An international team of physicists has found out why beta decays in atomic nuclei proceed more slowly than in free neutrons. Scientists have been struggling to solve this riddle for 50 years, according to a press release on Phys.org. The researchers studied the transformation of the tin-100 isotope into indium-100. These two elements have the same...
2019-03-12 214 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists from the US and China have for the first time calculated the contributions to the proton mass associated with various effects. For calculations performed within the framework of lattice QCD, scientists used the Titan supercomputer with a performance of about 27 petaflops. As a result, the researchers found that the quark condensate provides about ..
2019-02-26 274 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists from Germany proposed using azimuthally polarized electromagnetic waves to overcome the diffraction limit and accurately measure the position of a nanoparticle on a glass substrate. By observing the scattering of such waves on a spherical particle, scientists were able to fix a displacement of just ..
2019-02-26 210 0 Scientific discoveries
The Wendelstein 7-X stellarator proved its performance in a series of experiments conducted in 2016-2017 - the destabilizing plasma boostrap current was reduced by almost four times, and the plasma retention time was brought up to 160 milliseconds. On the this moment This best result among the stellarators. ..
2018-06-04 22052 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists at the University of Maryland have discovered an exotic YPtBi superconductor, inside which electrons interact with each other to form high-spin quasiparticles. This was reported in the journal Science Advances. Scientists analyzed the electronic structure of a material made from yttrium, platinum..
2018-04-10 7137 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists from Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have figured out how an anomalous superconductor, strontium titanate, is able to conduct electricity without resistance despite being a non-metal. This is reported by Science Alert. Strontium titanate is an oxide, however..
2018-03-27 5168 0 Scientific discoveries
Mathematicians from the University of California at Berkeley have found a condition for the existence of bare singularities in black holes, in which the laws of physics are violated. This conclusion calls into question strong principle cosmic censorship, when the naked singularity should be unattainable for any ..
2018-03-06 5893 0 Scientific discoveries
Neurologists from the Charite University Hospital in Berlin have uncovered the processes that occur in the human brain during the process of dying. It turned out that the “brain tsunami” is a wave of depolarization nerve cells, which spreads uncontrollably through the cerebral cortex and causes the death of neurons, can be blocked. ..
2018-03-06 5831 0 Scientific discoveries
American physicists have for the first time experimentally registered bound states of three photons. The formation of trimers unusual for photons occurs when a laser beam passes through a cloud of cooled rubidium atoms due to the formation of intermediate polariton states, scientists write in Science. In contrast..
2018-02-18 4333 0 Scientific discoveries
Scientists at Northwestern University in the US found that terminally ill people suffering from Huntington's chorea have an 80 percent reduced risk of cancer. It turned out that tumor cells are sensitive to a defective form of the huntingtin protein, which also causes the death of nerve cells. It is reported..
2018-02-14 5146 0 Scientific discoveries
Biologists at Moscow State University have discovered a "molecular timer" - a special mechanism for regulating protein synthesis, which prevents the formation of abnormal molecules by sticking ribosomes. According to scientists, the discovery will help create therapeutic methods to combat cancer. This was announced in a press release..
2018-02-05 4641 0 Scientific discoveries
Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg have deciphered the genome of one of the simplest multicellular life forms, the green algae Tetrabaena socialis, which consists of four cells. This made it possible to determine genetic mechanisms that contributed to the emergence of multicellularity. An article by biologists was published in the journal ..
2018-02-05 4005 0 Scientific discoveries
Hypothetical magnetic monopoles can be created in heavy ion collisions or in strong magnetic fields neutron stars. Physicists at Imperial College London have theoretically considered these processes and calculated lower bound for the possible mass of monopoles - it turned out to be slightly less than the mass ..
2017-12-14 3536 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists have developed a shell that, due to magnetohydrodynamic effects, allows you to completely suppress all disturbances in the flow of water around moving objects. In a paper published in Physical Review E, the scientists also proposed a way to create such a device, which could be...
2017-12-12 3402 0 Scientific discoveries
Physicists for the first time experimentally measured the force of attraction that acts on individual cesium atoms from a black body. This force turned out to be several times greater than the gravitational force and the pressure force. electromagnetic radiation, write the authors of a paper published in Nature Physics. Effect..
