THE University of Liverpool is to open a £20m war chest to recruit a “world- class” team to head up a new nerve centre for cancer research.

And to make sure they get the right candidates for the £70m Faculty of Life Sciences, university bosses also confirmed they will be embarking on a global talent search.

Work is already under way to build the new facility, which is adjacent to the university’s biosciences building at the junction of Crown Street and West Derby Street.

The building will house more than 600 researchers working in areas such as cancer, infectious diseases and digestive conditions such as Crohn's Disease.

The first phase is due to open next year.

To ensure the cutting edge laboratories are matched by personnel, the university last night confirmed it plans to spend £20m to recruit 23 top- drawer academics.

Recruits of “global standing” will join the new faculty, which will bring together world-leading expertise from medicine, biomedicine and veterinary, health and biological sciences.

Other areas of research will range from obesity and healthcare to eye disease.