The I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry (IEPHB) is a facility in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, dedicated to research in the fields of

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

and

evolutionary physiology Evolutionary physiology is the study of the biological evolution of physiological structures and processes; that is, the manner in which the functional characteristics of individuals in a population of organisms have responded to natural selectio ...

History

The Institute was founded as a research group in October 1950 by

Leon Orbeli Leon Abgarovich Orbeli ( hy, Լևոն Աբգարի Օրբելի, Levon Abgari Orbeli; russian: Леон Абгарович Орбели, Levon Abgarovich Orbeli; – 9 December 1958) was an Armenian physiologist active in the Russian SFSR ...

, a physiologist and a longtime collaborator with

Ivan Pavlov Ivan Petrovich Pavlov ( rus, Ива́н Петро́вич Па́влов, , p=ɪˈvan pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈpavləf, a=Ru-Ivan_Petrovich_Pavlov.ogg; 27 February 1936), was a Russian and Soviet experimental neurologist, psychologist and physiol ...

. Initially, Orheli's research group included eight people. It subsequently expanded and transformed into the Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology of the

USSR Academy of Sciences The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991, uniting the country's leading scientists, subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (until 1946 ...

, with the main object of studying functions of the nervous system in animals and man during

ontogenesis Ontogeny (also ontogenesis) is the origination and development of an organism (both physical and psychological, e.g., moral development), usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the stu ...

, and also the effects of

ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...

on animals. In 1956, the Laboratory became an Institute with Orbeli serving as the first Director of Evolutionary Physiology of the Academy of Sciences. The new Institute was named after

Ivan Sechenov Doctor Ivan Mikhaylovich Sechenov (russian: Ива́н Миха́йлович Се́ченов; , Tyoply Stan (now Sechenovo) near Simbirsk, Russia – , Moscow), was a Russian psychologist, physiologist, and medical scientist. The very fa ...

. By the end of 1957, the Institute numbered 9 laboratories, one of them being transferred from the former P.F. Lesgaft Institute for Natural Sciences. After Leon Orbeli's death in 1958, the Institute was headed by his collaborator Professor Alexander Ginetsinsky. From June 1960 to March 1975, the Institute was guided by Eugenie Kreps: a former pupil of

and collaborator of Orbeli's, Kreps is known for his fundamental studies in the field of comparative physiology and biochemistry of the nervous system. Kreps successfully promoted research in evolutionary biochemistry. In response, in 1964, the Institute adopted its current name, I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry. In November 1969, a monument to

Academician An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...

Orbeli was erected in front of the first laboratory block on

Maurice Thorez Maurice Thorez (; 28 April 1900 – 11 July 1964) was a French politician and longtime leader of the French Communist Party (PCF) from 1930 until his death. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of France from 1946 to 1947. Pre-War Thorez, ...

Prospect. From 1975 to 1981 Institute was headed by Vladimir Govyrin, and from 1981 to 2004 by Vladimir Svidersky. Since 2004, the Institute has been headed by N. P. Vesselkin, Corresponding Member of RAS, a distinguished

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, Biological neural network, n ...

, and head of the Laboratory of Neuronal Interaction.

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology

The Institute is publisher of the ''Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology'' (ISSN 0022-0930) which is abstracted in the ''Chemical Abstracts''. The journal is also availabl
online
by subscription only (online ISSN 1608-3202). Contents and abstracts are availabl
online
in PDF format.

References

External links

I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry
– official website in English {{authority control Research institutes established in 1950 Research institutes in Saint Petersburg Research institutes in the Soviet Union Biochemistry research institutes 1950 establishments in the Soviet Union Institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences

History

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology

See also

References

External links