2017-12-11 3118 0 Scientific discoveries
An international team of researchers has proven the existence of a new form of matter - excitonium. It is a condensate of excitons - electrons and "holes" connected to each other. This state of matter was first predicted almost 50 years ago. The scientists' article was published in the journal Science. About it..
2017-12-11 3872 0 Scientific discoveries
An international team of physicists has succeeded in reversing the passage of time for a pair of interconnected particles. Researchers have proven that for quantum interconnected qubits (quantum bits), the second law of thermodynamics is spontaneously violated, according to which in isolated systems all processes are only in the direction of increase ..
2017-12-05 2954 0 Scientific discoveries
Extended version of the main physical theory - standard model- predicts that charged particles can polarize vacuum and emit photons. A Brazilian theoretical physicist investigated this effect, known as vacuum Cherenkov radiation, and used it to set limits on certain parameters.
2017-11-30 2671 0 Scientific discoveries
Professor of Nizhny Novgorod state university named after Nikolai Lobachevsky, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Yaroslav Sergeev, in an interview with TASS, announced the solution of two Hilbert problems. The research is published in the journal of the European Mathematical Society EMS Surveys in Mathematical Sciences. The first problem, about solving..
2017-11-28 3322 0 Scientific discoveries
Spanish scientists transmitted for the first time using photons quantum states between a cloud of cold rubidium-87 atoms and a Pr3+:Y2SiO5 crystal. The article was published in Nature.To build a quantum network, it is necessary not only to store quantum states for a long time, but also to transmit..
2016 was rich in high-profile scientific discoveries and spectacular technical achievements. The discoveries are widely covered in the media, and most interesting news gadgets were showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). For 50 years now, it has been a launching pad for innovation and hi-end technologies.
December has come and it's time to let down the most interesting results of 2016 in science and technology.
10 Multicellular Life Is The Result Of Genetic Mutation
The GK-PID molecule allows cells to divide, avoiding malignant tumors. At the same time, the ancient gene, an analogue of GK-PID, was a builder enzyme necessary to create DNA. Scientists suggested that in some of the ancient unicellular organisms 800 million years ago, the GK gene was duplicated, one of the copies of which then mutated. This gave rise to the GK-PID molecule, which allowed the cells to divide properly. This is how multicellular organisms appeared
9. New prime number
They became 2 ^ 74,207,281 - 1. The discovery is useful for cryptography problems, where both very complex and prime Mersenne numbers are used (49 of them were found in total).
8. The ninth planet
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have provided evidence that in solar system there is a ninth planet. Its orbital period is 15,000 years. However, due to its colossal orbit, no astronomer has been able to see this planet.
7. Eternal data storage
This invention of 2016 was made possible thanks to nanostructured glass, on which information is recorded using ultra-fast short and laser pulses. The glass disk holds up to 360 TB of data and can withstand temperatures up to a thousand degrees.
6. Relationship of the blind eye and four-toed vertebrates
A wall-crawling fish called the Taiwanese blind eye has been found to have anatomical abilities similar to those of amphibians or reptiles. This discovery will allow biologists to better understand how the process of transformation of prehistoric fish into terrestrial tetrapods took place.
5. Vertical landing of a space rocket
Usually spent rocket stages either fall into the ocean or burn up in the atmosphere. Now they can be used for subsequent projects. The launch process will be significantly faster and cheaper, and the time between launches will decrease.
4 Cybernetic Implant
A special chip implanted in the brain of a completely paralyzed man restored his ability to move his fingers. It sends signals to a glove worn on the subject's hand, which contains electrical wires that stimulate certain muscles and make the fingers move.
3. Stem cells will help people after a stroke
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine injected human stem cells into the brains of 18 stroke survivors. All subjects showed an improvement in mobility and general well-being.
2. Carbon dioxide rocks
Icelandic scientists uploaded carbon dioxide in volcanic rock. Thanks to this, the process of turning basalt into carbonate minerals (later becoming limestone) took only 2 years, instead of hundreds and thousands of years. This discovery would allow carbon dioxide to be stored underground or used for building purposes without releasing it to the atmosphere.
1. Another Moon
NASA has discovered an asteroid that was captured by Earth's gravity. Now he is in her orbit, in fact being the second natural companion planets.
