On December 7, 2021 at 15.00 at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the solemn opening of the only in Belarus "Republican Center for the Study of Microbiome" took place.

The center has already been involved in a number of unique projects, for example, "The role of the microbiome in the implementation of the genome features of long-livers in Belarus." The staff of the Center were involved to provide consultations in the case of a severe course of the disease of unknown etiology. For the first time in Belarus, a parallel study of the patient's complete exome and microbiome was performed. At present, such an analysis is possible only at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The study made it possible to adjust the surgical and medical treatment, and achieve success. As Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Alexander Kilchevsky noted at the opening ceremony, “The Center was created on the initiative of Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov. The study of the microbiome is a very important and relevant area that is of interest for medicine, agriculture, forensics and other industries. The microbiome is the collection of a large number of microorganisms in the human body. The number of genes of these microorganisms is several times greater than the number of human genes. Today, the microbiome is viewed as an independent organ that affects many functions of the body, including immunity. We decided that it was time to concentrate the efforts of scientists at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology."

The opening of the Republican Center for the Study of Microbiome took place within the framework of the International Conference “Transformation of Genomes. X Zhebrak readings-2021".