Overview
- President Mikhail Kovalchuk said applying Kurchatov’s grape genetics research could help domestic producers surpass foreign rivals.
- The institute is in active talks with winemakers on creating large nurseries to propagate native grape varieties adapted to specific Russian terroirs.
- Researchers are compiling a genomic‑geographic atlas with genetic passports for Russian varieties, building on a 2024 decree that formed a National Center of Genetic Resources for autochthonous grapes.
- Kovalchuk said supercomputers previously focused on nuclear and high‑energy physics now devote about 70–80% of capacity to genetics, enabling advanced bioinformatics for breeding and diagnostics.
- The program also targets practical tools such as yeast‑strain selection matched to terroir, chromatographic authentication of wines and soil‑climate profiling, alongside objective criteria to define a “good year.”