The main science of this century
Why is Russia investing more than a trillion rubles in scientists
Natalia Moroz, online newspaper Newslab.ru
Biotechnology is not an invention of the XXI or even the XX century. Historians find examples of the use of biological systems in the technological (production) process in the very distant past. For example, the fermentation process involving microorganisms was used by the inhabitants of ancient Babylon.
Biotechnology yesterday and todayHowever, it was in the second half of the last century that biotechnology became noticeably more complicated: it began to develop as an applied industry, using the achievements of other natural sciences.
Without this knowledge, the emergence of such areas as molecular biology or genetics would not be possible. A new stage in the development of biotechnological industries is also reflected in the terminology – the division of biotechnology into "old" and "new". If the first is the production of alcohol during the fermentation of ordinary yeast, then the "new" biotechnology uses yeast improved by genetic engineering methods for this. As a result, the alcohol yield increases.
By the XXI century, biotechnology has come up with a good reason to become the main science, at least for the next hundred years.
The reason is that it is technologies with the prefix "bio-" that are able to solve issues that are relevant both for a particular person and for the whole of humanity. "It is obvious that humanity has changed its paradigm. The main values for people today are good health and ecology. And it is the biotechnologies that stand on the "shoulders" of physics, chemistry and mathematics – other sciences developed in earlier times, and offer solutions to these problems. It's not just about some future achievements, but about concrete results already obtained – important discoveries in this area occur almost every day," says the head of the Department of Biophysics of SibFU, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Valentina Kratasyuk.
Color classification of specialized areas of biotechnology
Source: A.N.Bach Institute of Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Today, the development of biotechnologies goes in at least ten large directions, each of which has many branches. Interviewees Newslab.ru experts say that at the moment several industries are developing most actively in Russia and the world – biomedicine, agrobiotechnology, bioenergy. "If we talk about biotechnology in general, then such as genomic medicine, tissue engineering, personalized diagnostics and therapy can be noted as relevant areas. Developments are also underway in such areas as bio–production of energy and bio-processing of waste," said Lyudmila Burakova, a researcher at the photobiology laboratory of the Institute of Biophysics SB RAS.
Artem Blagodatsky, a postdoc at the FEFU School of Biomedicine, head of the Natural Sciences Department at the Krasnoyarsk Summer School, agrees with this assessment:
"Regenerative technologies are relevant today, allowing to start the process of "repair", "self-healing" in sick or damaged tissues. As the apogee of the development of regenerative technologies is the cultivation of human organs "from scratch" for medical purposes. The next group of urgent tasks is the creation of drugs that selectively act only on diseased cells. This may be targeted delivery of drugs to patients, say, cancer cells, for example, based on antibodies. Or drugs that specifically act on diseased target cells and are harmless to healthy cells. As an example, we can name the recently approved anti-cancer drug Imlygic for use in the USA and Europe. It is a modified herpes virus that specifically affects skin cancer cells and at the same time does not harm healthy tissues."
As Blagodatsky adds, another actively developing area of biotech is the technology of genome editing using the CRISPR system, "borrowed" by researchers from bacteria. They will help in the treatment of incurable hereditary diseases.
According to Sergey Khizhnyak, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Botany, Physiology and Plant Protection of the Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, the use of biotechnologies in agriculture, as well as for environmental protection, is on the agenda today. "Biological cleaning of oil-contaminated areas is especially relevant in conditions of low temperatures typical for most domestic and many foreign fields. Work is underway to improve biological preparations for biological protection of plants from diseases – as an alternative to pesticides, and to increase soil fertility – as an alternative to mineral fertilizers. The main direction is the development of biological products for specific soil and climatic conditions of each region and for specific agricultural crops," the expert said.
Behind the whole planet?The state of biotechnologies in Russia at the moment is a controversial issue.
On the one hand, the domestic biotech industry will not soon catch up with countries such as the USA, Japan or China. For example, the latter invests about $40 billion annually in this scientific field.
On the other hand, there are several programs in Russia designed to stimulate the development of the biotechnology industry. One of them was approved by the government in 2012 – by 2020, the state intends to invest 1.2 trillion rubles in biotech.
