKCMRI), is a
new medical research
institute being built at Brill
Place, Somers Town.
It’s named after one of the
UK’s greatest scientists,
who co-discovered the
structure of DNA.
The institute is a
partnership between
the Medical Research
Council, Cancer Research
UK, the Wellcome Trust,
UCL (University College
London), Imperial College
London and King's
College London.
Discoveries made in the
laboratories will speed
up the development of
treatments for major
diseases such as cancer,
heart disease and stroke.
The Francis Crick Institute
will bring new jobs,
community facilities
and other benefits to
Somers Town.
October saw plans unveiled for a new
piece of public art for Somers Town.
London artist Conrad Shawcross, who
was born in Camden, will be creating
a tower 14 metres (46 feet) in height.
The outdoor sculpture – called Paradigm
– will be made of weathered steel and will
stand in the plaza at the east end of the
Crick, directly opposite St Pancras station
on Midland Road.
The sculpture will be a feat of
engineering. Starting from a base of under
one metre wide, which seems to puncture
the pavement, plates of weathered steel
will twist skywards, growing steadily in
width to a monumental diameter of five
metres (16.5 feet) at its top.
Conrad, who is the youngest living
artist to be elected to the Royal Academy,
said: “Paradigm is inspired by science and
ideas of science and is also a metaphor for
potential; the potential to grow, to take
risks, to be bold and brave. All qualities
which are necessary for scientific progress
and qualities which I think the Crick’s
researchers will have in abundance.”
He also chose weathered steel as the
material for the sculpture because “it is
true to the industrial history of the area”.
Hannah Camm, Community
Engagement Manager at the Crick,
commented: “We’re very excited about
this new artwork as it will create some
great opportunities for local school
and community projects – especially as it’ll
be made in London. From student work
placements to art projects, we’re working
on lots of ideas. Watch this space.”
The funding for Paradigm has been
provided by a grant from the Wellcome
Trust, specifically for public art. The
Wellcome Trust is giving a separate grant
to the Crick to help fund research in the
institute, as well as helping to fund the
construction.
In the words of Paul Nurse, the Director
of the Crick: “The Crick’s success will
Above: Artist Conrad Shawcross with a miniature
version of his Paradigm sculpture, a new piece of
public art that will sit outside the Crick.
© Conrad Shawcross
depend on the way researchers collaborate
with colleagues from other disciplines.
New advances often occur when we are
able to look at things from a different
perspective. Conrad’s stimulating design
for Paradigm draws on both artistic
and scientific inspiration. It’s also an
exceptional piece of engineering and will
be a striking new piece of public art for
London.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FR ANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE AT W W W.CRICK.AC.UK
A fresh, new Job Hub
for Somers Town
As you walk past Somers
Town Community Association
(STCA), you might still be able
to smell the fresh paint. STCA
is set to open a new Job Hub
for local people in early 2015
and in November some of the
Laing O’Rourke construction
team got involved with a
slightly smaller project than
the Crick – volunteering their Above: Local apprentice, Lancel
McIntosh, decorating the new Job
time to decorate what will
Hub at Somers Town Community
be the new Job Hub for
Association © Laing O’Rourke.
Somers Town.
The team helped to prepare, paint and decorate the new
space. They not only got busy with their paint brushes but
designed and fitted out a workbench area and laid new
carpet – and all the work had to be completed while the
centre was closed for the school half term, so the pressure
was on.
Within a very short space of time the team of volunteers
transformed the space, ready for its launch in early 2015.
The Job Hub is going to be a place for local people,
supporting them to find employment. Find out more by
calling STCA on 020 7388 6088.
Local apprentice, Lancel McIntosh, was on hand to
help out with the decorating. Georgie Bradshaw, Project
Liaison Manager for Laing O’Rourke, gave a glowing
recommendation: “Lancel was a credit to his company
and was at all times professional and courteous when
dealing with other members of the team and with the
Community Centre team”.
Royal visit
The Duke of York was given a tour of the Crick building
by Sir Paul Nurse, our Director and Chief Executive.
In September, HRH Prince Andrew donned a high vis
jacket and hard hat along with the rest of the personal
protection equipment at our visitor centre before
walking round the building. He was interested in seeing
where the imaging suite would be and viewing the
designated public areas on the ground floor as well as
one of the laboratory areas which is already furnished.
