The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a not-for-profit UK government-financed organization that promotes and funds medical and other health-related research. Founded in 1913, MRC funding has been responsible for some of the biggest breakthroughs in life sciences, such as the purification of penicillin and the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. The council's funding is distributed to researchers in universities, the National Health System, and MRC research centers. Current research priorities include AIDS, antibiotic resistance, the use of animals in research, chronic fatigue syndrome, the study of cognitive systems, intensive care, multiple sclerosis, and other areas of public health.