Biopharmaceuticals will receive the largest amount of funding
Source: Frost&Sullivan
Moreover, a recent study prepared by Frost&Sullivan in cooperation with the Innovation and Investment Market of the Moscow Stock Exchange and RVC states: "Biotechnologies in Russia are developing rapidly." Analysts support their conclusions by the fact that such technological platforms as "Medicine of the Future", "Biotech 2030", "Bioenergy" have started working in Russia – they should become a link between business and science. In addition, the study says, another impetus for the development of biotech in Russia is the policy of import substitution: "For example, many of the largest biopharmaceutical companies have localized their production in clusters of Kaluga, Yaroslavl region, in St. Petersburg. Domestic companies, with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, create analogues of foreign biological products. With the expected expiration of patent protection for many medicines, a competitive biosimilar sector may appear in Russia in the future."
At the same time, the study notes that there is still no proper legislative framework for the development of a number of biotechnological areas in Russia. This, in particular, concerns promising cellular technologies, in which Russia has good groundwork. The "legal vacuum" prevents the transfer of scientific developments to commercial rails. The problem of outdated material and technical base and shortage of qualified personnel is also relevant for the industry.
"In general, the situation in Russia today is contradictory. After an almost complete failure in the financing of science in the 90s and at the beginning of the "zero", now the industry is allocated some money that allows it to work. But during the mentioned failure, many research teams collapsed or eventually left abroad, which now creates a shortage of personnel. It often happens that some laboratory buys a complex device, and there is no one to work on it," says Artem Blagodatsky. – Another problem is the lack of a global scientific infrastructure: both in the field of purchasing reagents and devices, and in the field of collaborations between teams."
At the same time, Valentina Kratasyuk believes that Krasnoyarsk is in a rather advantageous position in the issue of staffing the industry: "The outflow of specialists to the west in the 90s was really significant. But Krasnoyarsk even wins a little in this matter, because, mostly, scientists working in the central regions left. This is a big plus for us now: we have not only opportunities for development, but also professionals who use these opportunities for their research."
Today, such areas of biotech as biomedicine and agrobiotechnology are most represented in Krasnoyarsk. The first direction is being developed both in several laboratories of the Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, and in higher education institutions – SFU and Medical University. Biotechnology in agriculture is the prerogative of the Institute of Forestry SB RAS and the Agrarian University. The above-mentioned universities also train personnel for biotech.
From biotechnology to bioeconomicsExperts note that the potential for the development of biotechnologies is almost limitless – each new discovery generates at least a dozen options for its practical application.
"Express diagnostic systems based on bioluminescent proteins with the use of biochips are being developed now. In the USA, work is underway to create glowing plants with the help of genetic modifications, which in the future may be able to illuminate the streets of cities. There is an intensive study of the system of glowing mushrooms and glowing worms. It is too early to talk about the application here, but in the future, when all the components of these systems can be obtained in unlimited quantities, new horizons for applied developments will open up," says Lyudmila Burakova.
According to the head of the Laboratory of Biomolecular and Medical Technologies of Krasnoyarsk Medical University, Doctor of Biological Sciences Anna Zamai, several areas of biotech will be actively developed in the next 10-20 years.
"Biopharmaceuticals are relevant in connection with the transition to personalized medicine. Industrial biotechnology will be actively developed – the creation of various polymer materials, new energy carriers, biodegradable materials. In addition, food and agricultural biotechnology – providing the population with high-quality nutrition in the required amount. Because there is already a shortage of food in the world today, which leads to hunger and mass migration of people," says Anna Zamai.
Recently, the word "bioeconomics" has been increasingly used in describing the prospects for the development of biotechnologies in the world and Russia. On the one hand, they denote a large and rapidly growing segment of companies working in biotech as a manufacturer of a particular product. According to Frost&Sullivan analysts, the global biotechnology market is growing annually by 10-12% per year – by 2020 it will reach $600 billion. Moreover, the state and private business are becoming less and less an investor in biotech.
By 2020, the global biotechnology market will reach $600 billion
Source: Frost&Sullivan
On the other hand, "bioeconomics" is also the replacement with the help of biotechnologies of traditional tools in a number of industries and businesses. Already today, such examples can be found in Krasnoyarsk. Thus, the Polyus gold mining company uses biological leaching of gold from ores in its work.
Another example is the first biogas plant in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for processing animal waste, launched by Sangilen+. With its help, the company not only ensures the environmental friendliness of the process, but also produces biogas (methane) – it is used for heating industrial premises.
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25.11.2015