The reported annual temperature increase and significant precipitation drop in Armenia impact the country’s ecosystems and biodiversity. The present study surveyed the geographical distribution of the local wild beet species under the ongoing climate change conditions. We showed that B. lomatogona, B. corolliflora and B. macrorhiza are sensitive to climate change and were affected to various degrees, depending on their location. The most affected species was B. lomatogona, which is at the verge of extinction. Migration for ca. 90 and 200–300 m up the mountain belt was recorded for B. lomatogona and B. macrorhiza, respectively. B. corolliflora was found at 100–150 m lower altitudes than in the 1980s. A general reduction in the beet’s population size in the native habitats was observed, with an increased number of plants within the populations, recorded for B. corolliflora and B. macrorhiza. A new natural hybrid Beta x intermedium Aloyan between B. corolliflora and B. macrorhiza was described and confirmed using chloroplast DNA trnL-trnF intergenic spacer (LF) and partially sequenced alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) of nuclear DNA. An overview of the wild beets reported in Armenia with the taxonomic background, morphological features, and distribution is provided. Conservation measures for preservation of these genetic resources are presented.

The awareness, practical approaches and attitude of health care professionals to drug hypersensitivity reactions in Armenia

Armenia is one of the primary genealogical centers of numerous crops, the wild relatives of many of which are still found in Armenia today. Population limits of three out of 4 species of wild relatives of endemic wheat in Armenia (T. araraticum Jakubz, T. urartu Tumanian ex Gandilyan, T. boeoticum Boiss.) have been reduced in recent decades as a result of various ecological and economic functions, they are facing the danger of extinction and are registered in the Red Book of Plants of the Republic of Armenia. In order to identify these species as selection raw material, genetic characterization of populations was carried out according to ISSR-PCR markers, as well as decoding genetic formulas and barcodes. As a result, according to the coefficients of the genetic pattern, the studied wild types of wheat are characterized as basic or typical gene pools with the least quantity and frequency of rare alleles. The populations are stable and in conditions of efficient number of isolates, the gene pool is capable of self-reproduction. The obtained results as genetic markers will provide an opportunity to further clarify the origin of the species, evolution, patterns of inheritance of useful economic traits, cell genetic characteristics of the species, natural resistance to adverse environmental factors and diseases, etc.

BioDATA is an international project on developing skills in biodiversity data management and data publishing. Between 2018 and 2021, undergraduate and postgraduate students from Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, have an opportunity to take part in the intensive courses to become certified professionals in biodiversity data management. They will gain practical skills and obtain appropriate knowledge on: international data standards (Darwin Core); data cleaning software, data publishing software such as the Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT), and preparation of data papers. Working with databases, creating datasets, managing data for statistical analyses and publishing research papers are essential for the everyday tasks of a modern biologist. At the same time, these skills are rarely taught in higher education. Most of the contemporary professionals in biodiversity have to gain these skills independently, through colleagues, or through supervision. In addition, all the participants familiarize themselves with one of the important international research data infrastructures such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is coordinated by the University of Oslo (Norway) and supported by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU).

The genetic resources of plants and animals are the wealth of every country. They are a valuable starting material in the breeding processes of cultivated plants and farm animals. In order to improve the existing varieties of crops and obtain new, valuable varieties, it is very important to document, preserve and enrich their gene pool, while preserving local varieties and forms of crops, it is possible to carry out breeding works. From this point of view, the genetic characterization of beet population varieties cultivated in Armenia and their wild relatives using protein markers is up-to-date and has important scientific and practical significance. It is known that the degree of genetic diversity of a population can be estimated if the protein formulas and their frequency of occurrence in the population are known. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity of beet spread in Armenia, formed during the evolutionary development processes, to passport the wild species and population varieties of beet by using protein markers and offering them as starting breeding material. As a result, the preferred raw material forms were proposed in the breeding works in the direction of increasing yield, sugar level, and resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot diseases. Further cluster analysis will make it possible to select parental pairs. Future beet breeding efforts in the target direction must make use of the genetic and genomic resources available for efficient improvement.