Ways of Development of Ukrainian Science: Biosensorics – the Future of Analytical Biotechnology
NULES of Ukraine, Research Institute of Plant and Soil Sciences and Sustainable Environmental Resources Management NULES of Ukraine established a research laboratory of biosensorics that was included into the Research Institute of Plant and Soil Sciences and Sustainable Environmental Resources Management.
Biosensorics began to develop actively at NULES of Ukraine since 2006. The research was headed by the Professor of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Biosafety, laureate of O.V. Palladin Prize of the NAS of Ukraine, Mykola Starodub.
Mykola Starodub is one of the founders of biosensorics in Ukraine. He is a visiting professor of Sheffield Hallam University (England) and he gave a series of lectures at Columbus University (USA) and University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA). In 2014, he became the scientist with the highest citation index (according to Scopus) at NULES of Ukraine.
Creating a separate laboratory was a logical continuation of the work conducted by the team of Professor Mykola Starodub.
The main task of the laboratory is to develop a new generation of instrumental analytical tools for research that would solve topical problems of ecology, agriculture and veterinary medicine.
The staff of the research laboratory of biosensorics
Young members of the laboratory — laureate of the Prize of the President of Ukraine for Young Scientists in 2010, researcher K.Ye. Shavanova, holder of the scholarship of Viktor Pinchuk Foundation “Zavtra.ua” (2012-2013, 2013-2014), postgraduate student, M.V. Taran, winner of the All-Ukrainian Competition “Electrification and Automation-2011”, postgraduate student A.D. Karpyuk – develop and implement express analysis techniques, work on basic algorithms of immediate and long-term assessment of plant arrays basing on the rate of photosynthesis for timely preventing undesirable consequences. They also are developing ways to detect fungal lesions of plants and mycotoxins (T2, patulin, aflatoxin, zearelenon etc.) in food and feed, assess the level of contamination of food with pathogens (salmonella, etc.), conduct diagnostics of viral leucosis of cows and examine the quality of milk. The scientists published 8 monographs abroad and more than a hundred articles in international journals. They prepared 24 bachelor’s and master's theses; 5 students continued their education in the graduate school.
Fundamental research carried out under the direction of M.F. Starodub is aimed at developing a new generation of efficient non-marked biosensors, search of the most appropriate options for artificial selective membranes to replace biologically sensitive layer in sensor devices, study of characteristics of biological effects of metal nanoparticles and their nanocomposites, search of effective and environmentally friendly ways of using metal nanoparticles and their nanocomposites for solving practical issues, developing approaches to processing seed using physical factors to prevent fungal lesions on the stage of plant development.
Postgraduate student, M.V. Taran, is taking measurements on a portable fluorometer “Floratest”
Postgraduate student N.F. Slyshyk
The scientists of the laboratory received several international grants for research. Thus, the European FP-7 PEOPLE-2012-IRSES Program, Project №318520 “The Development of Biosensors Based on Nanotechnology for Agriculture” involves about 30 months of training abroad.
The members of the laboratory, K.Ye. Shavanova, N.F. Slyshyk, Yu. O. Ogorodniychuk and R.V. Sonkov, worked in the laboratories of Santa Domina universities in Perpignan and Montpellier (France) and Linköping (Sweden).
Laboratory scientists also conduct research commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Presentation of biosensors at the exhibition “Agro — 2014”
Laboratory staff and students actively participate in international conferences, workshops, scientific schools, internships and exhibitions.
Presentations of the staff of the research laboratory of biosensorics at the conference “Biophotonics — Riga, 2013”
Scientific achievements of the team were presented in many European countries as well as in Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, Armenia, Israel, Canada, China, Russia, the USA, Turkey and Japan. Over the past two years the laboratory was visited by famous scientists from the UK, South Korea, Sweden, Latvia, Russia, France and Hungary.
Department of Scientific and Technical Information of the Research Department