List of Unusual New Gadgets of 2016 (CES)
10. Casio WSD-F10 smart watch
This waterproof and very durable gadget works at a depth of up to 50 meters. The "brain" of the watch is the Android Wear OS. can sync with Android and iOS devices.
9. Spherical drone
Drone blades can injure the owner or bystanders. To deal with this problem, FLEYE created a drone with a spherical design. Its blades are hidden, which means they are completely safe.
8. Arke 3D printer
Mcor has introduced a desktop device that allows you to print color models in 3D using regular office paper. The print resolution is 4800x2400DPI.
7 Garmin Augmented Reality Device
Varia Vision is a dedicated display for cyclists placed on sunglasses. It not only informs about the heart rate and pressure, but also helps to make the best route.
6. Origami Drone
Paper novelty from POWERUP is controlled via Wi-Fi and can be equipped with an augmented reality helmet.
5. HTC virtual reality helmet
The HTC Vive Pre helmet allows you to physically move around objects in virtual space. The device claims: improved display brightness with greater detail and a built-in camera that allows the gadget to work in augmented reality mode.
4. LG SIGNATURE G6V Super Slim OLED TV
LG engineers have integrated the OLED screen of the 65-inch TV model into 2.57 mm thick glass. Thanks to the declared color depth of 10 bits, the TV can show a fantastically colorful image.
3. Solar Grill
The GoSun grill has a unique design that guides sunlight towards a cylinder capable of heating up to 290 degrees in 10 or 20 minutes (depending on the model).
2. Passenger drone EHang 184
The stylish novelty of 2016 technology will be able to carry one passenger for 23 minutes at a speed of 100 km/h. The destination is indicated on the tablet.
1. Flexible Smartphone Screen by LG Display
In the first position of the top 10 is a prototype of an 18-inch screen that can fold like a sheet of paper. This type of futuristic display is promising for use in smartphones, TVs and tablets.
- phototass2.cdnvideo.ru
Specialists of the Materials Science and Technology Department of Composite, Magnetic and Special Materials of JSC High-Technological Research Institute of Inorganic Materials. A.A. Bochvara (part of the Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL) was one of the first in Russia to obtain samples of silicon carbide fiber (SiC-fiber) containing 10-12% oxygen. This is the first step towards creating an oxygen-free SiC fiber (with an oxygen content of less than 5%), which will allow scientists to get closer to creating a new generation of fuel elements based on silicon carbide.
Further improvement of the oxygen-free fiber manufacturing technology will significantly increase the heat resistance, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance of the SiC composite. “There is a great demand for silicon carbide fiber in Russia, as it is used in aircraft and shipbuilding, space and many other industries. At present, long-length - more than 100 meters - fiber in Russian Federation no one produces. This makes the VNIINM project in demand for the development of not only nuclear energy, but also other industries. domestic industry”, - emphasized Alexey Glebov, project manager at JSC VNIINM.
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The development of a resident of the Skolkovo biomedical technology cluster is an electric wheelchair that allows you to use the stairs without ramps and outside help– has been certified in the European Union and will be able to be sold on the European market. This was announced on Wednesday by the press service of the Skolkovo Foundation.
"The Caterwil Caterwil GTS electric wheelchair has been certified in the European Union and is entering the European market. On the Caterwil electric wheelchair, a person can independently climb and descend stairs without lifts, ramps and outside help," the message says.
Caterwil GTS is equipped with electric drive on wheeled and tracked platforms. To move around flat surface a wheeled platform is used, and a caterpillar platform is used to overcome stairs, curbs and other obstacles. At the same time, it is no larger than a conventional electric wheelchair.
For more than ten years, engineers have been developing the mechanism and principle of operation of a machine that can provide an entire house with heat, light, hot and clean drinking water. Let's tell you what happened in the end.
Now there will be no problems with heat, light and water. And all this without the use of boiler rooms, power lines and other communications. Such a “communal paradise without hassle and worries”, as the song says, may appear in Russia in the near future thanks to the unique development of Pskov scientists. In the laboratories of Pskov State University, they designed an autonomous life support module, the "heart" of which is a rotary-vane engine with an external heat supply.
