EurasiaBio-2010 – Biotechnological Davos

On January 27, IBH RAS hosted a meeting of the program committee for the preparation of the Second International Congress-Exhibition "EurasiaBio". The meeting was attended by leading scientists and experts of domestic biotechnology and discussed the development of sections, satellite events of the Congress, filling it with relevant reports and speakers from both Russia and near and far abroad.

In the opening speech, the Chairman of the Program Committee Anatoly Miroshnikov (Academician, Deputy. Director of the IBH RAS, Chairman of the Pushchinsky Scientific Center of the RAS) noted the exceptional importance of holding the II Congress "EurasiaBio". To hold such a large-scale and eventful event requires enormous efforts, but it's worth it, because today the domestic bioindustry needs more than ever to involve the public and the state in its problems and colossal prospects. EurasiaBio-2010 will become a platform uniting science, society, business and government, and as the successful experience of the first Congress has shown, it will bring many concrete results (signed agreements, new ideas and projects).

The President of the OBR Raif Vasilov said that on the opening day of the Congress, the first plenary lecture "The role of biotechnology in improving the quality of life, the formation of a favorable social environment and economic development: world experience" will be delivered by the analytical company "Frost&Sullivan." During the Congress there will be a presentation of the countries: North America, China, India, Latin America. The 3rd and final day of the Congress will be dedicated to Russia and the CIS, including discussion of regional strategies. 50 subjects of the Russian Federation have already received invitations to participate in the Congress. With their participation, a final discussion should take place on whether biotechnology can become the driving force of the country's economy. A forum on innovation and technology transfer is planned on topics such as intellectual property protection, venture financing, investments in biotechnological projects. One of the central topics is the discussion of the Bioindustry Development Strategy in the Russian Federation until 2020, as well as the formation of regional programs.

If 45 foreign specialists took part in the "EurasiaBio" in 2008, this year at least 50-60 speakers are expected to be present alone. Leroy Hood (USA) will give a speech on the 1st day with an assembly (key) lecture "From systems biology to P4 medicine (predictive, personalized, preventive, participatory)". Leroy Hood is a unique scientist, president and director of the Institute of Systems Biology, one of the pioneers of biotechnology. According to him, a new understanding of genetics will transform medicine: "In 10 years we will own nanotechnological tools that will allow us to study your genome within an hour and for less than 1 thousand dollars. We will have devices that will allow us to conduct 10 thousand different tests based on blood analysis from a finger. We will send the received cellular data to the server, which will send you messages every six hours, like "You are healthy" or "It's time for you to visit an oncologist." According to Raif Vasilov, Leroy Hood is "the founder of all modern sequencing and synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids, a Nobel laureate without 5 minutes, although he has long outgrown this prize and many Nobel laureates work on his discoveries."

The event will also be attended by a large delegation from the European Union led by the head of the European Commission on Biotechnology Maive Rute (Great Britain), Professor Mark van Montagu (Belgium) – the largest specialist in transgenic plants, Dr. Jeff Cole (Great Britain) – a specialist in the microbiological industry and many others.

Special attention at the Congress will be devoted to the "white" biotech – the application of biotechnological methods in industrial production. Raif Vasilov noted that "everyone is talking about pharmaceuticals, but the strategic direction is industrial biotechnology." By 2030, from 40% to 60% of the entire bioindustry will be occupied by "white" biotech. The Industry direction is dedicated to this at the Congress. Within its framework, Arkady Sinitsyn, a leading specialist in the enzyme industry, head. The laboratory of the A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences will hold a section "New enzymes for biomass hydrolysis".

Alexey Ablaev, President of the National Biofuel Association, head of the satellite event "Bioethanol-2010", made a report. He stressed the importance of focusing on practical business and therefore the success of the event. "As the previous 4 years have shown," Ablaev noted, "the participants are not waiting for abstract discussions, they need to know specifically what will happen in 3, maximum 5 years. We will discuss the necessary laws on biofuels, fermentation from glucose, biofuels of the 1st and 2nd generations, biogas, biodiesel and much more."

