About us | НОЦ «Центр геномных исследований» СФУ

The Center was established at the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk in April 2012 with the support from the Department of Genetics and Breeding of the Center for Forest Protection in Krasnoyarsk Region (Regional branch of the Russian Center for Forest Protection at the Federal Forestry Agency) and the Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Breeding at the V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Krasnoyarsk.

The main objectives of the Center are:

Fundamental and applied scientific research in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biotechnology, and bioinformatics.
Training of highly qualified experts and education specialists using complex scientific and educational programs directly associated with innovative activities at the Center and the University.
Development of the theoretical and methodological foundations for biological education.
Development of new, progressive forms of innovative activities, scientific and technological cooperation with the scientific, engineering, technological and industrial organizations, foundations, and other structures to jointly address the critical scientific, technical, and educational problems.
Development of new technologies and expansion of their use in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biotechnology, and bioinformatics.
Development of international scientific and technological cooperation with educational organizations, academic institutions, and industry to increase participation in the global system of science and education.
Establishment of the financial basis of the research and development through external funding and innovative activities.

The Center has the latest and most productive equipment and trained professionals to conduct genetic and genomic research. In particular, the Center installed the latest and most powerful next-generation DNA sequencer HiSeq 2000 (Illumina, Inc., USA). Currently, only three research organizations in Russia have similar equipment. The Center has established communication and cooperation with the leading Russian and foreign laboratories of genome research in the U.S. and Europe.

Our projects
The main current project of the Center is the de novo sequencing and annotation of complete genomes of two conifer species - Siberian larch and Siberian stone pine - the main boreal forest tree species in Siberia and the most valuable trees in Russia. The genomes of conifers are uniquely large (4-6 times greater than the human genome) and are very difficult to sequence and assemble. The innovative approaches developed by the Center will allow succeeding in these projects and generating invaluable research data along with the recently initiated similar projects for complete de novo genome sequencing of conifers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Center also plans to study the genomes of other economically important plant and animal species and to carry out medical genetic studies of the human genome.

Cooperation
The center is open for broad collaboration and cooperation with similar research organizations and groups in Russia and abroad. The research at the Centre involves both scientists and students from the Siberian Federal University and researchers from the academic institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as specialists from federal genetic laboratories in Russia, including forest agencies and organizations. Participating in the research at the Centre, they will obtain unique experience in genomic research and bioinformatics and acquire professional skills that are widely demanded by the labor market in Russia and in the world.