According to Alexey Kochetov, Director of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the establishment of national bioresource centers is essential for the generation of genetic lines of laboratory animals to facilitate the advancement of new drugs and preclinical research. Such a step is rational in view of the course towards achieving Russian technological sovereignty in pharmacology and medicine.
According to him, at the Institute the only preclinical research laboratory beyond the Urals has been created on the basis of a unique scientific installation SPF vivarium, where lines of laboratory mice are obtained using genetic engineering methods for testing new drugs. Here, scientists can create custom genetic lines of mice. In particular, to test drugs against COVID-19 using genetic engineering, a line of mice infected with coronavirus infection was created here. The creation of a bioresource center will expand the capabilities to meet the needs of the country’s scientific laboratories, Kochetov is sure.
