Study explores the strategy behind one of the world's most successful labs

Dr Richard Henderson (image credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)

 

 

The IfM’s Professor Chander Velu is featured in a recent issue of Nature with a new study on a Cambridge treasure: the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB). Together with fellow Cambridge Professor Antonio Vidal-Puig and PhD candidate Luka Gebel from King’s College London, Chander has sought to understand the remarkable success of the LMB through a business management lens, drawing on research from the IfM.

 

When it comes to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is in a league of its own. Since its origins in the late 1940s from the Cavendish Laboratory in the University of Cambridge’s physics department, its researchers have discovered the structure of DNA and proteins, ribosomes, the evolution of antibodies, and developed several new technologies to advance understanding of biology at the molecular level. These accomplishments are admired throughout the world, and 12 scientists have been awarded Nobel prizes in recognition of their breakthrough work in the lab. Chander and colleagues set out to understand the strategy behind the LMB’s consistent research excellence to help other research communities foster innovation in a similar way, and inform policymakers in funding basic science research.

 

Finding the winning formula

"In the Cambridge scientific community, the LMB has an almost mythical status, in terms of the quality of work they do and how they are managed," says Chander. "We were interested in learning what makes the LMB tick and how we can apply some of the concepts from innovation management to understand them and suggest lessons for other institutions to learn from them."

 

The team interviewed senior LMB and external scientists to provide insights on the LMB’s management strategy. They also analysed data from the LMB’s archive, including external assessments and management meeting records.

 

"The success of research-intensive institutions depends on more than funding. Tailored management of the culture and mission of the institution can also have a crucial role to play," says Antonio.

 

Three principles of integrated management

The new study attributes the LMB’s success to a coherent and strategic management model, focused on three key elements: a strong organisational culture, incentives for alignment with long term institutional goals, and effective management oversight.

 

First, the LMB consists of groups working in diverse fields, which enables a culture of knowledge exchange and synergies between different areas of research. The approach of keeping research groups small but with overlapping expertise enables LMB to achieve critical mass of expertise in specific research areas whilst retaining the flexibility to innovate in emerging fields. This also makes it easier to share technologies and inspires research groups and individuals to aim for bolder goals.

 

Second, fruitful forms of collaboration are encouraged through a highly effective incentive structure. Staff members are joined together by a set of shared values and common aims, and the lab invests in the development of junior staff. LMB resources are allocated in ways that encourage innovative collaboration between internal teams and divisions. For example, while each group may request specific equipment, overlaps between the groups are prioritised by management for funding, which incentivises collaboration. The utilisation of shared equipment enables new insights, often resulting in the development of foresight through the identification of new scientific questions creating a positive feedback loop with technology development.

 

Third, the tensions between science and technology priorities are managed with a highly effective management oversight system. For example, decisions around scientific resources are delegated to the research groups; funding for major technology development is allocated centrally through the lab’s executive committee. The overall approach prioritises long term scientific potential of individuals and groups over short-term publications targets and citation metrics.

 

"Government and policymakers should learn from the LMBs success and continue funding long-term basic research, and encourage research institutions to apply some of the LMBs coherent management strategies to de-risk investment in basic science," Chander concludes.

 

 

Read the Nature article here: https://rdcu.be/dNFc2

Date published

19 July 2024

 
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