Laboratory of General and Molecular Genetics

The Laboratory of General and Molecular Genetics was established in 2016 as a result of the transformation of the previously functioning Laboratory of Genetics and Cytology.

The field of laboratory research includes:

• study of anticancer factors,

• genetic toxicology,

• molecular cell genetics,

• molecular mutagenesis,

• medical cell genetics,

• radiation genetics,

• grape genomics,

• genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9,

• Molecular markers associated with diseases.

The main scientific directions operating in the laboratory

• Identification and application of biomarkers of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage to studies of mutagenic and antimutagenic effects.

• Increasing the sensitivity of human cancer cells to anticancer drugs using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology.

• Studying the relationship between molecular-cytogenetic disturbances in chromosomes and various pathological conditions.

• Evaluation of changes in human telomere size induced by environmental mutagenic factors in vitro and in vivo.

• Genome study of indigenous grape varieties of RA.

• Assessment of water and soil pollution in the territory of Armenia with genetic factors using plant and animal test objects.

• Application of in vitro and silico technologies for the evaluation and prediction of xenobiotic genotoxic effects.

• Study of the molecular-genetic effects of high-speed electron beams in normal and cancer human cells.

Partnerships

The laboratory cooperates with the following institutions:

• Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena (Germany),

• Dubna United Institutes of Nuclear Research (RF),

• A. I. Burnazyan Federal Institute of Medical Biophysics of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia,

• Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia,

• Center for Ecologanospheric Research of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia,

• Department of Zoology and Hydroecology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia,

• "Candle" Institute of Synchrotron Research,

• "Davidians Laboratories",

• "Fertility Center" human fertility center.

Staff

1. Ruben Harutyunyan

2. Galina Hovhannisyan 

3. Evelina Aghajanyan 

4. Anahit Atoyantz

5. Kristine Margaryan 

6. Rimma Avalyan 

7. Nellie Babayan 

8. Ani Stepanyan 

9. Margarita Matevosyan 

10. Tigran Harutyunyan

11. Lily Kalashyan 

12. Hovhannes Igityan 

13. Mamikon Shahinyan

Top 5 publications (Scopus, Web of Science 2018-2023):

1. Babayan N, Grigoryan B, Khondkaryan L, Tadevosyan G, Sarkisyan N, Grigoryan R, Apresyan L, Aroutiounian R, Vorobyeva N, Pustovalova M, Grekhova A, Osipov AN. Laser-Driven Ultrashort Pulsed Electron Beam Radiation at Doses of 0.5 and 1.0 Gy Induces Apoptosis in Human Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Oct 17;20(20):5140
2. Harutyunyan T, Al-Rikabi A, Sargsyan A, Hovhannisyan G, Aroutiounian R, Liehr T. Doxorubicin-Induced Translocation of mtDNA into the Nuclear Genome of Human Lymphocytes Detected Using a Molecular-Cytogenetic Approach. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Oct 17;21(20):7690. 
3. Dong Y, Duan S, Xia Q, Liang Z, Dong X, Margaryan K, Musayev M, Goryslavets S, Zdunić G, Bert PF, Lacombe T, Maul E, Nick P, Bitskinashvili K, Bisztray GD, Drori E, De Lorenzis G, Cunha J, Popescu CF, Arroyo-Garcia R, Arnold C, Ergül A, Zhu Y, Ma C, Wang S, Liu S, Tang L, Wang C, Li D, Pan Y, Li J, Yang L, Li X, Xiang G, Yang Z, Chen B, Dai Z, Wang Y, Arakelyan A, Kuliyev V, Spotar G, Girollet N, Delrot S, Ollat N, This P, Marchal C, Sarah G, Laucou V, Bacilieri R, Röckel F, Guan P, Jung A, Riemann M, Ujmajuridze L, Zakalashvili T, Maghradze D, Höhn M, Jahnke G, Kiss E, Deák T, Rahimi O, Hübner S, Grassi F, Mercati F, Sunseri F, Eiras-Dias J, Dumitru AM, Carrasco D, Rodriguez-Izquierdo A, Muñoz G, Uysal T, Özer C, Kazan K, Xu M, Wang Y, Zhu S, Lu J, Zhao M, Wang L, Jiu S, Zhang Y, Sun L, Yang H, Weiss E, Wang S, Zhu Y, Li S, Sheng J, Chen W. Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution. Science. 2023 Mar 3;379(6635):892-901. 
4. Khosrovyan A, Avalyan R, Atoyants A, Aghajanyan E, Hambaryan L, Aroutiounian R, Gabrielyan B. Tradescantia-Based Test Systems Can Be Used for the Evaluation of the Toxic Potential of Harmful Algal Blooms. //Water. 2023; 15(13):2500. 
5. Hovhannisyan G, Harutyunyan T, Aroutiounian R, Liehr T. The Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Potential of Cell-Free DNA with a Special Focus on COVID-19 and Other Viral Infections. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 15;24(18):14163.