With a heavy heart, we are announcing the demise of the NanoWorld Journal Editorial Board Member Prof. Konstantin G. Skryabin on November 6, 2019. He was the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Laboratory of Plant System Biology in the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Skryabin was born on April 29, 1948 in Moscow, Russian Federation. From 1970-1973, he was the postgraduate student for the Department of Molecular Biology and in 1973 he earned a PhD in Molecular Biology from the same department at Moscow State University and later he became the Head of the Department of Biotechnology of Moscow State University. He became before a full member of the Russian Academy of Agriculture.

His research activities involved pioneering projects on genome sequencing techniques in Russia, systems for the production of growth hormones, genetics analysis on flower development, the first complete human genome of the kidney cancer patient, ethical and biosafety issues of genetic engineering and many more. Prof. Skryabin was involved in various public activities from 1989 to present as the Secretary-General of Committee on Biotechnology of International Council of Scientific Unions (COBIOTECH), Chairman, Scientific Council on Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vice-Chairman of Russian Bioethics Committee under the Commission of Russian Federation for UNESCO Member and also in several other scientific communities. He had published around 450 scientific work which includes 59 patents and inventions.

In 1983, he had won the State Prize of the USSR in Science and Technology followed by Officer of Order of the Academic Palm, France in the year 2006. Later in 2009, Prof. Skryabin was elected Member of the prestigious Russian Academy of Sciences and his death represents a big loss to all the biotechnology industry. His contribution to the scientific community cannot be forgotten. We are fortunate to be associated with him during his tenure as an EB member of NanoWorld Journal.