History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back FROM THE ORIGINS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING T O M O L E C U L A R MICROBIOLOGY A.S. Solonin A.A. Zimin T.V. Ivashina Article is devoted to the history of formation of genetic engineering at the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms (IBPM), which was the fi rst in our country, the center of this newest technology, created new effective tools for solving many biological problems. Recombinant DNA technology has now become the main approach in various studies of modern biology, a natural form of scientifi c activities and the foundation for the development of modern biology and biotechnology in various forms of their manifestations. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of Microorganisms IBPM RAS, is a pioneer in addressing primarily methodological problems for the development of genetic engineering in the USSR, have come a long way in history is actively involved in research, concerning problems of molecular microbiology, ecology and evolution of the genetic material of the bacterial cell, horizontal gene transfer and microbial biodiversity that is in wide range of fundamental biological problems. The article provides a brief overview of the main achievements of the scientists of this well-known in the scientifi c world IBPM units in the design, development and application of genetic engineering in modern molecular microbiology. Keywords: history of genetic engineering in the USSR; Academician of A.A. Baev; genetic enzymology; bacteriophages; DNA restriction and modifi cation system; Rhizobium bacteria; the regulation of gene activity; horizontal gene transfer; molecular ecology. Contacts: E-mail: solonin@ibpm.pushchino.ru Pp. 37-46.