The Duke supports a number of science, technology
and engineering organisations, including the Royal
Society of which Sir Paul Nurse is President, and was
interested to learn about the Crick. He is keen to
raise awareness of initiatives in science which attract
increased investment into the UK and promote high
quality science education in schools and colleges.
Sir Paul said: “The Duke was impressed with the
building, the science that will go on inside it, and our
ethos of collaborative working. He believes that high
quality and exciting science education for young people
should be widely available so was also interested in
our plans in this area.”
APPRENTICESHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
Apprenticeships are a great way to learn a trade –
and get paid while you do it. They are paid and include
on-the-job training as well as day release to study at
college. To apply, you should live in Camden and want
to work in the construction industry. Find out more by
calling the Kings Cross Construction Skills Centre on
020 7974 5161.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Is this newsletter too long? Too short? Want more
information on specific issues? Or maybe you like it
just the way it is. We’d be grateful if you’d complete
our short survey, either by filling in and returning the
attached form or by completing the survey online at
www.surveymonkey.com/s/YQ6FK5S.
All completed surveys returned before Wednesday
4th February 2015 will be entered into a draw to win
one of three £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers.
Above: HRH Prince Andrew on the Crick construction site © The Francis
Crick Institute.
Crick community update event
The Barn, New Horizon Youth Centre,
68 Chalton Street, NW1 1JR
Wednesday 28th January 2015, 6.30pm – 8pm
We all like to know what’s going on around us, so
you’re invited to come along to hear about our
education, public and community engagement projects
and to find out the latest on how the Crick is developing.
There will also be food and drink and plenty of time
to ask questions, and it’s a great opportunity to meet
your neighbours.
Please reserve your place by emailing
[email protected] or call 0800 028 6731.
RESEARCH
FOCUS
DNA repair in pictures
Scientists have taken pictures of the breast cancer
tumour suppressor BRCA2 for the first time. These
amazing images show how this protein works to
repair damaged DNA and improves understanding
of a fundamental cause of cancer.
Our genetic material (DNA) can be damaged thousands
of time a day by, for example, UV rays from the sun or
toxic chemicals. Most of the time, the cell recognises that
something is wrong with the DNA and calls its repair
system to action. If the damage is not fixed, the result can
be a permanent change (a mutation) in one of the genes
and this may lead to cancer.
The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes produce proteins
that are involved in the cell’s DNA repair system. When
these are inactivated because of a mutation, the protein
created may not work in the way it should and the repair
of DNA may be affected.
Mutations in the BRCA2 gene are well known for
raising the risk of breast cancer and other cancers such
as ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Around one in 1000 people in the UK have a mutation
in the BRCA2 gene.
Until now, the shape and mechanism of action of the
BRCA2 protein have been unclear, making it difficult to
target with therapies.
For the first time, BRCA2 has been visualized by
electron microscopy in a study led by Professor Xiaodong
Zhang from Imperial College London and Dr Stephen
West from the Genetic Recombination Laboratory at
Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute.
Dr West’s research team explores how cellular repair
mechanisms work and how defects in the repair process
can lead to cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.
Above: Dr Stephen West, London Research Institute.
He said: “Women carrying BRCA2 mutations have
a 70 per cent chance of developing breast cancer –
compared with around 12 per cent for the general
population – and many choose to undergo surgery to
reduce their risk. Our aim is to understand the precise
role of the BRCA2 tumour suppressor in DNA repair.
“In this study, we purified the BRCA2 protein and
used electron microscopy to reveal its structure and how
it interacts with other proteins and DNA.”
Electron microscopes are sophisticated pieces of
equipment that enable us to see the components of cells
at up to 10 million times their actual size. The BRCA2
protein in the picture is just 250 Å (Angstroms) in length
– that’s 0.000025 of a millimetre!
Professor Zhang, said: “Once we have added more
detail to the picture, we can design ways to correct
defects in BRCA2 and help cells repair DNA more
effectively.”
This research was a collaborative effort between two
of the Crick’s partners. As the Crick develops there will
be more opportunities for researchers from the institutes
and universities to work on joint projects.
The paper, Structure and Mechanism of Action of the
BRCA2 Breast Cancer Tumor Suppressor, is published
in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.
FOLLOW US ON
For news about the Francis Crick Institute
follow @thecrick.
SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM
THE CRICK
Above: BRCA2 (red) helps RAD51 (yellow) form short filaments on strands
of broken DNA (blue), enabling it to look for matching strands of DNA and
repair the break.
Wishing you the best for the Holiday Season and a
Happy New Year, from all at the Crick.
