Background. Most of the low-temperature storage studies do not go beyond defining germination rates of seeds immediately after their removal from such storage. The question of later changes in seed germination energy and laboratory germination rates during further storage of such seeds under normal room temperature and humidity has not been clarified well enough in scientific publications.

Materials and methods. The germination rate of 26 flax accessions reproduced in 1982–1986 and deposited for long-term low-temperature storage (+4.5°C) in the Kuban Genetic Seed Bank of VIR was tested after their removal from storage in accordance with the State Standards (GOST 12038-84).

Results. The data analysis showed that extended (180 days) exposure of the seeds removed from low-temperature storage to room temperature led to a decrease in the germination rate of accessions from 1% to 74% versus the germination rate recorded for the seeds transplanted three days after low-temperature storage.

Conclusion. Seeds that underwent long-term low temperature storage in a genebank should be removed from storage shortly before their sowing time. Keeping them under room temperature after long-term low-temperature conservation is not advisable.

The VIR collection includes 2,487 fiber flax accessions; 33.2% of them are landraces and local cultivars, 39.8% are breeding materials of varying levels of improvement, 26.8% are improved cultivars, and 0.2% belong to Linum crepitans.

VIR managed to collect 825 landraces in a majority of the world’s flax-growing regions before their disappearance. This is the most valuable part of the global flax diversity. Breeding material is well represented by breeding (774) and inbred (103) lines, as well as lines of mutagenic origin (29). There are 667 commercial fiber flax cultivars in the VIR collection, including Russian cultivars (31%), those from the ex-USSR countries (20%), and those from the rest of the world (49%). One hundred and eight cultivars have been approved for cultivation (zoned) in Russia.

Three historical periods may be outlined in the process of building up the collection of fiber flax. In the first period (until 1950), the target of plant collectors were landraces and cultivars resulting from the first breeding efforts. Cultivars and breeding materials were collected in the second period (1951-1991), as the supply of local cultivated stock had significantly decreased. In the third period (since 1992), large amounts of breeding materials (500) and improved cultivars (176) were accumulated from all over the world.

The collection of fiber flax has been maintained at VIR for more than 100 years. During this time, breeding trends have suffered multiple changes, new methods have been developed for instrumental assessment of fiber, and the composition of flax pathogens and their races has continuously transformed. Weather conditions are also changing. These are the challenges that modern plant breeding is facing, and solutions cannot be found without utilizing plant biological resources.

The roundtable discussion Biodiversity Conservation and Invasive Species Control under Changing Climate: Technological and Legal Aspects was held on November 26, 2025, as part of the V Congress of Young Scientists (November 26–28, 2025, Sirius Federal Territory), with over 9,000 participants. The round table brought together representatives of leading scientific institutions, universities, and other relevant organizations to discuss modern technological solutions and the necessary regulatory and legal incentives for developing biodiversity conservation technologies under climate change, including technologies for protecting natural and agricultural ecosystems from invasive species of animals, plants, and microorganisms whose ranges are shifting and expanding toward northern territories. How can the risk of biodiversity losses in areas where invaders are present be reduced? What forecasts are there today, and how can modern digital technologies and biotechnologies be used to control the spread of invaders and protect existing natural and agricultural ecosystems? How can we motivate businesses to actively participate in the development and implementation of technologies that reduce the risks of biodiversity losses and hinder the development of invasive species? What revisions are needed to the legal and regulatory framework to stimulate the development of technologies for preserving biodiversity and combating invasive species of animals, plants, and microorganisms included in the list of critical technologies by Decree No. 529 of the President of the Russian Federation “On Approval of Priority Areas of Scientific and Technological Development and the List of the Most Important Science-Intensive Technologies” dated June 18, 2024? The article presents the opinions of the roundtable participants on these and other issues related to this topic, detailed descriptions of the scientific and technological areas identified at the round table, and the main problems and proposals highlighted.

The expert roundtable discussion “Russia's Technological Leadership in Plant Breeding: Science and Business as a Single Organism” was held on November 13, 2025 as part of the “Sirius. Technogenetics” Genetic Technologies Forum organized by Sirius University and attended by over 400 participants. The roundtable discussion was moderated by Irina M. Donnik, Acad. RAS, and Elena K. Khlestkina, RAS Corr. Mem. The speakers included representatives of leading research centers, which in recent years have served as the foundations for establishing specialized National genetic resources centers, world-class research centers (NCGRs), and world-class genomic research centers (CGRMs), government agencies, and participants in integrated scientific and technical projects (ISTPs) under implementation in the framework of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture of the Russian Federation for 2017–2030. Business is involved to varying degrees in the implementation of the development programs of these centers and ISTPs, it being prompted not only by the terms of these programs but also by the logics of the technology development and implementation processes themselves. Is it easy to reach an understanding among specialists from different fields united by the common goals to rapidly transform the scientific and technological support of the domestic seed market and achieve technological leadership in this field? Does this mutual understanding require the development of R&D in biotechnology, breeding, and seed production within agricultural companies? What or who is currently missing in the industry for the effective transformation of advanced fundamental knowledge in biotechnology, genetics, genomics, and plant breeding into technologies implementable in the real sector of the economy? The opinions of the roundtable participants on these and other issues within the given topic, along with the main identified problems and proposals, are presented in this article.

