Editor-in-Chief Opening Remarks

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to present this new issue of Lex Genetica to your attention. This issue covers a diverse range of topics – from regulating of the presence of microorganisms in industrial settings, the specifics of personalized immunoprophylaxis, the legal aspects of CRISPR-Cas9 and other cutting-edge technologies to intellectual property protection in the agricultural industry.

The article by M.V. Nekoteneva opens the section of international research by examining issues of the legal regulation of microorganisms and their metabolites in the food and feed industries. The author analyzes international and domestic approaches to ensuring the safety and effectiveness of these technologies.

In the section entitled “Lex Genetica: Public-Law Dimension”, S.V. Voronkova explores the problem of personalized immunoprophylaxis. She examines the legal, medical, and socio-economic aspects of tailoring vaccination programs to consider the immune status of individuals, thus ensuring a personalized medical approach. The author concludes that Russian legislation should be improved by implementing a knowledge-based mechanism for personalized vaccination. This could enhance the safety of immunization programs and public trust, improve epidemiological control, and optimize the use of healthcare resources.

The section of comparative legal studies presents the article by N.V. Dorodonova and O.S. Rybakova. The authors analyze the evolution of legal regulation in the sphere of fundamental and preclinical research on human genome editing in the People’s Republic of China from 1990 to 2025.

Chinese researcher D. Dong analyzes current achievements in the system of genetic resource conservation in China and proposes a set of recommendations. F. Chong considers the issues of intellectual property protection in China’s agricultural trade, highlighting such key issues as protection of geographical indications, infringement of patent rights for agricultural technologies, and disputes over the rights to new plant varieties.

This issue concludes with an article by D.V. Ponomareva, who carries out a review of best international practices in the regulation of government procurement of medicines and provides her recommendations on improving the relevant legal acts in Russia.

We hope the articles in this issue can serve as a valuable resource for researchers, lawyers, practitioners, and anyone interested in the legal aspects of biotechnology and healthcare. We invite our readers to join the discussion and further explore these important topics.

Best regards,
Editor-in-Chief O.S. Grin