LEADING science and business brains have met to thrash out the future of the threatened Daresbury Laboratory.

A task force, made up of a group of influential scientists, businessmen and policy makers, gathered for the first of many meetings last week which will make or break the future of the highly-regarded research base.

The panel, chaired by Professor John Wood, chief executive of Central Laboratories of the Research Councils (CLRC), is considering possible paths for the laboratory and expects to produce an interim report of its findings by the spring.

Amongst others, the high level team includes Dr Keith Barnes, regional director of the Government Office for the North West, Prof Richard Clegg, director of science for British Nuclear Fuels, and Prof John Garside, chairman of the North West Science Forum.

The future of the centre, which plays a key role in the the UK's science and engineering research, was thrown in the balance after it was revealed the successor to Daresbury's pioneering SRS synchrotron source, the Diamond, is to built at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.

The Diamond will not be operational until 2006 and the SRS at Daresbury will at least continue until then, although the emergence of the new technology has left question marks over the future of the Daresbury site.

In response, the task force has begun to review the long term options for the SRS and other facilities at Daresbury, as well as considering possible relationships with the North West Development Agency science park due to be built close by.

The 12-strong panel is also looking at widening the possibilities of facilities such as Daresbury's Centre for Accelerator Science, Imaging and Medicine (CASIM), which may have a relevance beyond the science and engineering world.

Mr Wood said: 'The Daresbury Laboratory is an integral component of the Central Laboratories of the Research Councils as it maintains and develops internationally leading science for UK researchers. It therefore has much to offer the UK in addition to its pivotal role in the north west.

'It stands on the cusp of some significant potential opportunities. It is working with researchers in universities and industry in support of the CASIM project.

'The new science park to be built adjacent to the laboratory will offer exciting opportunities to work with companies to exploit good science.

He added: 'CCLRC wishes to draw together key players from the regional and national scene with a stake in the laboratory's future to help map out where it may go and how this opportunity can be managed in the coming years. It promises to be an exciting time.'

The panel confirmed that the CLRC, which also operates a site at Chilbolton Observatory as well as the Rutherford Appleton operation, sees Daresbury as an important part of the future.

A CLRC spokesman said: 'CLRC facilities already operate on an international basis that ensures that the UK research community has the access it needs to the very best facilities for its work. Both the Daresbury Laboratory and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have their part to play in this.'