Development and Application of Real-Time PCR-Based Screening for Identification of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variant Sublineages.

The Omicron strain is currently the main dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2, with a large number of sublineages. In this article, we present our experience in tracing it in Russia using molecular diagnostic methods. For this purpose, different approaches were used; for example, we developed multiprimer panels for RT-PCR and Sanger and NGS sequencing methods.

Effective Approaches to Study the Genetic Variability of SARS-CoV-2.

Significant efforts are being made in many countries around the world to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing diagnostic reagent kits, identifying infected people, determining treatment methods, and finally producing effective vaccines. However, novel coronavirus variants may potentially reduce the effectiveness of all these efforts, demonstrating increased transmissibility and abated response to therapy or vaccines, as well as the possibility of false negative results in diagnostic procedures based on nucleic acid amplification methods. Since the end of 2020, several variants of concern have been discovered around the world.

Endovideosurgical intrascrotal access for diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the scrotum.

Authors have developed technique of endoscopic inspection of scrotal organs allowing to visualize sufficiently well the poles of testis with head and tail of epididymis, posterior-lateral space behind the epididymis and to perform targeted biopsy of ovarian tissue thus decreasing traumatic effects of the operation. Endoscopy of scrotal organs has been performed in 11 patients with azoospermia of different origin. 18 endoscopic videosurgical examinations have been performed before carrying out Micro-TESE and 10 biopsies of ovarian tissue have been made under visual control with the same patients.

Generation of two iPSC lines from healthy donor with a heterozygous mutation in the VPS13B gene.

The human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines, iCS-MAF1-1 and iCS-MAF1-11, were generated from fibroblasts. The donor has a heterozygous mutation in the VPS13B gene, which manifests in her child as Cohen syndrome. It is a Golgi pathology, characterized by postnatal microcephaly and delayed growth and mental development.