THE LARGEST centre for cutting-edge chemistry in Europe is to be built in Southampton after the university won more than £9 million in public and private funding.

Southampton University has been awarded £5.9m from a government fund to build and equip a new centre for combinatorial chemistry at its Highfield campus.

The centre will be staffed by 20 new researchers paid for by a donation of £3.4m from a consortium of major drug companies including Glaxo, SmithKline Beecham and Roche.

Combinatorial chemistry is a new technique developed over the last eight years and Southampton University is already at the forefront of the field in Europe.

Professor Mark Bradley, director of the new centre, said: "This new technique greatly speeds up the process of discovering new drugs and materials.

"It means that we can find more efficient ways of making basic chemicals which could lead to cheaper and more efficient production of plastics and other materials.

"It will also shorten the time it takes to bring new drugs to market, which can only help the battle against disease and infection.

"I see Southampton becoming the focus for combinatorial chemistry in Europe, setting this department aside from all others in the country.

"And I have hopes that we will produce a university spin-off company from the consortium, which could create considerable business opportunities in the Southampton area for developing some of these new products."

Prof Bradley is also in the final stages of negotiation with a major Japanese chemical company that wants to set up its European research laboratories within the centre.

If the deal is successful, it will provide a further £1m to employ six to eight further new researchers over the next three years.

The new centre, which will also employ two technicians, is due to be completed in January 2002 and recruitment of the 20 researchers is under way. As well as undertaking major research projects with industrial partners, it will provide doctoral and post-doctoral training.