Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology

Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology is a scientific organization.

According to 28th of June 2017 Organization Charter, Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology has 3 branches.

1. Saratov Research Veterinary Institute – Branch of Federal Research Center For Virology And Microbiology (SarRVI)

2. Samara Research Veterinary Institute – Branch of Federal Research Center For Virology And Microbiology (SamRVI)

3. Nizhny Novgorod Research Veterinary Institute – Branch of Federal Research Center For Virology And Microbiology (NNRVI)

 

Denis Kolbasov, Director,

Doctor of Veterinary Science:

      The main functions of Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology are basic and applied research in the field of natural sciences, development of means and methods of defence against  emerging, exotic and zoonotic infectious diseases of livestock.

FRCVM has a Testing Centre which provides testing of food product, raw food material (meat, fish, poultry, organ meat, vegetables, fruits, and etc.) using bacteriological and virological methods, molecular-genetic methods (PCR, RFLP and etc.), serological methods (ELISA tests, precipitation reaction, neutralization test, complement-fixation test, hemagglutination test, immunofluorescence method), and biological research.

Fundamental research of FRCVM is oriented toward receiving new scientific knowledge in different branches of virology, microbiology, and their use for veterinary needs.

FRCVM carries out monitoring the situation of the most dangerous diseases and risk assessment in the territory of Russia and foreign territories (countries, regions, and continents) for determination of possible introduction into Russia pathological agents of the most dangerous animal diseases.

Research is focused on epizootic monitoring; development of means and methods for early diagnostics of the most dangerous diseases of animals and genome differentiation of their pathological agents; biotechnology development and introduction of immunoprophylactic and medical preparations of new generation into practice.

Besides, by FRCVM research of virus systematics and nomenclature, antiviral immunity, virus and bacterial genetics, and chemical effect on viral and bacterial genomes, monoclonal antibodies, immune enzyme assay is realized. Collections of microorganisms and cell cultures are annually replenished.

Federal Research Center for Virology and Microbiology has a license for producing highly-effective biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines and diagnostic kits.

FRCVM produces and sells vaccines against

  • Anthrax (live vaccine against Anthrax from the strain 55-VNIIVVIM);
  • Classical Swine Fever (freeze-dried, cell culture viral vaccine against Classical Swine Fever from the strain LK-VNIIVVIM);
  • Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (freeze-dried vaccine against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia of cattle from the strain MA-VNIIVVIM).
  • Peste des Petits Ruminants (freeze-dried, cell culture viral vaccine against PPR from the strain 45 G37/35-k);
  • Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (inactivated tissue vaccine containing aluminum hydroxide against Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease from the strain Manihino-09);
  • Rift Valley Fever (freeze-dried cell culture viral vaccine against Rift Valley Fever from the strain 1947-VNIIVVIM);
  • Sheep-Pox (freeze-dried, cell culture viral vaccine against sheep pox and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) of cattle; strain: B-5/96 sheep pox virus strain).

Also FRCVM prepares and sells Diagnostic kits as a test – system for African swine virus antibody detection by immune enzyme assay, specific FITC-labelled antibodies for immunofluorescence diagnostics of African swine fever, a preparation kit for differential immunofluorescence diagnostics of African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever and Aujeszky’s disease, a diagnostic Fah-phage for Anthrax, a preparation kit for Bluetongue diagnostics by prolonged complement fixation test, a kit for complement fixation test for diagnosis of Listeriosis, a kit of listeriosis phages for Listeria spp. identification and phage titer increase assay application.

Services

1 Comprehensive laboratory diagnosis of animal infectious diseases:

African swine fever, classical swine fever, rinderpest, bluetongue, caprine arthritis-encephalitis, swine influenza, rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease, porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome, porcine transmissible gastroenteritis, Teschen disease, Aujeszky’s disease, porcine circoviruses types 1 & 2, porcine parvovirus infection, Visna-Maedi, myxomatosis, anthrax, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, listeriosis, bacterial BSL 1 and 2 infections, Akabane disease, Schmallenberg disease.

2 Indication of viral and bacterial causative agents in objects of veterinary surveillance

3 Serological monitoring of animal immunity:

– antibody detection in blood serum of animals;

– practical training on mastering virological and/or serological research methods.

4 Molecular genetic studies:

– detection of viral or bacterial genomes using polymerase chain reactions (PCR);

– DNA nucleotide sequencing;

– genotyping and bioinformatical analyses of the genomes of animal pathogens;

– validation and optimization of PCR test systems in electrophoretic and/or Real-Time formats;

– development of customized PCR test systems (like reverse transcription PCR or real-time PCR);

– trainings on PCR, nucleotide sequencing and/or cloning methods.

5 Determination of immunobiological correspondence of field isolates of viral or bacterial pathogens to vaccine preparations

6 Trials of newly developed vaccine preparations to be carried out under production conditions (controlled by the developers)

7 Seed bull sperm tests regarding the product microbiological indicators for compliance with the acting standards requirements

8 Testing the disinfecting capacity of preparations to be used against bacterial or viral pathogens

9 Guidance and/or advisory assistance on the issues of diagnosis, prevention and control of special danger animal infections including zooanthroponoses

10 Testing feeds of vegetable or animal origin for their compliance with the requirements of hygienic standards for microbiological indicators

11 Resource Sharing Center (RSC of FRCVM)

The Resource Sharing Center for multiple-access to scientific equipment in FRCVM (pursuant to the Order on Creation of the Resource Sharing Center No. 73-01 of November 7, 2010)

Molecular genetic testing:

– detection of viral or bacterial genomes using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method;

– DNA nucleotide sequencing;

– genotyping and bioinformatical analyses of the genomes of animal pathogens;

– validation and optimization of PCR test systems in electrophoretic or real-time format;

– development of customized PCR test systems (namely, RT-PCR or real-time PCR);

– training on mastering PCR, nucleotide sequencing and/or cloning methods.

