A new Centre for Integrative Mammalian Physiology and Pharmacology opened recently at Imperial College London. The aim of the Centre is to provide a focus within the College for the development of in vivo research and to provide postgraduate training in in vivo physiology and pharmacology.

The enormous expansion in molecular biology over the last 15 years has been accompanied by a slowdown in the rate of development of new medicines. The concern is that we may have lost sight of how molecular components and cells act together in whole living systems—hence the funding of these new centres around the country.

So whilst molecular biology can shed light on structures and interactions of genes and proteins, integrative studies using animals are key in translating information from the genome into advances in understanding of human and animal disease and in developing the next generation of new medicines.