Young Science: President awarded the best scientists for the best developments of 2015

      As part of the Science Day in Ukraine, the main building of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv held an awarding ceremony for Prize winners of the President of Ukraine award. Congratulations of President of Ukraine were announced by Deputy Head of Presidential Administration of Ukraine Rostyslav Mykolayovych Pavlenko. Among the winners of the prestigious award – Svitlana Bilous and Oksana Chornobrov, young scientists of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.

     Svitlana Bilous – PhD in Biology, works as Associate Professor of the Chair of Dendrology and Forest Breeding of Research and Development Institute of Forest and Landscape Management and deals with the problem of development of biotechnology of tree species breeding, paying specific attention to the reproduction of centuries-old trees, which have unique historical, cultural and environmental significance.

     Oksana Chornobrov – one of the first at the university to defend her PhD thesis on biotechnology (agricultural sciences); today she is a Head of Scientific Research Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology in Separate Unit of NULES of Ukraine “Boyarka Forest Research Station” and explores the features of reproduction of tree species for high-quality planting material for forest and landscape management.

     Svitlana and Oksana, when still being students, started their scientific path in Scientific Research Laboratory on Phyto-Virology Problematics and Biotechnology of NULES of Ukraine, where they mastered modern methods of research and got first experience of working with scientific instruments and biotechnology equipment.

     Close relationship of NULES of Ukraine with academic institutions helped to create a joint creative team of young scientists, including PhD in Biology Yulia Kruhlyak from M.M. Gryshko National Botanic Garden of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

     Scientific research of Svitlana Bilous, Oksana Chornobrov and Yulia Kruhlyak has significant theoretical and practical importance for developing bioenergetics and forest management. Scientific paper of the group of authors studied the morphological, genetic, anatomical, physiological, and bioecological features of Willow plant family. An effective biotechnology of breeding was created, which within a year allows achieving healed genetically uniformed regenerative plants in a short cultivation cycle. Technology for creating bioenergy plantations out of regenerative plants was developed, that includes the schemes for crop planting in the context of different periods of growth and enables within the first year of vegetation achieving up to 43t/1 hectare of top mass for its processing into pellets. For the first time, a number of hybrid plants of Willow plant family have been received, as well as their morphological description. Comparative assessment of calorific capacity of willow taxon was conducted, and their potential suitability for the use in renewable energy has been established.

Roman Vasylyshyn,
Director of the Research Institute of Forestry
and Ornamental Horticulture