The Shvabe holding of the Rostec State Corporation has manufactured a prototype of a domestic device for non-invasive nasal breathing support. It will help reduce the risk of chronic lung disease in children born ahead of time. The device itself is lightweight and compact in size, and its use does not require surgical intervention.
A sample of the new CPAP breathing apparatus was developed and manufactured at one of the enterprises of the Shvabe holding - the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant named after E.S. Yalamova (UOMZ). The device is intended for respiratory therapy of newborns without the use of intubation. serial production products will start in 2019. The device will be in demand by perinatal centers and other obstetric institutions.
ZALA AERO presented a unique alternative navigation system GIRSAM at the INTERPOLITEX-2018 international exhibition. It allows unmanned aerial vehicles not to lose control in conditions of signal suppression of the SNA (GPS / GLONASS) signal - a similar method is used by most devices to combat drones.
The advantages of GIRSAM include rapid deployment, noise immunity, low radio visibility, positioning accuracy, as well as the operation of a cascaded signal relay. Alternative navigation system GIRSAM provides successful execution assigned tasks, regardless of the presence of a signal from satellite systems.
In addition, ZALA presented other latest developments at the exhibition: UAV with the ability to land on water surface, effective aerial monitoring from heights of 1500-2500 m, automatic object recognition using artificial intelligence significantly expand the range of tasks to be solved, as well as a new line of electronic warfare tools.
The Shvabe holding of the Rostec State Corporation received a patent for a device for controlling the proportion of aromatics in light oil products. The polarimeter can be used in refineries, oil depots and fuel quality control centers.
The patent for the invention was issued to the specialists of the holding enterprise - Shvabe - Technological Laboratory. The use of the finished invention at refineries, tank farms and other industries can improve the efficiency of assessing the quality of gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene and other petroleum products.
There are no similar devices in Russia. According to the developers, the proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons is now measured by chromatographs, but they are expensive and are used only in laboratory conditions.
Specialists of the St. Petersburg State Maritime technical university(SPbGMTU) produced the first prototype of the blank of the outer ring of an aircraft engine. The diameter of their titanium billet exceeds 2 m, the weight reaches 80 kg.
"Lada Niva" is the oldest SUV currently on sale with the most optimal cost. But now he is preparing a successor: the Lada 4 × 4 Vision is presented. The fashionable "tactical" design is striking. True, it costs money, and Lada needs to maintain its main competitive advantage - accessibility, Stern argues. But while there is every chance of success in Europe.
Young scientists of the holding "Russian space systems” (RSC, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) presented a project for a spacecraft for collecting and disposing garbage in Earth orbit (SCM - space debris collector) at the International Salon of Inventions and innovative technologies"Archimedes-2019". This is original solution, suggesting the possibility of recycling fragments of spent satellites and upper stages into fuel, which will then be used by the device itself to continue cleaning higher orbits from debris.
The presented project, developed and patented by an RCC employee on an initiative basis, involves the creation of a spacecraft that, with the help of a special network, will be able to collect failed small satellites, fragments of spacecraft and upper stages, and other operational debris.
The author of the project, RKS research engineer Maria Barkova: “The fundamental difference between our solution and existing similar projects is the processing of space debris into pseudo-liquid fuel. This allows us to solve several problems at once - to ensure waste-free destruction of debris and the maximum life of the apparatus, as well as to minimize the cost of its launch into orbit. In fact, our apparatus will act as a predator that preys on garbage in order to obtain additional energy.
Chepetsk Mechanical Plant (ChMZ JSC, part of the Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL) received a patent of the Russian Federation for a wire for processing metallurgical melts and a method for its manufacture.
The patented method is used for the production, among other things, of calcium injection wire (CIP). The unique technology was developed by specialists of the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant several years ago, which opened up new opportunities for the domestic metallurgical industry. And today the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant is the only Russian manufacturer calcium injection wire from electrolytic calcium of our own production.
KIP is a monolithic electrolytic calcium in a steel shell. It is applied for optimal mode out-of-furnace treatment of metallurgical melts, which improves the performance properties of steel. Due to the better assimilation of calcium, it saves material by 3-5 times compared to traditional calcium-cored wire.
Sechenov University announced the development of a mobile artificial kidney. The invention will make it possible to "untie" those suffering from renal insufficiency. While they are forced to spend several hours in a lying position.
