THE UK鈥檚 international standing in neuroscience suffered a blow on Tuesday when the University of Cambridge decided not to build its planned world-class primate centre for research into strokes and diseases such as Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚.
The university denies being bullied into the decision by animal rights activists, and has vowed to pursue the work elsewhere. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a Cambridge issue, it鈥檚 a national issue,鈥� says a spokeswoman. 鈥淭he prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the chief scientific adviser have all said they support us in this effort, and support our research, so we feel confident we will work with them to find a way forward.鈥�
She declined to comment on antivivisectionists鈥� rumours that the university hopes to do the work instead at the government鈥檚 highly secure centre at Porton Down in Wiltshire.
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