Hello to our new COO
MICROSCOPIC CREATURES: SCIENCE,
ART AND ANIMATION
Artwork created in one of artist Lorena Carbajal’s workshops © Lorena Carbajal.
Above: David Roblin, the Crick’s new Chief Operating
Officer © The Francis Crick Institute
Introducing the Crick’s new Chief
Operating Officer (COO), Dr David
Roblin. It’s now David’s job to make
sure the Crick runs efficiently and is
set up to help our researchers deliver
world-class science.
The Crick is a long way from the
industrial valley in South Wales where
David grew up but he’s “honoured and
excited to be joining the Crick.”
Commenting on the Crick’s local
community engagement and the
importance of being a good neighbour
he says: “its key we maintain the
good relationships we have with our
neighbours in Somers Town and
beyond – by working in partnership
with the local community we have a
unique opportunity to help improve
health and wellbeing and engage people
with the Crick’s work. We also have a
responsibility to do this.”
He’s also Director of Scientific
Translation at the Crick. This means
he’s focusing on making the most of
the discoveries that will be made at the
Crick by ‘translating’ the discoveries into
real benefits for patients and ways the
UK as a whole can make money. With
all of this to plan, there’s definitely no
shortage of things for David to do – and
he is looking forward to the challenge.
John Cooper, who has been the Crick’s
COO since 2009 – and a familiar face
to anyone who has come along to one of
our Community Updates – will remain
as Projects Director until construction
of the institute is finished in late 2015,
after which he’s heading off to enjoy a
well-earned retirement.
This winter, for the fourth year running, the Crick has been delivering
a series of special workshops for local primary schools and
community groups. This year the workshops have been led by artist
Lorena Carbajal, and aim to engage local communities with science
through art.
Inspired by the beautiful and bizarre world of bacteria, fungi and
viruses, participants have been creating ‘microscopic creatures’
from craft materials, before bringing them to life with stop-motion
animation software. The animations will be added to our ‘Bank of
Microbes’, available to view online – watch out for the link in our
March issue.
Crick hosts the Evening Standard’s 1000
On a dark night in
October, the Crick
dazzled with stars as
it hosted the London
Evening Standard’s
event to unveil its
annual list of the
one thousand most
influential people in
London. This year’s
edition, published
in association with
The Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation,
Wellcome Trust
and the Crick, had
a special focus on
London’s contribution to science, medicine and global humanitarianism.
Congratulations go to the Director of the Crick, Paul Nurse, who was
listed as one of the capital’s 10 most influential people. Renowned
scientist Stephen Hawking (pictured above) and the youngest ever Nobel
Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, were also recognised by the
Evening Standard for their contributions, with both being listed in the
Top 20.
See the full list of the London Evening Standard’s 1000 Most Influential
Londoners 2014 at www.standard.co.uk/staticpage/the1000/
Run, Ruth, Run!
In the last issue we caught up with the
Crick’s Ruth Attenborough, HR Business
Partner, who’s decided to run the 2015
Virgin Money London Marathon. The
Crick’s partner Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the official charity for 2015 – so every
penny of the £2.5 million that the marathon
team is hoping to raise will go towards
building the Crick. As April approaches it’s
time to catch up with her again and see how
she’s getting on…
Hi Ruth, so training must have started
now – what does a typical week look like?
Well, I’ll be following an 18-week training
plan to get ready so I haven’t started yet.
However, I’m keen to ensure that I start
from as good a base as I can, so I’m currently
doing one long run (I’m up to 13 miles) each
week as well as a couple of shorter ones and
at least one gym session.
How will you be changing what you
eat as you begin proper training?
I’m not sure! I’m going on a marathon
training day organised by CR-UK and this
is one of the questions I’ll be asking. As I’ve
increased the amount of exercise that I’m
doing, I’m already finding that I’m much
hungrier. One of the best things about
running is that you have an excuse to eat
things you perhaps wouldn’t normally as
you’re constantly burning off calories!
When is the best time of day to train
for you – do you find it hard running in the
cold and dark?
I confess, I’m a bit of a fair weather runner
so I often do my gym sessions in the evenings
and run outside at the weekends but I’ll be
training come rain or shine (or dark nights)
from January.
And how do you reduce the risk of
getting injured?
I’m taking advice from anyone and everyone.
I warm up before running and stretch at
the end of every run/gym session, and I’m
also trying to include a mixture of running
and gym sessions, so that it’s not all road
running.
