Hunting Genes in Russia.

Russia and the United States have signed an agreement granting a U.S. genetic research firm, Diversa, the right to obtain genetic samples from both pristine and contaminated environments in Russia.

The Diversa Corporation gains the right to explore microbial diversity in Russia and

The agreement also creates a unique Russian Ecological Biotrade Center. The U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring the new center to encourage U.S. and Russian scientists to collaborate in the search for novel bioactive compounds in Russia and to ensure that the work is conducted in an environmentally sound manner.

"By working with U.S. and Russian research organizations, we are helping to redirect military research efforts into applications that benefit society, as well as advance our commercial opportunities," says Jay M. Short, president of Diversa Corporation. The company already conducts genetic research in a network of biosystems that includes Alaska, Bermuda, Iceland, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Yellowstone National Park, Mexico, and The Meadowlands, New Jersey.