Exploring the basic biology of cancer
Cancer Research UK
Research by scientists in the London Research Institute of Cancer Research UK aims to understand living processes in cells. This knowledge can lead to better ways to prevent or treat cancers.
Focus for the research
The central London base of the Research Institute is home to more than 30 research groups. Many of the groups are working on the processes which scientists call signal transduction.
Signal transduction in cells converts one kind of signal or stimulus into another.
Signal transduction is the means by which living cells respond to changes in their surroundings. The changes are complex. If they go wrong they can lead to diseases such as cancer. Because of the complexity, scientists have developed models to help them work out what is going on.
Specialist services
The Laboratories house a number of the Institute's specialist support services. These include advanced instrumental techniques such as mass spectrometry, electron microscopy and DNA-sequence analysis.
Also important is bioinformatics which involves the use of techniques from applied mathematics, informatics, statistics, and computer science to solve biological problems.
The Institute is also home to a large library houses of paper and electronic research journals.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 07 June 2005
