Microbioserum

The Microbioserum carries out scientific investigations in bioorganic chemistry, molecular immunology, molecular biology, genetic engineering, biotechnology, and related fields. The Microbioserum&＃39; current research in chemistry of secondary metabolites of marine invertebrates and marine microorganisms as well as in enzymology, molecular immunology, and genetic engineering are of special scientific value.The results of fundamental research create a basis for developing marine biotechnology. The wide search for and screening of strains-producers of physiologically active compounds from marine microorganisms (including tropical ones) are of paramount importance and high practical value. The study of marine organisms has important practical goal to create new preparations for medical application, agriculture, microbiology, and biotechnology. Information about chemical and biological activity or technical value of the substances provides a basis for developing rational and complex use of biological resources, for creating new non-waste technologies in fishery and aquaculture processing.The methods to obtain triterpene and steroid glycosides with strong antifungal and immunostimulatory activities from echinoderms were worked out at the Institute. Discovery of antioxidant activity of sea urchins pigments can also serve as an example, confirming a great potential for using these preparations in medicine and agriculture. New polysaccharides obtained from algae and invertebrates: zosterin (pectin from sea-grass, with gelling properties and the ability to bind ions of heavy metals); mytilan (an immunomodulator used in perfumery) and other preparations, as well as enzymes (carbohydrases, proteinases, nucleases) for genetic engineering, are among the Microbioserum&＃39; valuable achievements. Investigations of enzymes from marine invertebrates are highly successful. Some of these enzymes are suitable tools for the investigation of carbohydrate, proteins and nucleic acids structures. Processes of enzymatic degradation of biopolymers are studied by methods of mathematical modelling. New approaches are being developed in the field of energy minimization and molecular dynamics in internal coordinates for biopolymers and their complexes.