National Center of Genome Biotechnology opens in Minsk

December 29, 2011

The center for genetic labeling and certification of plants, animals, microorganisms and humans (National Center of Genome Biotechnology) opened at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) on 27 December.

Director of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology at the NASB Alexander Kilchevsky informed that the center will provide services in the field of genome biotechnology to the agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Sport and Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as other legal entities and natural persons, including those from abroad. The National Center of Genome Biotechnology is a unique multi-field innovation agency that has no analogues in the CIS.

The National Center of Genome Biotechnology has been created on the basis of the accredited center of DNA biotechnology of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology at the NASB and the center for collective use “Genome” within the state program of innovative development. The mission of the center is to determine the presence of genetically modified ingredients in food raw materials and food products, agricultural products, feeds and seeds, identity DNA markers for certification of crop varieties. The center can also identify the genes responsible for economical valuable characteristics and hereditary diseases in animals, for individual human characteristics.

The center has successfully passed the certification for the international ISO 9001-2009 quality management standard. The center will reach the designed capacity in December 2013, which means not less than 6,944 tests per year. This will solve the problem of commercialization of genome research in the country, and lay the groundwork for the formation of the domestic market of genome biotechnology.

Source: BELTA