ASU has proceeded to implementation of project in selection and seed production
Negotiations for the university’s participation in the project of Siberian Biotechnological Initiative titled “Selection Center” were carried out in the framework of the OpenBio-2016 innovative forum that took place in Novosibirsk scientific town Koltsovo. The project under the supervision of RAS academician Nikolay A. Kolchanov is realized by the Institute for Cytology and Genetics under SB RAS.
In the course of the meeting director of Altai Center for Applied Biotechnology at ASU Dmitry A. Durnikin did not only have a talk with the authorities of the Institute for Cytology and Genetics about cooperation in terms of project implementation, but also suggested extending the project name to “Selection and Seed Production Center”.
“To produce a new cultivar of potato or wheat is only the first step of the work. It is also necessary to develop high-quality seed stock of the given cultivar, which can be used in agriculture further on. It is the second important step! Finally, the third step is mass production of the elite seeds of agricultural plants. Activities of the center comprise these objectives as well as a number of educational programs,” specified Dmitry A. Durnikin.
Altai State University holds an interest in joint realization of this selection, seed-production and educational project. All together these directions will constitute joint scientific and educational conglomerate of two academic centers (Altai State University and Institute for Cytology and Genetics under SB RAS) that will be financed from the federal budget.
“There is a serious lack of highly-qualified specialists in selection and seed production for the present moment. The old generation of professionals retire and we need young promising scientists for replacement. So our conglomerate will train not just mere scientists, but practitioners,” noted Dmitry A. Durnikin.
It remains to be added that the work teams of Selection Center project are to meet at the beginning of November at one of the Siberian scientific centers.