Nikolai Konstantinovich Koltsov was a Russian biologist and a pioneer of modern genetics. Among his students were Nikolay Timofeeff-Ressovsky, Vladimir Pavlovich Efroimson, A.S. Serebrovsky, and Nikolay Dubinin. Along with his students, he demonstrated the fine structure of genes, and examined the structure of the cell and pioneered the idea of a cytoskeleton. His career was cut short in Stalinist Russia after being falsely accused of supporting scientific racism. He died unexpectedly following government persecution and there are allegations that he was executed.

Nikolaj Vladimirovich Timofeev-Resovskij, also Timofeyeff-Ressovsky was a Soviet biologist. He conducted research in radiation genetics, experimental population genetics, and microevolution. His life was highlighted by scientific achievements in the face of severe personal hardship, including his imprisonment and working in secret scientific facilities of Soviet Gulag.