We’ll see how Ruth is getting on in our
spring issue, with the run just a few weeks
away…
Crick Chat on Cancer
Above: The evening was hosted by science writer Michael Regnier from the Wellcome
Trust (left), who spoke to Samra Turajlic and Barry Thompson (right) from Cancer
Research UK’s London Research Institute © Wellcome Images.
Exciting new discoveries about how our bodies work are being
made by scientists every day. But what exactly goes on in the lab?
And what do these discoveries mean for preventing, diagnosing and
treating human disease? Our new series of evening events, Crick
Chats, let you find out.
The first Crick Chat took place at the Barn at New Horizon Youth
Centre in November. Attendees were brought face-to-face with
two scientists working at the frontline of cancer research: Barry
Thompson and Samra Turajlic from Cancer Research UK’s London
Research Institute, both of whom will be moving into the Crick
when it opens.
Setting the tone for what was a lively and fascinating evening, the
event started with a quick-fire quiz on cancer statistics. This was
followed by Barry and Samra discussing how genetics, the study
of our DNA and genes, is transforming our understanding and
treatment of cancer.
“We have around 20,000 genes in our cells, and we are just
beginning to understand the function of each one”, explained Barry.
“Cancer is caused by damage to DNA and genes becoming faulty.
If we can identify which genes are faulty in a cancer patient, we can
give them a treatment that targets these genes, and they will be more
likely to make a full recovery”.
There were plenty of opportunities to ask questions, chat
informally with the scientists and even take part in interactive
demos. It was a great start to what we hope will be a popular and
engaging event series.
Crick Chats are free and open to all – you don’t need any special
scientific knowledge. Keep an eye on our website for details of the
next one.
NIGHT AT THE VET COLLEGE
The fourth Night at the Vet College, which was all about Supersize
Animals, took place at the Royal Veterinary College in Camden
on 16th October. It proved to be the most popular one yet, with
hundreds of people dropping by to find out about animal health
and obesity, meet vets and scientists, and see behind the scenes
at the college.
Alongside the jam-packed programme of talks and activities,
including a dissection of a horse, the Crick’s science buskers
were present to amaze and engage people with simple,
interactive science experiments. It was a chance for them to test
out our newly developed biology-themed busks, including a game
of mutating whispers and a bag of mystery medical objects.
CONSTRUCTION
UPDATE
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any questions, please
contact us.
Email:[email protected]
Web:www.crick.ac.uk
Phone: 0800 028 6731
Facebook:facebook.com/
thefranciscrickinstitute
Twitter: @thecrick
Post: The Francis
Crick Institute
Gibbs Building
215 Euston Road
London, NW1 2BE
Visit: The Crick Visitor
Centre, Ossulston
Street (opposite
Hadstock House),
NW1 1HG
OUTLINE TIMETABLE
Early Summer 2011
Building work started.
Autumn 2013
Major external work
completed, internal fit-out
continues.
Winter 2015
Internal works completed.
The building is ready for
use and staff move in.
Construction questions? Call the construction hotline free
on 0808 165 0180, or email [email protected]
Staff will be on hand to answer
your questions and you will be
able to see the latest designs
and plans for the building.
OPENING TIMES
Thursdays: 14.00-18.30
We can also open the Visitor
Centre for groups on request.
This newsletter tells you about
the Francis Crick Institute and its
plans to build a medical research
centre on Brill Place, Somers
Town. If you would like a copy in
Bengali, please send your name
and address to The Francis Crick
Institute, Gibbs Building, 215
Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE
or email [email protected].
© UKCMRI Limited 2014. TAP2571/01-12-14/V2
All of the tower cranes on site have now been removed, highlighting
that more and more work is going on inside the building. Work on the
roof is going well, with the east section opposite St Pancras Station
now complete. The high-level cladding is also being finished off, as is
fitting of the glazing and glass fins on the main entrance on Midland
Road. External works have also started, with paving being installed
on the east side of the site.
The team on site are busy setting up systems that manage the
air conditioning, with air-handling and air-extract equipment now
connected to mechanical pipework and power. The electrical power
network continues to be installed throughout the building and
cleaning of both the pipework systems and the ductwork has started
already, to ensure the systems are clean when the building opens.
The team are also continuing to fit the laboratory floors throughout
the building and the specialist laboratory furniture is being installed
on levels two, three and four. Construction of the auditorium is also
going well and the exhibition space ceilings have now been fitted.