Laboratory of Molecular Systematics

Scientific Head: Prof. Yury Phedorovich Kartavtsev, a principal researcher, Dr. Sci. Biol., has managed the Laboratory since it opened in 2012.

Main fields of research:

• Molecular systematics, molecular phylogenetics, evolutionary genetics, and comparative genomics.
• Research aimed at establishing and cultivation of fish lineages with desired useful properties.
• Development of principles of genetic safety and environmental management as regards fish and other aquatic organisms by fisheries organizations and agencies.

Approached and methods used

• Molecular biology and evolutionary genetics;
• Molecular phylogenetics;
• Population and environmental genetics;
• Species conservation genetics;
• Systematics.

Range of organisms and objects under study; geography of research

Study of biological diversity based on DNA barcoding of members of the aquatic biota from the Russian Far East. Studies conducted by the Laboratory cover a wide range of objects, including several fish orders (pleuronectiforms, perciforms, scorpaeniforms, cypriniforms, etc.) and many of invertebrate taxa: bivalves, gastropods, nudibranchs, echinoderms, ascidians, etc.

The researchers of the Laboratory actively cooperate with Russian and foreign colleagues.

The laboratory carries out extensive organizational works, regularly holds independent events, and also participates in many international congresses, conferences, and symposia.

In 2015 and 2017, the Laboratory was the main organizer of two international symposia that are held, on average, every two years. In the period from September 6 to 10, 2015, the “Modern Achievements in Population, Evolutionary and Ecological Genetics” (MAPEEG-2015) International Symposium was organized on the basis of NSCMB FEB RAS. Earlier, on September 1–6, 2015, the Vostok Marine Biological Station, NSCMB FEB RAS, held the MolSys school. The organizers of both events were the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (FEB RAS), the NSCMB FEB RAS, the Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity FEB RAS, the Vladivostok Public Foundation for the Development of Genetics, the Far Eastern Federal University, and the Administration of the city of Nakhodka. The topic of the following 9^th Symposium held in 2017 was traditionally entitled as “Modern Achievements in Population, Evolutionary, and Ecological Genetics: International Symposium". See details on the event’s official website: http://wwwimb.dvo.ru/misc/mapeeg/index.php/ru/.

These symposia contributed to the development of new fields of scientific research related to their topics, exchange of experience, and participants’ personal skill of presentation in English, which was the main language of the symposia. The symposia provided an opportunity for researchers from Russia and other countries to report their latest scientific results and receive critical evaluation from highly qualified experts in their fields, which is especially important for young specialists.

Information provided by the principal researcher Yu.Ph. Kartavtsev.