High technologies imply technologies that require large-scale involvement of scientific, material and technical resources, represent the foremost border of science and technique development, put new discoveries and inventions into practice, and transform fantasy into reality. That’s great, isn’t it? We think so too! That is why at the end of 2012 on the base of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Innate Immunity of Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) the Institute of High-Tech Biomedicine was established.The main goal of the Institute consists in structurizing basic and applied research in the area of medicine and biology in accordance with the priorities of the Russian Federation in biomedical technologies and with global scientific trends in this field, as well as in providing conditions for carrying out research and development of innovative technologies prepared for introduction into clinical practice. At present the Institute includes six specialized research laboratories (the Lab of Molecular Genetics of Innate Immunity, the Lab of New Methods of Physiological Research, the Lab of Pre-Clinical Research, Cellular Pathology and Bioregulation, the Lab of Clinical Epidemiology, the Lab of Synthesis of Biologically Active Compounds, the Lab of Telemedicine) and the Integrated Multifunctional Center for Modular Training. The Institute conducts scientific research and development in the field of molecular genetics (Fig.1), oncoimmunology, neurophysiology, bioregulation, cell biology, pharmacology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and other branches of science. Research and development of the Institute are supported by the Russian Science Foundation, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Russian Humanitarian Science Foundation, the Federal specific-purpose programs, grants of the President and the Government of the Russian Federation (Fig.2), and by the Program of Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) «Basic sciences for medicine». The project activity of undergraduates and PhD students is supported by theFoundation for
facilitation of development of small businesses in the field of science and technology (the program «A Member of the Youth Research and Innovation Competition – U.М.N.I.К»).
Figure 1. Setting of an experiment in the Lab of Molecular Genetics of Innate Immunity.
Figure 2. The Minister of healthcare of the Russian Federation V.I. Skvortsova visited the Lab of New Methods of Physiological Research
The Institute of High-Tech Biomedicine of PetrSU maintains collaboration with various Russian and foreign institutions working in the area of biomedicine. Among them are Tufts University (Boston, USA), University of Eastern Finland (Kuopio, Finland), Tampere University Hospital (Tampere, Finland), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH, Oulu, Finland), Scientific Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical- Biological Agency (Moscow, Russia), N.N. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Research Institute of Pulmonology of Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University (Saint Petersburg, Russia), M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of RAS(Moscow, Russia), Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of RAS (Moscow, Russia), Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of RAS (Moscow, Russia),State Scientific Center «Institute of Biomedical Problems» of RAS (Moscow, Russia), Institute of Developmental Physiology of Russian Academy of Education (Moscow, Russia), Scientific Research Institute of Rheumatology of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Moscow, Russia), and others (Fig.3).
Figure 3. Professor A.T. Balashov, the head of the Lab of telemedicine, opens a telebridge with the Clinics of neurosurgery of the Helsinki University Central Hospital
To date, the Institute possesses a huge potential for successful development. Considering that biomedicine is one of the most important directions of the world modern science aiming at task-oriented search and engineering of genetically determined experimental biomodels related to the human development, protection and maintenance of quality of life, creation of innovative ways for disease diagnostics, it is evident that the unique join of fundamental science and clinical practice will be in demand and will yield great results.