9 November, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. A proteomic laboratory is being established in Vitebsk, Yuri Derkach, Head of the Healthcare Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, informed a BELTA correspondent. The laboratory will conduct research to identify an organism's predisposition to certain diseases, and to establish a link between genetic polymorphisms, blood protein profiles, and the onset or development of diseases. In particular, at the first stage of the laboratory's operation, it will be possible to diagnose breast and prostate cancer, thereby detecting diseases that are undetectable by other methods at the earliest stages. Using the results of molecular genetic research, a doctor can personalise treatment by prescribing medications based on individual organism characteristics. However, the laboratory's activities will not be limited to the medical aspect alone, as any living matter can be a subject of research. Therefore, the laboratory will be granted inter-sectoral status. A tender for the procurement of the main part of the equipment is currently underway. As Yuri Derkach emphasised, bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics are life sciences that define 21st-century medicine. It is envisaged that the Vitebsk proteomic laboratory will become part of the multifunctional scientific and technological park "Belbiograd", which will be located in three regions – Minsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev – for its residents to carry out innovative activities by implementing innovative projects in the fields of pharmaceuticals, nano- and biotechnology, and nano- and micro-system engineering. Residents engaged in manufacturing activities in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology in medicine will be located in the "Vitebsk" regional industrial zone.-0-

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