About the Laboratory of Molecular Biology

The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is a world-class research laboratory, dedicated to understanding important biological processes at the molecular level – with the goal of using this knowledge to tackle major problems in human health and disease.

The LMB is one of the birthplaces of modern molecular biology. Many techniques were pioneered at the laboratory, including DNA sequencing, methods for determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins and the development of monoclonal antibodies.

Over the years, the work of LMB scientists has attracted 12 Nobel prizes, dozens of Royal Society awards and numerous other scientific honours.

In addition, many of our scientists have succeeded in exploiting their discoveries through technology transfer generating over £700 million of commercial income, to help support UK science.

Support for leading-edge research

The LMB’s main source of funding comes from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the UK’s leading publicly funded biomedical research organisation. The MRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The MRC provides a fixed single budget, set for five years at a time, which can be allocated with great flexibility. This central funding helps give scientists the freedom to tackle difficult and fundamental problems in biology.