Personalized medicine that will take into account the peculiarities of each patient's body, as well as effective protection from the most dangerous diseases. All of this is the future of Russian genetics. Today, Dmitry Medvedev visited the Vector Institute in Novosibirsk, whose specialists use genome editing to combat dangerous infections. Medvedev then headed for Barnaul and held a meeting with railroaders right on the train on the way there.
Evgeny Reshetnev reports.
The platform of the railroad station is hot: a special Russian Railways train, heated because the first real frost and snow have just come, is waiting. In several minutes, a meeting to discuss the development of Russian Railways will start in this unusual conference room. It's a special car of a special train. The train is heading for Barnaul, and very soon we will cross the border between the Novosibirsk Oblast and the Altai Krai. Way stations are darting past outside the window, glass holders are jingling on the table. The reorganization of Russian Railways' infrastructure is being discussed.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister: "We're going there not to admire the snow-covered Siberian expanse, but to examine how the infrastructure is developing. You may give reports, and those who don't may drink tea, according to the tradition. But I see that my tea is of a different color. Mine is green, and you all have black. Well, fine. Cheers!"
In Russia, a railroad is a special form of transport, with its own traditions and romantic appeal. At the same time, it's still incredibly popular, even in the era of high-speed travel.
Dmitry Medvedev: “By the end of the year, we expect record numbers, almost 1.2 billion people. Citizens must be guaranteed both comfort and safety. Of course, it means new cars and new trains.”
The head of Russian Railways spoke about the upcoming ticket pricing system.
Oleg Belozerov, Russian Railways director general: "We think that the current pricing system is outdated. We'd like to be instructed to prepare a new railroad service pricing system over a period of two years and to implement it in 2026".
There are plans for the construction of high-speed railroads and the renovation of trains. Recently, a high-speed train has also started going via this railroad from Barnaul to Novosibirsk. Several hours earlier in Novosibirsk, Dmitry Medvedev kick-started the serial production of vaccines against the Ebola virus.
"Our facility is ready to produce 5,000 doses of the vaccine to supply to African countries".
The deadly virus rampaging through Africa has been researched in Siberia for decades. Russian vaccines will save thousands of lives.
Unlike Western medicine, which was clinically tested together with ours, the Russian vaccine is not based on a live virus, which means that it's safer.
The goal is to be among the top five countries leading in scientific research and development in the following years.
Dmitry Medvedev: "There are many reasons that we need to compete to be the leader in this area. On the one hand — to keep up, as one would say, on the other — to not depend on foreign technology and various external factors".
Not for this purpose only, three new world-class genome research centers will be founded in Russia.
Tatiana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister: "We've set aside eleven billion rubles in the budget, but the program is much wider, it comprises the resources of six national programs".
These centers will be founded on the basis of time-tested and successful institutes and laboratories like the Kurchatov Institute or the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology.
Evgeny Reshetnev, Nikolay Zakharov, Aleksey Karpukhin, VESTI, Novosibirsk, Barnaul.