As part of the development program for the National Plant Genetic Resources Center, established at VIR by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 44 dated February 8, 2022, an additional professional education program (qualification improvement program) entitled “Plant Genetic Resources (with the Basics of Molecular Genetics and Breeding)” was implemented in 2023. The program included five instructional and methodological modules: “Plant Genetic Resource Collections as Raw Material for Breeding. Collection Management”; “Plant Taxonomy and Herbarium Collection Management”; “Information Systems in the Work with Plant Genetic Resources”; “Molecular Genetics Methods in the Work with Plant Genetic Resources”; “Biotechnological Methods in the Work with Plant Genetic Resources”. The aim of these modules was to build theoretical and practical skills in the field of plant genetic resources diversity, modern molecular genetics technologies, and agricultural biotechnology in plant breeding. Fifty participants, selected on a competitive basis after reviewing their resumes and motivation letters, joined the program. They represented 18 scientific, research, and higher education institutions from 14 regions of the Russian Federation: Astrakhan, Kirov, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Samara, Sverdlovsk and Tver Provinces, Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Primorsky, Stavropol and Khabarovsk Territories, and the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Thanks to Nikolay Vavilov and the centuries-long efforts of several generations of scientists at VIR, Russia has become one of the world’s leading custodians of the genetic resources of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, the collection of which (in terms of originality and uniqueness of its accessions, and the genetic diversity of its holdings) could not have been replicated by any other country. The replenishment, conservation, studying, and utilization of the Vavilov Collection are ensured by a unique interdisciplinary team of researchers – botanists, geneticists, biochemists, physiologists, bioinformaticians, and breeders – united by a single research program. This team represents VIR’s scientific school. The reserve of personnel for this work is primarily supplied through VIR’s postgraduate studies. At the same time, the Institute, being interested in attracting young staff members, actively develops its partnership with educational centers at all levels – from schools to universities and scientific centers – implementing various educational projects, programs, and tracks, including those with industrial collaborators, thereby performing not only an educational function but also career guidance and popularization mission. The goal is to develop nationwide integrated professional and career tracks in the field of plant genetic resources among learners across the country, starting as early as the school bench. Each year, from 150 to 500 and more schoolchildren and their parents are involved in familiarization with the genetic resources of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, including the framework of the Development Program for the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources, established on VIR’s basis by Presidential Decree No. 44 of February 8, 2022.

This publication is dedicated to the 80th birthday of Mikhail P. Kirpichnikov, a prominent researcher in the sphere of physicochemical biology, bioengineering and biotechnology, a renowned educator and research coordinator. Key areas of his research activities are highlighted, including his pioneering inputs to protein engineering, and their importance for the development of genetics, breeding, bioeconomics, and nature-inspired technologies. Special attention is focused on this contribution to researcher training, government affairs, and civic service.

On October 18, 2025, Acad. Viktor A. Dragavtsev, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, celebrated his 90th birthday. An outstanding Russian expert in plant genetics, a prominent educator, and an organizer of science, he headed VIR for 15 years during the challenging times at the turn of the millennium. This essay provides a brief biographic summary of his main scientific achievements and contributions.

Academician Bagrat I. Sandukhadze, a prominent Russian winter wheat breeder, agronomist, plant researcher, and organizer of agricultural science, has passed away. B. I. Sandukhadze made a scientific breakthrough in winter wheat breeding, pioneering the development of a new type of the cultivar with productivity potential of over 10 tons of grain per hectare for the conditions of the Central Region. Nemchinovka cultivars, with their genetically determined high baking quality, account for the larger part of winter grain harvests in the Central Region of Russia, making this area of the Non-Black Earth Zone one of the leaders in food wheat production. B. I. Sandukhadze’s fundamental works had a significant impact on the development of the domestic agro-industrial complex. Plant breeders and plant scientists in Russia and the CIS countries, and the staff of VIR mourn the passing of the prominent scientist and breeder Bagrat Sandukhadze. His memory will live on in our hearts forever.