To match Special Report PHARMACEUTICALS/
Dr Nick Brooks loads a capillary tube into a X-ray diffraction machine in a laboratory at Imperial College in London, May 28, 2010. Across the western world, Big Pharma is cutting back on the number of scientists it employs in its labs and the money it spends on research and development. The hunt for new drugs continues, but the men and women in white coats - traditionally viewed as the lifeblood of the industry - are not as untouchable as they once were. Tucked neatly behind London's famous Science Museum, which pays homage to the groundbreaking advances that made modern medicine what it is, the chemistry labs at Imperial College offer one last refuge from the realities of the marketplace. Picture taken May 28, 2010. To match Special Report PHARMACEUTICALS/ REUTERS/Paul Hackett/Files (BRITAIN - Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS SCI TECH)