Funding boost for research unit

A research team looking into treatments for conditions including cancer and diabetes has been awarded a major funding increase.

Dundee University's protein phosphorylation unit has had its funding for the next five years almost doubled to £14.9m.

The Medical Research Council award came after a list of international experts endorsed the work of the unit.

It has been given the council's highest rating for its work and future plans.

The unit's director Prof Sir Philip Cohen, said: "The additional funding will allow us to expand our cutting-edge research programmes, which aim to understand the causes of global diseases, and to use this information to facilitate the development of drugs to treat these conditions."

The unit received £7.5m funding for 2002-07.