Established in 1996 the Wellcome Centre of Cell Biology operated for 28 years and ended on November 30, 2024. It was from the legacy of research at the Centre that the Discovery Research Platform for Hidden Cell Biology was established. Origins of the Centre The expansion of research in cell biology was planned in 1992, it was the vision of Professor Sir Kenneth Murray, then Biogen Professor at the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology.A seed contribution of £2.5 million from the Darwin Trust was followed by financial commitments from The Wolfson Foundation, the University and the Wellcome Trust, allowing construction of the Michael Swann Building. Dedicated research space The majority of research space was earmarked for Wellcome funded research.Recruitment, based on research excellence at all levels in the area of cell biology, began in earnest in 1993, mostly but not exclusively, through the award of Research Fellowships from Wellcome. The Swann Building was first occupied by new arrivals in January 1996 and became “The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology” from October 2001.Core funding for the Centre from Wellcome was renewed in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. Centre Directors Adrian Bird became the first Centre Director in 2001 and led the Centre until 2011 when David Tollervey took over the role for the next ten years.In 2021 Adele Marston became the Centre Director until 2024. A new beginning In 2020, Wellcome announced that they would be ending the Wellcome Centre scheme. From the outstanding legacy of the Centre for Cell Biology the Wellcome Discovery Platform for Hidden Cell Biology was established in December 2023. This article was published on 2024-11-27
