Beamline for Center of Virology VECTOR in SRF “SKIF” Planned to Be Launched among the First

The beamline for the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR is planned to be shifted into the first phase of the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SRF “SKIF”) from the second one, as Academician Valerii Bukhtiyarov, Director of Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, informed. Anna Popova, the Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), sent a letter with such proposal to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

“We started to investigate one of the beamlines of the second phase and would like to shift it into the first or one-and-a-half phase. It is the beamline for the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR of Rospotrebnadzor in a separate building. Obviously, this would require discussing the construction cost sheet. Considering the interest of Rospotrebnadzor that we also contributed to, we hope for the appearance of additional financing. Six beamlines of the first phase are planned, and it is not expedient to replace one of them with the one for VECTOR. We can meet the deadlines so that the seventh beamline would appear in the first phase right after the first six”, said Valerii Bukhtiyarov.

He noted that he received a copy of the letter by Anna Popova, the Head of Rospotrebnadzor, addressed to Valerii Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education, with the proposal to shift the VECTOR beamline into the first phase of the construction.

The VECTOR beamline is supposed to use the methods of macromolecular crystallography, small-angle X-ray scattering and coherent imaging for solving the problems of epidemiology, virology and biological protection. This would allow accelerating the development of the new vaccines, antibacterial and antiviral drugs.

“As for the first phase beamlines, for all six of them we have prepared CDR (Conceptual Design Report), and their concepts have been agreed on after continuous discussions with the groups of international counselors. Now not only the initial data are ready but also the understanding of what built-in devices should be used”, added Valerii Bukhtiyarov.

Administrative building of SRF “SKIF”. Project by AO “TSPTI”, part of Rosatom State Corporation’s Fuel Company “TVEL”