Patients are forced to stay in a lying or semi-sitting position for several hours due to the bulkiness of the devices that filter the blood. This is the so-called dialysis, or blood purification. The alternative is a kidney transplant. But until the transplant takes place, a person suffering from kidney failure has to be tied to a hospital bed.
Sechenov University has proposed a new alternative. Scientists have invented a device that will allow dialysis solution to be pumped through a catheter into the abdominal cavity. The device can be carried in a backpack. It weighs 3.5 kilograms. This is an artificial portable kidney.
“The device consists of a system of pumps and valves that circulate liquid through a system of filters for mechanical cleaning, while the device is controlled via a smartphone,” the press service of the university explained.
The first tests have already been passed. The device has been tested on animals. Tests have shown that the device is safe. It is claimed that it helped to increase the efficiency of blood purification several times.
Money is in business. The Russian Science Foundation selects for social support significant works world classAt the Institute of Organic Chemistry. N.D.Zelinsky RAS, Poisk journalists come often. The reason for this meeting was the victory of the Iokhovites in the recently completed competition of the Russian Science Foundation to support projects implemented in world-class laboratories. The RSF recognized 49 structures as such, one of which, the Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Chemistry, is headed by our author, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai NIFANTEV, who came to work at the Institute of Chemistry almost 40 years ago after graduating from Moscow State University. When there is time, he gladly tells the history of this institute, he will certainly mention that half of the vestibule is finished with marble from the destroyed Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and how many talents worked here. While we are walking to his office, I notice that it would be nice to invest at least part of the funds from the grants won in maintaining historical appearance building. No, spending money on repairs is not allowed by the rules of the funds, - Nikolai Eduardovich responds. – Yes, and the scientific reputation of the institute is not judged by the lacquer of doors, but by the quality of research. With the content of the IOH buildings big problems- due to the change of ownership of the RAS property. With the creation and liquidation of FASO, the institute gets extremely small repair resources. We hope that the Ministry of Science and higher education(MON), which is now in charge of institutions, will take this seriously. And what problem do the RSF grants help you solve, because they are considerable? The main items of expenditure are the salaries of researchers, the purchase of new instruments and reagents, business trips to conferences. Thanks to grants from the Russian Science Foundation, we have been able to update and significantly expand our equipment fleet in the interests of advanced research areas. But in 2019 there was serious problem. Previously, RNF funds, in contrast to budget financing were not burdened by time-consuming procedures. It was enough to order the necessary equipment and wait for delivery, although the choice of devices in the right configuration already takes a lot of time, but it is carried out by the authors of the project themselves, since only they know what equipment and when to buy. In 2019, the situation changed dramatically for the worse. MON, which now governs academic institutions, for some reason sharply intervened in the rules for the use of grants. The procurement regulation imputed by the ministry was developed by him for spending budget funds according to 44-FZ. The funds of the RSF are non-budgetary, and their spending is regulated by 223-FZ, which allows grantees to choose the right one and its supplier. The Provision of the Ministry of Education and Science on Procurement requires the purchase of equipment through electronic platforms, in fact equating extrabudgetary funds to the budget. This complicates and lengthens the process of obtaining equipment and reagents that are always urgently needed for research. Due to the fact that when choosing the winning bidder key role price plays a role, opens the way for unscrupulous suppliers and, as a result, to reduce the effectiveness of research and spending grants. Such sad examples have already happened. This categorically does not meet the needs of a modern, dynamically developing scientific institution and negates the favorable conditions for funding from the RSF. Does the Russian Science Foundation really not check what grants are spent on? Checks, but within reasonable limits. The Russian Science Foundation professionally and without unnecessary formalities monitors the implementation of projects in detail, controls the correctness of spending. To do this, it conducts on-site inspections with its teams, which work quickly and efficiently, since they have specialists of various profiles in their teams. The RNF, admittedly, has an enviable reputation. Undoubtedly! By the way, the fund exists for the sixth year, and it is already possible to draw intermediate results. I believe that the RSF is very successfully fulfilling the tasks that were assigned to it when it was created. Fund grants gave a powerful impetus to development scientific works: we received large funds for advanced research, having completed which, we created the basis for moving on to the next, even more complex