Abstract
The G.N. Gabrichevsky Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology has made a major contribution to the development of probiotic preparations in the Russian Federation. As long ago as the 1960s the researchers at the institute began to conduct investigations on the selection of probiotic strains, development of the probiotic preparations of different formulations and functions and technologies for their industrial production, studies of clinical efficacy and the mechanisms of their action at the cell and molecular levels. At the present time the scientific research and biotechnological activities in this area continue to progress: the scientists at the institute have created a new generation of probiotic preparations, determined new areas for their application, and acquired new knowledge of human microecology.