The Russian Government has determined and approved a list of priority research areas to focus on when using government-owned multiple access equipment centers, the Cabinet website announced.

The list includes an array of tasks to cope with in the biotechnology and medical sectors. Other priorities cover the development of a “cryobank of biological material,” “extraterrestrial threat counteraction system,” and a few nanotech-related tasks.

“The introduction of such a list will help increase the effectiveness of multiple access equipment centers’ activity in addressing the vital problems of this country’s social and economic development,” the Russian Cabinet believes.

Specifically, the 16-point list includes the following broad areas:

1. R&D and production of the new generations of systems, instruments and their components based on nanotechnology and microsystem engineering;

2. R&D and production of hybrid, biosimilar and artificial materials, structures and systems, including those for medical purposes, as well as of intelligent engineering systems, devices and their components;

3. Use of the principles of programmable network control and virtualization of networked services to develop computing fabrics capable of solving complex applied problems;

4. Brain: its cognitive functions, neuro-degeneration mechanisms, and molecular targets for early-stage diagnostics and treatment of disorders;

5. Cell and regenerative medicine. Transplantation of organs and tissues created using 3D cultivation techniques;

6. Multiplex platforms for molecular diagnostics of oncology, cardiovascular, autoimmune and infectious diseases;

7. Personalized medicine for socially important and orphan diseases of man’s endocrine system;

8. National collection of experimental models of human pathologies and cryobank of biological material;

9. Development of technologies to assess ecological safety of Russia’s regions and cities;

10. Improvement of search for and production of strategic metals from raw material delivered from natural and man-made deposits;

11. Development of new methods in solid substrate and renewable biomass focused biotechnology;

12. Development of advanced technologies in R&D and production of spatial and composite structures for next gen machinery;

13. Electrochemical storage systems and energy converters for energy-saving and eco-friendly transport, robotics, and distributed and renewable energy;

14. Development of advanced technologies for safe and socially acceptable nuclear and thermonuclear energy;

15. Development of an astronomical segment for the national extraterrestrial threat counteraction system, and development of new astronomical research methods;

16. Energy of the future. Development of fundamental research to study a substance’s conduct in extreme parameters.

The list is a result of cross-disciplinary effort by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Kurchatov Institute national nuclear research center, the Higher School of Economics, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, and the Presidential administration.

At the moment, there are more than 300 government-owned multiple access equipment centers in Russia, and in excess of 90 unique scientific research units and complexes, the Russian Government said.