Sergey Varfolomeev, Director of the Emmanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about the preparation of the section "Biohydrogen: the coming breakthrough". He noted that the topic of microalgae will be touched upon, on which Russia is "far ahead of China and Taiwan." Representatives of Taiwan are planning to speak at the Congress and talk about their project of a residential building running on a system for generating energy from hydrogen, which is very economical. A very hot topic will also be raised – biofuels from syngas.

Vladimir Debabov, Scientific director of the SSC Genetics, organizes a section on "white chemistry" – new technological approaches in metabolic engineering. As the scientist noted, the techniques for creating new strains will be illustrated on specific and new products (propanediol, isophrene, ethylene).

Within the framework of the section "New Biopharmaceuticals", a meeting on the new national drug screening program of the Russian Academy of Sciences will be held. This was told by Alexander Gabibov (head of the lab. IBH RAS). The program was adopted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is headed by Academician Grigoriev and involves more than 14 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The US Institute of Health, which has been open since 2005, is taken as an analogue. Taking into account our national characteristics and the American experience, the screening program is aimed at special topics and individual diseases.

The Congress will also raise such topics as "drag design" and preclinical stages of testing potential drugs - American and European experience. The issues of the concept of vaccine development in the future, new developments and production in this area" will be discussed in the section "New vaccines against new diseases". The head of the section Igor Krasilnikov, Head of the Department of Science and Innovation of the NGO "Microgen" (Co-chairman from the Russian Academy of Sciences Vitaly Zverev, Director of the I.I. Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums) said that the WHO representative office will take part in the event. On the third day of the Congress, the cutting edge of medicine will be highlighted and topics such as personalized medicine, gene diagnostics and therapy will be revealed.

Nanobiotechnologies for medicine and pharmaceuticals will be presented at the Congress by Sergey Kalyuzhny, a member of the Board of Rusnano Group of Companies. According to his representative Grigory Borisenko, nanomedicine consulting companies will also take part in the event.

The Congress-exhibition "EurasiaBio-2010" is the largest business forum on biotechnology in the post-Soviet space. It is included in the calendar of the most important international events of the European Union and the European Federation of Biotechnology, the Federation of Asian Biotechnology Associations. Delegations from 40 countries of Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, including most of the CIS countries and the Baltic states are expected. Large delegations are expected from the EU countries (headed by the Head of the EU Directorate for Biotechnology M. Rute), India (headed by the Head of the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India Dr. Ban), China, Japan, etc. Delegations from at least 30 regions of the Russian Federation are expected to participate. About 700 delegates and at least 1,500 visitors to the forum and exhibition are expected to attend.

The event includes 3 main blocks:

• Congress;
• Exhibition;
• Partnering (business meetings and negotiations on a pre-agreed program).

In addition, there are a number of satellite events, the most important of which are:

• Bioethanol-2010 Conference;
• The forum "Biotechnology and Society", dedicated to the public perception of biotechnology. Within the framework of this Forum, the results of the All-Russian Competition of journalists for the best works on the promotion of biotechnology achievements will be summed up;
• Intensive courses in selected areas of biotechnology.

The topics of the Congress cover all areas of application of modern biotechnology: medicine and pharmaceuticals; agriculture and forestry, aquaculture, food industry; energy, chemical industry. Separate sections of the program are devoted to investment, technology transfer, personnel training and other aspects of the formation of bioeconomics. Meetings will be held on the national peculiarities of the development of biotechnology in different countries (Russia, EU, USA, Canada, India, China, etc.), as well as on the formation of bioregions. In total, more than 50 sections, 2 plenary sessions will be held, at which about 200 speeches of leading domestic and foreign specialists and experts in the field of biotechnology will be heard.

Over 60 exhibitors, including leading domestic and foreign biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, expositions of individual countries and regions of the Russian Federation, will be represented at the exhibition of biotechnological companies.

At least 200 business meetings and negotiations aimed at finding partners for joint implementation of biotechnological projects are expected to be held within the framework of the partnership.

The central theme of the forum "EurasiaBio-2010" will be the discussion of the Bioindustry Development Strategy in the Russian Federation for 2010-2020, as well as the presentation of regional biotechnology development programs. For this purpose, leading domestic and foreign experts, representatives of all relevant ministries and departments are invited to the forum.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to the materials of the press service of the OBR

11.02.2010