A CENTRE of excellence in the North-East is adding to its growing reputation by seeking an advance in the fight against a deadly cancer.

Funding has been granted to Durham University's biological sciences department to develop a "DNA chip" to detect genetic changes in bowel cancer.

Using laboratories at recently opened buildings on the university's science park, the funding will hopefully help researchers improve diagnosis and treatment of the cancer, which accounts for ten per cent of all new cases and 12 per cent of all cancer deaths.

Yarm-based charity Against Bowel Cancer has added £30,000 to research funding from the National Health Service, taking cash-backing to £150,000 over three years.

It has enabled the department to take on a post graduate researcher, Naomi Willis.

Representatives of the charity visited the department yesterday to tour the facilities and be given an outline of the work devising the DNA chip by Ms Willis and project leader Professor Chris Hutchison.

Prof Hutchison said work devising the DNA chip and possibly then a screen for the disease, has put the university in the forefront of the fight against cancer.

"There are some big cancer centres in the UK and I think our cancer effort generally is extremely good. It is fair to say we are developing a contribution to that effort," he said.

Durham is now among a handful of centres working in "post genomic technologies", analysing genetic changes at gene and protein levels.

He was brought from Dundee, among 12 academic appointments to the expanding department in the last few months.

"The university has developed it extensively to create an international competitive research centre and we've brought in a number of people in the process."