Russia will create a database of genomes of 100,000 citizens of the country, the first voluntary participants in the research will be employees of the Rosneft company, said Igor Sechin, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft, during a meeting on the development of genetic technologies with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“At the first stage, the main result will be the creation of a database of 100,000 genome-wide sequences of Russians located on servers located in Russia. For this, a large-scale voluntary population study will be conducted. We will start with our own employees, which will allow us to determine the reference genomes for different peoples of Russia, “Sechin said on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel.
In addition, according to the head of Rosneft, at least 30,000 samples of patients with specific diseases will be analyzed to determine genetic markers that affect the health of newborns, children, adults and the elderly.
Investments in the creation of a genomic sequencing center at the first stage are estimated at 22.5 billion rubles, Sechin said. “At the first stage, the program provides for investments in the amount of more than 22.5 billion rubles,” he said.
During the meeting, Sechin recalled that in June 2020, the Russian president instructed to amend the legislation on taxes and fees, which provide for the possibility of obtaining tax support for companies investing in genetic research. “We believe that a fair exchange of such support could amount to at least 50% of the funds invested in the program’s activities,” he stressed.
Earlier during the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the need for legislative mechanisms regulating the receipt and use of human genetic data. The head of state noted that this is not only about legal regulation, but also about the observance of ethical standards. In addition, Putin called for a detailed determination of the procedure for the operation of the national genetic information database being created in the Russian Federation and the extension of the program for the development of genetic technologies until 2030. The president also plans to sign a decree on special rules for handling especially valuable genetic resources.
.