SENIOR figures at a North-East university have insisted that world-class stem cell research will continue in the region, despite a key scientist leaving the team.

It follows confirmation that internationally renowned scientists Professor Miodrag Stojkovic is to leave Newcastle University for a better-funded post in Spain.

Prof Stojkovic hit international headlines earlier this year when he became one half of the first European science team to clone a human embryo.

That feat, carried out with the help of colleague Professor Alison Murdoch, placed Newcastle's Centre for Life in pole position in the international race to find new ways to treat disease using stem cell technology.

With Prof Murdoch, the team was granted a licence to carry out therapeutic cloning of human embryos in August last year.

The university has admitted he will be a "great loss" when Prof Stojkovic leaves the centre to work in Valencia at the £274m Prince Felipe Research Centre. But the work he and Prof Murdoch started will continue, it was stressed last night.

Professor Michael Whitaker, who oversees stem cell research development on Tyneside was upbeat about the future.

"We shall continue the nuclear transfer work that Miodrag and his colleagues began. He has exceptional skills but he has transferred quite a lot of those skills to other people within the institute." he said.

Prof Whitaker said it was important to emphasise that the North-East has 12 research groups working on different aspects of stem cell research.

The team is being strengthened by the appointment of Dr Colin McGuckin of Kingston University, London, as its new professor of regenerative medicine.

The appointment follows his work in obtaining stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

Newcastle University's vice-chancellor, Professor Christopher Edwards, said Prof Stojkovic "leaves a tremendous legacy for Newcastle and UK stem cell research in general".