Polytechnic University and I.I. Mechnikov Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums signed a cooperation agreement
On October 19, the director of I.I. Mechnikov Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums, Oksana SVITICH, Corresponding Member of the RAS, and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology of the Institute, Vitaly ZVEREV Academician of the RAS visited SPbPU. In the course of the visit, an agreement was signed aimed at cooperation in educational and research activities in the field of virology and immunology. Cooperation will be carried out on the basis of the SPbPU Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnologies (IBSiB).
The most important activity of the Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and is the development of fundamentally new methods for diagnosing diseases of bacterial and viral nature, allergic, endocrine and autoimmune diseases using the latest technologies and scientific advances. During the talks, the Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the RAS Andrei RUDSKOI noted that he would be glad to cooperate with the country’s leading organization in the field of medical microbiology, virology, immunology, biotechnology and the creation of immunobiological drugs.
The head of the university said that the sphere of Life-Science (a set of scientific areas that study the nature, structure, functions and behavior of living beings, their evolution, interconnections, as well as the relationships that develop between them and the environment) is given serious attention at Polytechnic University. Biophysics is historically central to these sciences. However, in recent years such fields as biotechnology and molecular biology are gaining momentum at Polytechnic University, various specializations appear, and interdisciplinary projects are being created in various fields, such as medicine, healthcare, food industry, etc.
“In recent years, this particular area has been developing particularly promisingly; it is growing rapidly all over the world, and any university that dreams of taking a worthy place in the world scientific and educational community cannot do without the life-science,” explained Andrei RUDSKOI. “We have been developing this for a long time, but Polytechnic University is, first of all, a technical university. We have serious competencies in biological engineering, computer modeling, bioinformatics, digital design, biophysics, instrumentation, artificial intelligence and software products for medicine. However, we cannot do without symbiosis with specialized institutions, both research and academic. We are not waiting for a momentary response; presently, we do not set the task to get far ahead at once, but focus our intellect and joint efforts, move towards them step by step in the selected domains of competence.”
Prepared by the SPbPU Public Relations Office