Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine have buried old rivalries to team up for the massive job and will be pitting their wits against Skanska, Bam, Laing O’Rourke and Bovis Lend Lease.

The planned project in London’s King’s Cross area is shrouded in secrecy with firms reluctant to talk about bids because of strict confidentiality clauses.

In the last week final bids are understood to have been submitted for what is one of the biggest building jobs in London at the moment.

The centre was the brianchild of Labour and was recently backed by the coalition Government as a vital project to secure Britain’s place as a world leader in medical research and genetic engineering.

Scientists from leading institutions will be brought together under one roof to crack the big diseases which plague humanity.

They hope to find cures for cancer, heart disease and degenerative conditions linked to ageing.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: “As a Government, we want to deliver health outcomes that are amongst the best in the world.

“When resources are under pressure, research is even more important in identifying innovative ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease for a productive 21st century NHS.

He added: We know that investment in UK science research and its translation to the NHS is key to our future health and our future prosperity. This is why we will be increasing spending on health research in real terms over the Spending Review and providing £220m of capital funding for UKCMRI.”

The rest of the cash will come from the The Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome Trust and University College London,  all of whom signed an agreement to proceed with the ambitious project yesterday.

The building is designed by a team led by the architects HOK working with PLP Architecture