projects. For example, the planning of our new RSF project became possible after we created a biochemical research module using the funds of the previous “institutional” RSF mega-grant. Note, at the Institute of Organic Chemistry. We launched the first stage, we are preparing the second, and this already gives results that are fundamentally more high level. That really turned out to be money in business, like horse feed. Please tell us about your new RSF project. In short, its task is to develop fundamental approaches for the creation of third-generation vaccines and ELISA sandwich diagnosticums based on carbohydrate ligands. And if it's easier to talk about the same thing, as they say now, in their own words ... Such products are necessary for the detection and prevention of clinically significant bacterial and fungal infections. But let's start with carbohydrate ligands. Everyone has heard of genomic and proteomic research. Long years they determined important directions in the sciences of living systems, but recently glycomic ones have been actively developed (the prefix "glyco" denotes belonging to compounds with a glycosidic bond, i.e. to carbohydrates). They are aimed at studying the biosynthesis and functioning of carbohydrate structures of cells - oligo- and polysaccharides, glycolipids, glycoproteins, etc. The priority in the study of such compounds explains that they play a key role in the development of serious diseases, including cancer, inflammation, infectious lesions, immune and hormonal disorders and others. Therefore, glycodrugs, vaccines and diagnostics form very important segments of the global pharmaceutical market. I will bring case in point: Carbohydrate vaccines account for up to half of national calendars in value terms preventive vaccinations in many countries, including Russia. Unfortunately, in our country such products are represented by imports, from our production of carbohydrate conjugate vaccines according to full cycle we do not have. That is, the implementation of your project will serve to fill this significant gap? Certainly. Our area of research is a priority now, we are the first in the world to synthesize many antigens and we are the first to get our hands on tools for creating vaccines and diagnostics that are in demand today. And this despite the fact that in the United States, the developed countries of the EU, in Japan, China, there are specialized national programs on glycosciences, the study of the synthesis and biology of carbohydrate compounds and the creation of promising products based on them. The goal is to increase the duration and quality human life. A priority program on glycosciences is also urgently needed in Russia, otherwise we will turn out to be outsiders of scientific progress. It is worth noting that brain research and many innovative medical technologies, especially cellular, genomic and postgenomic, which are now so much talked about, are either directly related to biologically significant carbohydrate compounds and rely on glycotechnologies, or aim to influence the processes that determine carbohydrate molecules in target cells. Yes, the situation is extraordinary, especially since this area of research meets the objectives of the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development. Is your project also related to countering biogenic threats? We have chosen very complex objects for ourselves: we are working on the creation of the first in their class vaccines against bacteria included in the ESCAPE list, which, according to WHO, pose a particular threat to humanity. In addition, we are developing a third-generation hemophilic vaccine. So far, the second-generation French vaccine has been included in the Russian vaccination schedule for children at risk to prevent hemophilic infection. She has many shortcomings, but the best we have yet. And from 2020, all children in Russia should be vaccinated against Haemophilus influenzae. I note that in order to obtain a hemophilic vaccine, in addition to the carbohydrate ligand, a special carrier protein is required, which was specially produced for us at Microgen JSC (part of the Rostec Group of Companies). Let's get back to fungal infections. How scary are they? Highly! In everyday language, they kill several million people a year, about as many as tuberculosis and malaria. Effectively countering fungal pathogens is difficult due to their incredible diversity and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the development of antifungal carbohydrate vaccines is so urgent. It started recently in the world, and here we have good positions, cooperation with leading foreign and domestic mycological laboratories has been established. Consolidation of research competencies is very important to accelerate the launch of the target product. Conidia (spores) of Aspergillus fumigatus (black mold), a fungal pathogen that causes most dangerous disease– invasive aspergillosis You speak so optimistically, as if between fundamental research and there are no drugs for decades. You are given a grant for four years, if you do a good job, they will extend it for another three. The maximum is seven. Not enough? Not enough for the final creation of a vaccine. But the RSF grant is designed to solve problems at the research stage, and clinical trials supported in a different way. Another thing is that we have chosen research program very rich and tense, but we are reasonably focused on positive results. And why, besides vaccines, are you still developing diagnostics? Because vaccines and diagnostics are interconnected products, because it is difficult to develop vaccines without