Interdisciplinary round table on the SDGs “Genetics is a bridge between the life sciences and public health”

April 25 is an International DNA Day. The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics initiated an interdisciplinary round table “Genetics is a bridge between the life sciences and public health” on a number of SDGs: 2 – zero hunger, 3 – good health and well-being, 4 – quality education, 9 – industry, innovation and infrastructure, 17 – partnerships for the goals. In addition to biologists (from Kazakhstan - Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction, National Center of Biotechnology, and France – University of Paris-Saclay, University of Lorraine), mathematicians (from the Kazakh Research Institute of Animal Husbandry and Forage Production) participated in the round table. During the round table, issues such as modern trends in scientific developments initiated by molecular biology, use of mathematical models for assessing the genetic value of animals, new genomic technologies in the study of plant pathogens, current state and genetic diversity of Malus sieversii in Dzungarian Alatau, aberrant pathways of DNA excision repair for complex DNA damage, consequences for human cancer and degenerative diseases, use of switchSENSE® technology in studying the interaction of pesticides with biological molecules, RNA-directed programmable endonucleases in CRISPR/Cas system and their use in diagnostics, were discussed along with features of molecular-genetic research in the country context and possible aspects for further cooperation. Overall, the round table was a success and has every reason to become an annual tradition.

*Slide from the presentation of the head of the laboratory of molecular biology of the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, PhD Gritsenko D.A.

Organizers of the round table: Zhunusbaeva Zh.K., Zhussupova A.I., Lovinskaya A.V.