The Group of mathematicians (Prof. I.M.Gelfand) has obtained the results in several fields. Integral geometry and theoretical tomography, Lie groups and representation theory, geometrical probabilities are among them. The Group of medical informatics (Prof. I.M.Gelfand and co-wokers) has developed the original method of data structuring. Several prognostic and diagnostic problems in gastroenterology, cardiology, obstetrics etc. were solved on the base of this method in collaboration with physicians. Biocomputing Group (Dr. A.M.Leontovich and co-workers) created the original algorithms of a sequence alignment, of a phylogenetic tree creating and others. The works in progress are concerned to the 3-D alignment, to the geometry of the DNA-protein interaction.

The neurophysiological team (Prof. I.M.Gelfand) investigated fundamental mechanisms of control of rhythmic movements in vertebrate and invertebrate.

In the Group of Cellular Regulations led by Prof. J.M.Vasiliev cellular and molecular mechanisms of morphogenesis especially these of polarization of both normal and neoplastic fibroblasts and epitheliocytes are studied with help of immunofluorescence, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and computer-enhanced videomicroscopy. The decisive role of microtubules in stabilization of cellular edge is shown, as well as importance of contractility of actin cytoskeleton in formation and maturation of focal contacts. New concept of contact inhibition of movement of normal and neoplastic cells has been developed.

In the group of intercellular interactions (Prof. L. M. Chailakhyan) the new notions have been elaborated concerning the importance of permeable intercellular junctions (PIJ) for main tissue processes. It has been shown that on the basis of PIJ (1) the effective energy cooperation between cells is carried out; (2) they play the fundamental role in determination of cell phenotype, revealed at study of expression of oncofetal serum protein in hepatocytes - alpha-fetoprotein. The mechanisms of regulation of the efficiency of these structures at the level of a single gap junction are investigated.

1. Nikolaev V.K., Leontovich A.M., Drachev V.A. and Brodsky L.I. Building Multiple Alignment Using Iterative Dynamic Impoovement of the Motif Alignment. Biochemistry (Moscow) (1997) l62, 578-582.

2. Gloushankova N.A.,Krendel M.F., Sirotkin V.A., Bonder E.M., Feder H.H., Vasiliev J.M., Gelfand I.M. Dynamics of active lamellae in cultures epithelial cells: effects of expression of exogenous N-ras-oncogene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1995) 92, 5322-5325.

3. Gloushankova N.A., Alieva N.A., Krendel M.F., Bonder E.M., Feder H.H.,Vasiliev J.M., Gelfand I.M. Cell-contact changes the dynamics of lamellar activity in non-transformed epitheliocytes but not in ras-transformed descendants of these cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1997) 94, 879-883.

4. Chailakhyan L.M. Ligand-receptor and junction-mediated cell-cell interactions: comparison of two principles. Differentiation (1990) 45,1-6.

5. Arshavsky Yu.I., Deliagina T.G., Orlovsky G.N. Pattern generation. Current Opinion in Neurobiology (1997) 7, 781-789.