Laing is favourite for 'cathedral of science'

The UK's biggest privately-owned builder is expected to land a £400 million deal to build a laboratory dubbed a "cathedral for science" in central London.

Industry sources say Laing O'Rourke is the frontrunner for the contract to build the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation near St Pancras, which will bring 1500 scientists from different fields under one roof to fight against killers such as cancer and heart disease. It will be one of the biggest construction jobs awarded in the capital this year.

The UKCRMI - which will be one of Europe's biggest research centres when completed in 2015 - is backed by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and University College London.

The project has survived Government spending cuts in a sector where morale has been sapped by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's recent decision to close its UK research base at Sandwich.

It has also sparked local opposition from residents worried about the size of the building, although changes to the centre's design will now see around a third built below street level.

With official confirmation of the contract award expected within weeks, construction work is expected to begin later this year.