The Head of the Resource Sharing Center of FRCVM:  Doctor of Biology Professor S. Zh. Tsybanov.

The Center concludes individual service agreements. The Center is ready to enter into business cooperation with any interested organizations including state institutions, companies or agricultural enterprises.

On the issues concerning the provision of services. Contact info@ficvim.ru

12 The State Collection of Microorganisms causing dangerous or highly dangerous diseases, including zooanthroponoses, and exotic diseases

The main objectives of the Collection are:

– deposition of pathogens of special danger, quarantine and/or exotic animal infections, including zooanthroponoses, isolated from natural ecosystems in various regions worldwide, as well as those obtained as a result of experimental activities;

– studying and evaluation of biological properties of microorganisms to be used in RTD when carrying out basic research works, development and production of diagnostic and therapeutic drugs, and/or national patenting procedures;

– storage of master seed, reference and/or biotechnologically promising strains used for manufacturing or quality control of medicines.

The Collection Fund comprises over 2200 storage objects and is unique in the Russian Federation with respect to the taxonomic diversity of the microorganisms maintained (thus, it includes viral and bacterial pathogens belonging to 31 families).

The most valuable of them are the collections of anthrax microbes, pathogens of a number of emergent, quarantine and/or exotic infections including listeriosis, bovine contagious pleuropneumonia, African and classical swine fever, African horse sickness, Rift Valley fever, bluetongue, sheep & goat pox, peste des petits ruminants viruses, etc.

The Collection provides maintaining of over 60 production strains of viruses and bacteria, as well as a number or candidate strains promising for the development of diagnostic tools or means of specific prophylaxis.

You can get more detailed information regarding the Collection on the ShRC website (registry number 441429), link: http://ckp-rf.ru/ckp/441429/.

The Testing Center (TC) which is accredited for technical competence and independence in accordance with the requirements of GOST ISO 17025

Accreditation certificate of the Russian Certification System (ROSS) RU.0001.21PE78 of October 23, 2014

The Testing Center informs of the completion of the competency confirmation procedure in the framework of the state service 12930 GU pursuant to Order No. Pk 1-284 of March 03, 2020 (Competency Order)

From March 03, 2020 on, laboratory test protocols are to be issued with a reference to the unique accreditation record number.

The accreditation activity area of this TC encompasses research/testing of biological objects including animals, poultry & fish, and environmental objects regarding their microbiological characteristics (i.e., presence of bacteria and/or viruses).

The main organizational structure includes three functional groups working with microbiological, virological/serological, and molecular genetic test techniques, respectively.

The staff of the Testing Center includes 16 qualified research experts comprising 3 doctors of science and 4 candidates of science. The vocational training of the TC staff members aimed at maintaining and/or raising their occupational levels is carried out through their participation in additional professional training courses carried out periodically both in a number of external organizations and in the Research and Educational Center of the FRCVM (the acting license series 90L01 No. 0009744 dated October 5, 2017).

The Testing Center carries out diagnostic assays for the presence of special danger, danger, exotic and/or trivial infections of animals of bacterial or viral etiology in accordance with the scope of accreditation approved.

Furthermore, with consideration to research and scientific goals and/or at the request of customers, the Testing Center also conducts research works/testing beyond the approved scope, proceeding with individual approach with respect to every customer.

Using the potential of the State Collection of Microorganisms the Testing Center produces control samples including those developed using natural matrices, to be used for staff skills analyses, verifying diagnostic test systems and organizing interlaboratory comparison (ILC) as an unaccredited (unofficial) provider.

To improve the quality of the services provided, the Testing Center conducts questionnaire surveys of its customers and improves the quality management system based on the analyses of the questionnaire data.

As per Order No. 144 dated 09.09.2019 of the Federal Accreditation Service “Approval of the Program of Transition of Participants of the National Accreditation System to Application of the International Standard ISO / IEC GOST 17025: 2017 “General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories””, the Test Center developed a transition plan and expects carrying out its activities in accordance with the new version of the international standard by the end of 2020.

 The range of diagnostic methods used in the Test Center:

– classical bacteriological and virological;

– molecular genetic (various variants of PCR, RFLP, etc.);

– serological (various enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and precipitation assays, neutralization test, complement fixation test, hemagglutination test and hemagglutination inhibition assay, immunofluorescence);

– biological research works (setting up bioassays using laboratory and/or target animals).

ATTENTION: The Testing Center informs that it does not independently collect any samples/specimens to be used for research purposes, or issue any biomaterial residues to the customers.

FRCVM has Postgraduate Education in important branches of Virology and Microbiology.

Contact us

  • FRCVM, 601125, Volginsky, Academician Bakoulov Street, bldg. 1, Petushki area, Vladimir region, Russia
    Tel/Fax: +74922379251 E-mail: info@ficvim.ru