The N.I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences is the oldest genetic institution in the Academy of Sciences system. The predecessor of the Institute of General Genetics in the Academy of Sciences was the Institute of Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences was disbanded in 1966 and the Institute of General Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences was established, the first director of which (1966-1981) was academician N.P. Dubinin. In 1981-1988, Academician A.A. Sozinov was the director of the Institute, in 1988-1991 – Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.V. Shestakov, in 1992-2006. — Academician Yu.P. Altukhov, in 2006-2016 — Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences N.K. Yankovsky, in 2016-2024 - Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.M. Kudryavtsev. In 2024, Andrey Vitalievich Misyurin, PhD, was appointed Acting Director.
Currently, the Institute has 20 scientific laboratories, 4 research groups, 1 international
the center is a laboratory and 2 centers for collective use. The St. Petersburg branch of IOGen RAS (Director — Alexey Petrovich Galkin, PhD) includes 3 scientific laboratories. The Institute's research staff includes Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.V. Shestakov, as well as Advisor to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member. RAS I.A. Zakharov-Gezekhus. Since 2016, academician N.K. Yankovsky has become the scientific director of the Institute.
The Institute also has a Scientific Council on Genetics and Breeding; the Moscow Society of Geneticists and Breeders; the Secretariat Council of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Medical Equipment, Technology and Pharmaceuticals"; Commission for the Preservation and Development of the Scientific heritage of Academician N.I. Vavilov; Editorial Board of the journal "Genetics".