University Briefs Government

Our University's task is to provide a Regional hub for scientific research, business coordination, and the production of technology that will modernise the nation's food industry. The Rector addressed our guests in the Botanical Gardens, itself a hive of research activity. He described the work of the Pharmacology of Living Systems Research Institute, run by Dr Mikhail Pokrovsky. They are engaged in gene editing, with the aim of breeding highly productive farm animals. In the process, they are turning out scientists at the cutting edge of genetic science. The next stage for the Institute, will be to develop veterinary pharmaceuticals to ensure the health of the national herd. The first preclinical trials of experimental medicines will start in June. Their plan is to replace the antibiotics in meat herds with probiotics, which will then mean that antibiotics administered to humans will be more effective.

He then spoke about the work of the Botanical Gardens Research Laboratory, under Dr Mikhail Tretyakov. Dr Tretyakov then explained the work of the Laboratory in developing cultivars of lilacs for commercial use. The concentration of resources on a comprehensive knowledge of this plant will give our scientists insight into other ornamental and agricultural plants. At the moment, the laboratory is working on ways to make the plants flower longer, and trying to generate different colours in the flowers. To this end, the guests were invited to plant the first lilacs into the second lilac bed in the Botanical Gardens, which will now include North American varieties.