Roslin Institute granted £10m for livestock research

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Scientists researching ways to improve the health of Scotland's livestock are to receive £10m in government aid.

The Roslin Institute in Midlothian has been awarded the funds to help develop an international livestock improvement centre.

The institute said the investment would help keep Scotland at the forefront of international livestock research.

The centre became famous in 1996 for creating Dolly the sheep - the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

The institute is based at Edinburgh University's Easter Bush campus.

Roslin director Prof David Hume commented: "This investment complements the current development of the National Avian Research Facility at Easter Bush and will help to keep Scotland at the forefront of livestock research internationally."

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Roslin Institute benefited farmers both at home and abroad.

"Attracting capital funding for new infrastructure and creating employment opportunities in Midlothian is a key objective of the Easter Bush Research Consortium, of which the Roslin Institute is a part.

"This investment should benefit all members of the consortium and will help to create a fantastic resource for Scotland and the world."

Last May, the Roslin Institute was granted £23m in funding for research in the animal sciences sector.

The award, handed out by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is being used over the next few years to help improve animal health and welfare and boost livestock productivity.