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Greenhouse gas utilization by microorganisms needs to be national project — expert

It is reported that the biotechnology market has great international prospects

MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Greenhouse gases utilization as well as the enrichment of mined ore by microorganisms need to be included in the national bioeconomy project that is being developed, Associate Professor at the Public Administration and Public Policy Department of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA), and coordinator of the Center for Development of the Arctic (PORA) Alexander Vorotnikov said at the center's meeting.

Earlier, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced a new national project to develop bioeconomy was due to begin in April, 2025.

"We should use biotechnologies and microorganisms to utilize greenhouse gases. A decree by Russia's President [Vladimir Putin] is related to the climate doctrine's implementation, the country's transition to the carbon-neutral status by 2060, and this task may be achieved by using technologies related to microorganisms. <...> We will address the problem of greenhouse gases, which is of great importance for this country, especially for the Arctic Zone. Another aspect is the use of biotechnologies of microorganisms to enrich extracted metals in the mining industry and to process electronic gadgets <...> It would be interesting to add these two very important areas to the national project," he said.

The biotechnology market has great international prospects, he continued. In order to ramp up Russia's positions in foreign bioeconomy, the country needs to harmonize legislation with other BRICS member countries, and to create joint ventures or acquire companies in friendly BRICS states, he said. The biotechnology industry development in the Arctic will keep young people in these territories thanks to new jobs, and will attract people from other regions, the expert added.

In October, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told the Bioprom forum that Russia had more than 1,000 biotechnology companies. The market value in 2023 was estimated at about 300 billion rubles ($3 billion).

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