effective infection control and treatment methods. We develop ELISA sandwich diagnostics in various formats - from individual immunochromatographic strips (as in pregnancy kits) to laboratory plates and robotic systems. If things are tolerable with bacterial diagnosticums, then it is a disaster with mycodiagnosticums: in the Russian Federation there are no registered ELISA diagnosticums, neither domestic nor imported. Therefore, in our project Special attention paid specifically to diagnosticums for the detection of the main types of invasive mycoses. A lot of new drugs are required, but who will determine which ones in the first place? To keep abreast of priorities, I communicate a lot with mycologists, I go to major infectious disease conferences. In April, for example, I will be in Amsterdam at the European Symposium on Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases. The last forum brought together 15,000 participants, every tenth from the United States. From us, if there were a dozen specialists, it's already good. Doctors come to exchange results and catch new trends. In particular, last year there were two sessions on the relationship between influenza and fungal infection. It was found that those who died of influenza often died not from it, but from invasive aspergillosis. Every day we inhale hundreds of aspergillus spores - mold fungi, there are three hundred species of them, living on all continents in any climate. For people with strong immunity, aspergillus is not terrible, but as a result of influenza, serious operations, and oncology treatment, immunity is suppressed, so mold “clings” to the bronchi and lungs, injures the skin, visual apparatus, and central nervous system. And quite quickly brings the patient to death. We do not have a diagnostic tool for detecting a marker of invasive aspergillosis, so we are working especially intensively on its creation. Can you compare your products, even future ones, with imported counterparts? This topic deserves a separate discussion. Behind last years Thanks to the large support of the Russian Science Foundation, we were able to develop new chemical approaches and study the mechanisms of reactions, including using computer methods. This made it possible to synthesize a very wide range of oligosaccharides, reflecting the key fragments of polysaccharides from the cell wall of fungi. With the help of these unique carbohydrate ligand libraries, we were able to study the specificity of the antibodies that are used in the enzyme immunoassay kits of the leading international diagnostic concern, and were surprised to find that the specificity of the antibodies is not at all what is declared by the manufacturer. This is the cause of false positive results and, consequently, errors with prescription drugs. We recently published an article in a specialized international magazine(from Q1) about the antibodies used in the kit for the detection of invasive aspergillosis. That is, the international expert community agreed with our conclusions. Now we are writing an article about antibodies that are mistakenly used in the kit to detect invasive and other types of candidiasis. In general, fungal pathogens are a klondike for researchers. There are hundreds of mycopathogens, many of them dangerous, but often just beginning to be studied. Now, for example, the hit of the season is Candida auris, which causes invasive infections with a mortality rate of up to 60%. What about cryptococci? They, too, "lean" on patients with viral infections. We are working very intensively against all these "creatures". Are there any special features of RSF grants for world-class laboratories? Yes. First, a school for young researchers should be held annually. The second requirement is unusual: on the subject of the project, an agreement must be concluded with an industrial partner who co-finances the work or, together with us, conducts research on the subject of the project to create the final product. Our partner is one of the largest domestic firms - R-Pharm JSC, which today is already an international company. She is actively involved in the Vaccine Research Consortium we created a few years ago. And not only with their resources, but also by providing expert support, which is very valuable to us. A joint project, which we will be implementing with R-Pharm, is aimed at developing a first-in-class vaccine against a bacterial pathogen from the ESCAPE group. Nikolai Eduardovich, is your project interesting for young people? Young researchers, starting with the responsible executor, candidate chemical sciences Vadim Krylov, who is 33 years old, is the main part of our team. By the way, this is a requirement for all competitions of the Russian Science Foundation. Due to the interdisciplinarity of the project, we also invited young colleagues from the Institute of Vaccines and Serums. I.I. Mechnikov, Hematological scientific center Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Research Institute of Medical Mycology. P.N.Kashkin, Institute chemical biology and fundamental medicine SB RAS, State Research Institute of Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" and other organizations. They have the biomedical base required for research. But the core of the project is our laboratory at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, and links from it stretch to various institutes, where world-class research will also be conducted. Apparently, the world not only in terms of the quality of science, but also in terms of significance for humanity. Interviewed by Elizaveta Ponarina
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