Lighthouse Labs: shining a spotlight on the name

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Kath Mackay, managing director, Alderley Park

‘Lighthouse Labs’ - another phrase for your Covid-19 dictionary. But why are the COVID-19 PCR testing labs actually called the ‘Lighthouse Labs’?

We caught up with Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult - the organisation that is coordinating the three COVID-19 testing megalabs in Alderley Park, Glasgow and Milton Keynes - to gain his insight.

“There’s a number of reasons why we named the labs as ‘lighthouses’. Firstly there is the technical aspect: PCR is read out using fluorescent light. Secondly, it’s about what these labs represent and offer to the nation: the labs are sturdy structures - large scale structures offering a light into the darkness of Covid infection. They are providing the UK with a light it can shine into whatever corner it wishes. 

The UK has an approach which is around industrialising a particular method and doing that at scale and making sure that that sits in parallel to, and not in conflict with, the work that is actively going on across NHS, PHE and in a number of other centres which are developing new techniques for RT PCR or trying new assays, for example as the AstraZeneca and GSK collaboration will as part of the network.

“So ‘lighthouse’ is there as a sign of reassurance to the nation. This science at scale is something that the UK does exceptionally well” states Molloy.

As the lab networks rely on the public for support, their mission is to enlighten the nation through their service for months to come.

Considering the future of the labs, Molloy commented: “What we have built is something that should, and will, be able to create a strong diagnostics legacy for the UK  and there is an absolute commitment by the national project that this network, that has been grown at a time of great adversity, should actually be something that we can not just use and be proud of, but can deliver us long term stimulus and sustainability to industry.” 

Technical expertise, stability, strength and commitment - it’s clear that the labs are shining bright for the UK life sciences sector, and here at Alderley Park, we’re delighted to be supporting the cause.

Daniella McCarron