Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NASU

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The Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (the IMBG of the NASU) was founded in 1973 on the basis of the Sector of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Academician Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the NASU. The Sector was headed by Member of the NASU Professor Sergei M. Gershenzon. From 1973 to 2003 the Institute was directed by an honored scientist, Member of the NASU, and now an honorary director of the Institute Professor Gennady Kh. Matsuka. In 2003 Member of the NASU Professor Anna V. El'skaya became the Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NASU.

30 years ago the IMBG of the NASU initiated joint collaboration of scientists and specialists in molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology, biotechnology, chemistry, and genetics. Presently its staff is comprised of 426 workers, including 184 scientists, 22 Doctors of Sciences (Dr. Sci.) and 112 Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.), 3 Members of the NASU, and 7 Corresponding Members of the NASU.

Presently there are 120 young scientists (under 35 years old) at the IMBG of the NASU and their number is currently growing. Annually more than 20 young researches take a post-graduate course at the Institute.

The Institute provides Molecular Biology instruction for students as a branch of the Biochemistry Chair of the Biology Department of Kiev Taras Shevchenko University.

The Scientific Council of Young Scientists of the IMBG of the NASU resumed its work in 2000.

Throughout 30 years of its existence the IMBG of the NASU registered 2 scientific discoveries, received one National Prize of the USSR, seven National Prizes of Ukraine, one Prize of the Council of Ministers of Ukraine, one Prize of the President of Ukraine designated for young scientists, and five Personal Prizes of the NASU. Over 3000 scientific articles were published by the scientists of the Institute, out of which more than 330 articles were published in renowned foreign journals. Workers of the Institute obtained 146 author's certificates.

The Institute hosted about 50 conferences, meetings, scientific schools, etc.

During its existence the Institute actively participated in national and governmental scientific and technical programs, such as:

"Urgent Measures for Liquidation of Consequences of Chernobyl Disaster of 1991-1992"; National Program of Liquidation of Consequences of Chernobyl Disaster and Social Protection in 1993-1995, and up to 2000; "Protection of Genetic Fund of the Ukrainian Population"; "Chemical Therapy and Chemical Prophylactics of Viral Infections"; "Biosensors", "Biotechnology"; "Protection of Population from the Most Widely Spread Infectious Diseases"; "Protection and Rehabilitation of the Immune System of the Ukrainian Population"; National Program for AIDS Prevention; Competitive programs of the Ministry for Public Health of Ukraine, of the National Space Agency and of the Ukrainian Medical and Biological Industry Institution (Ukrmedbioprom). For many years scientists of the Institute successfully cooperated with their foreign colleagues from Germany, France, USA, Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Greece, Japan, Russia, Belarus and other countries. Scientists of the Institute not only maintained long-term collaboration with leading research laboratories of the world, but also received international grants, including those of INTAS, INCO-COPERNICUS, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and others.

In recent years more than 50 young scientists of the Institute became trainees or researchers in USA, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and other countries of the world.

From 1967 to 1986 the Institute has published the Journal of Cytology and Genetics ("Tsitologiya i genetika"), and since 1985 it has been publishing a scientific and theoretical journal "Biopolymers and Cell" which contains articles in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

In 2002 the IMBG of the NASU created and launched the first version of Web portal in bioinformatics, genomics, structural biology, and molecular medicine as its inner bioinformational resource ( www.bioua.org.ua ).

In 2003 the IMBG of the NASU was rewarded by diploma of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the essential scientific contribution to gene engineering and therapy, creation and application of newly biotechnologies and drugs.

Mailing address: 150 Academician Zabolotny Street Kiev, Ukraine, 03143 Phone: 38 (044) 526-11-69 Fax: 38 (044) 526-07-59 Web site: www.imbg.org.ua