United front

Architectural metal roofing and cladding company TR Freeman has been picked to install a major new roof near its Cambridge headquarters.

A new building is being constructed for the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and TR Freeman will be installing the Kalzip roof in a contract worth £800,000.

The company is based in the heart of Cambridge – opposite Cambridge United.

"This is an excellent local contract for us and an important building as well," explained TR Freeman's managing director Gary Webb. "So much has been achieved in the old building, and this new one will provide purpose-built facilities for the laboratory for decades to come."

The new building is being constructed by BAM Construction, and replaces the present one after 50 years of use. The project will be completed by 2012 and has been paid for in part from royalties from antibody-related work at the laboratory.

The purpose of the laboratory is to understand biological processes at the molecular level. Ultimately it aims to use this knowledge to tackle specific problems in human health and disease. The sequencing of DNA was pioneered at the laboratory.