Head of the Division - Dr. Andrey L. Konevega
Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division (MRBD) consists of four laboratories:
The Division also includes:
About the Division
The December 25, 1964 resolution by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR marked the founding of the Laboratory of Radiation Genetics at the branch of the Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology (now the NRC “Kurchatov Institute” – PNPI) – the first laboratory based on the Department of Radiobiology. This key development laid the groundwork for what is now the Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division. The Department was originally established to study the effects of radioactive radiation on the human body. Among the Department's major achievements are the development of an EPR spectrometer in 1967 (V. N. Fomichev et al.), the discovery of the phenomenon of cytoduction in yeast in 1969 (I. A. Zakharov et al.), and the development of the first inactivated influenza vaccine in 1971 (S. E. Bresler et al.) In the 1970s, the proportion of research in molecular biology, biophysics, and genetics significantly exceeded that in the field of radiobiology; consequently, in 1976, the Department of Radiobiology was reorganized into the Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division (MRBD). Over the years, the Division has conducted a wide range of studies. In 1980-1981, researchers demonstrated the distinct advantages of catalysts for oil desulfurization developed in Gatchina (G.A. Bagyan et al.); in 1989, it was proposed to use the polymerase chain reaction method for the diagnosis of human genetic disorders s (E. I. Shvarts et al.); in 1992, the full-atom three-dimensional structure of glucoamylase was determined (L.M. Firsov et al.).
The MRBD's research focuses on the most significant areas of molecular biology, biophysics, and molecular and medical genetics; the study of systems ensuring genome stability (replication, recombination, repair, and mutagenesis) in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, as well as the structural and dynamic aspects of macromolecule function; the development of molecular genetic and biophysical approaches to address challenges in medical diagnosis and treatment, the search for and study of biologically active substances, and the investigation of the biological effects of low-dose radiation. The Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division (MRBD) at the NRC "Kurchatov Institute" - PNPI working through their Cryoastrobiology Laboratory, conducts pioneering investigations into the lake water and accretion ice of Antarctica's subglacial Lake Vostok. In 2016, the Division established a new research unit—a testing center for radiopharmaceuticals and other medical products—whose responsibilities include conducting preclinical trials, developing biomodels of socially significant human diseases, and bringing together the expertise of various departments within the Institute to conduct research in the field of biomedicine.
Since 1976, the MRBD has been convening Winter Biology Schools, and since 2008, it has been holding conferences in memory of S.E. Bresler—the Bresler Readings. The Division takes special pride in the number of young researchers working here, making it one of the “youngest” in terms of its age composition. The MRBD maintains extensive collaborative networks with many research institutes and universities including the Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology; the Department of Molecular, Genetic and Nanobiological Technologies at Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University; Institute of Experimental Medicine; St. Petersburg Polytechnic University; Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Joint Institute for Nuclear Research; the State Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms and many others. The Division made a great contribution to the scientific potential of the Russian Federation, promoted training and development of many brilliant scientists.
