London's global bid

Epigenetic mechanisms provide a memory for cells to remember their gene expression pattern and therefore their identity. When this cellular memory fails it can lead to perturbed development or disease. The implications of epigenetic research for human biology and health, including stem cells, cancer and ageing, are far reaching and may be of major importance in the postgenomic era. The new network bolsters the Human Epigenome Project which won financial backing late last year. The project is a public/private collaboration that aims to identify and catalogue methylation variable positions (MVPs) in the human genome. As a prelude, researchers in the consortium recently completed a pilot study of the methylation patterns within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) — a region of chromosome six associated with more diseases than any other region in the human genome — funded by the EU. They have identified MVPs in the vicinity of the promoter and other relevant regions of approximately 150 loci within the MHC in tissues from a range of individuals. This will provide an insight into the complex relationship between genetics and epigenetics that underlies both normal and cellular homeostasis and disease states, in particular autoimmune diseases. For the pilot project the team developed an integrated genomics-based technology platform. The key company involved is Epigenomics, a transatlantic biotechnology company with headquarters in Berlin. Amanda Fisher at the British Medical Research Council’s Clinical Sciences Centre in London and Wendy Bickmore at the Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh are leading the public science activities associated with the epigenetics project. “This exciting collaboration will help us understand how, despite having the same DNA, cells receive their different instructions to fulfil their own unique jobs,” says Fisher. London, trying to reinvent itself to come up with a winning bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, is also rethinking its role in higher education and research and the possibility of greater collaboration to strengthen the city’s standing. One recent statistic stands out: London attracts more than 65,000 international students each year — more than any other city. Historically, London’s universities have been so busy competing with one another that they do not give a second thought to the possibility of collaborations. That’s the conventional wisdom. But a number of new initiatives demonstrate a growing collective spirit in the British capital’s powerful higher education sector. Universities and colleges in London employ more than 58,000 academic and non-academic staff — about 20 per cent of the country’s total. The 42 universities and colleges win more than £600 million in research funding each year — a quarter of the national total. And more than half of these institutions are involved in biomedical research. The capital’s institutions range from specialists, such as the Trinity College of Music and Wimbledon School of Art, to the world-class multidisciplinary institutions such as Imperial College London and University College London. There is fierce competition for the best students, academics and research grants, and many see their rivals as the best institutions in Europe and the US, not just Oxford and Cambridge. Among those backing partnership is Adrian Smith, principal of Queen Mary, University of London, who is chairman of London Higher, the umbrella group that promotes higher education in the capital. The group now includes all 42 eligible universities and colleges and is the largest regional higher education association in the UK. Smith argues that universities in the capital face common problems that can be tackled by working together. International student recruitment is one example — London Higher’s research has found that very few potential students know any British universities other than Oxford and Cambridge. Smith said that collectively promoting London as a destination was more rewarding than individual institutions trying to sign up students themselves. “In some sense, London has been backward in parading its wares and making the positive case that’s there. Part of what London Higher is about is getting the data together,” he says. The StudyLondon campaign and website is an example of the benefits of collaboration. The website is a virtual shop window for higher education in London, offering potential students everything from visa application forms to guides to the best pubs and clubs. In addition, institutions have set up a number of partnerships that have benefits for students and academics. They include the joint facility of health and social care sciences created by Kingston University and St George’s Hospital Medical School. Then there is the strategic alliance in the health sciences between Queen Mary and City University. Smith says there was a “stacked up queue” of initiatives waiting to be implemented. The London Development Agency, set up four years ago as the last of the nine regional bodies charged with driving economic growth and competitiveness, is responsible for nurturing some of the projects. Current Biology Vol 14 No 20 R870