Biochemists at Yerevan’s Buniatyan Institute of Biochemistry are up in arms over an Armenian government decision to hand over the building to the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, run by the Ministry of Environment.

A Hetq source at the Biochemistry Institute, who wishes to remain anonymous, says the biochemists will be transferred to the fourth floor of the nearby Institute of Chemical Physics.

Biochemistry Institute Director Alvard Antonyan refused to comment on the matter with Hetq, saying they already made their opposition to the plan known to the National Academy of Sciences. (The institute is a branch of the academy).

As part of the government’s long-term plan to merge various scientific institutes, the Biochemistry Institute is slated to be merged with the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB).

IMB Director Arsen Arakelyan, told Hetq that he could not comment on the possible merger because he doesn’t have specifics on how or when the merger would take place.

He did say that merger talks have been ongoing for many years, but the details haven’t been ironed out.

In response to a Hetq inquiry, the National Academy of Sciences said all of the Biochemistry Institute’s staff of 102 voted to oppose the government’s draft decision.

Photos by Narel Aleksanyan, Saro Baghdasaryan