SCIENTIFIC AND PRODUCTION CENTER “ARMBIOTECHNOLOGY” NAS RA

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2021 was fruitful for the Laboratory of Metal Bioleaching of SPC "Armbiotechnology" NAS RA

2021 was fruitful for the Laboratory of Metal Bioleaching of SPC "Armbiotechnology" NAS RA
2021 was fruitful for the Laboratory of Metal Bioleaching of SPC "Armbiotechnology" NAS RA

2021-12-17

2021 was fruitful for the Laboratory of Metal Bioleaching of the SPC “Armbiotechnology” of NAS RA. In other words, we were appreciated for our diligence and tremendous devotion to our work. Firstly, the year began with the publication of our subsequent papers in high impact factor scientific journals.

Results were not long in coming. Head of the Laboratory Dr. Narine Vardanyan and senior researcher, PhD in Biology Arevik Vardanyan were recognized as highly efficient researchers with the highest 3rd threshold, receiving a surcharge.

Another achievement was A. Vardanyan’s becoming the grantee of the competition of YSSP for purchasing scientific equipment, which gave us the opportunity to make our dream come true - to obtain Seven Excellence pH meter S400 by METTLER TOLEDO. With other devices, it will ensure a high level of laboratory research. Recently, a meeting was organized for the beneficiaries of the competition at A.I. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory and Nelli Abrahamyan, a junior researcher of our laboratory, presented the research carried out in the laboratory, reasonable necessity to obtain a device and its importance of ensuring a high level of scientific research.

The year was also productive in terms of international collaboration. Within the framework of the “Memorandum of Understanding” between universities and institutes, on October 25th at the invitation of the German side, the head of the laboratory Dr. N. Vardanyan and researcher Anna Khachatryan had a business trip to Martin Luther Halle-Wittenberg University (Germany). The possibilities for further collaboration between the University of Halle and the Laboratory of Metal Bioleaching of the SPC “Armbiotechnology” of NAS RA were discussed. An agreement was reached on the visit of the German scientific group to Armenia. The researcher A. Khachatryan will conduct two-month research at the Department of Biotechnology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Institute of Microbiology of the University of Halle-Wittenberg under the supervision of Dr. Sabine Willscher. The scope of the research includes the process of microbiological leaching of porphyry copper ores in Armenia, as well as the clarification of the mechanisms for microbial resistance.

It is also envisaged to carry out mineralogical, molecular biological, metagenomic and 16S rRNA studies for clarifying the microbial composition of metal leaching consortia and identifying isolated bacterial strains.

Within the framework of China-Armenia collaboration, a scientific exchange program has recently been approved by the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the SPC “Armbiotechnology” of NAS RA. Within the frames of this program a joint study of the leaching of non-ferrous metals from metallurgical slags and regeneration of biosolutions by microorganisms, their consortia and immobilized cells will be realized.

The laboratory with its interesting ideas actively participates in competitions announced by the Science Committee. Unfortunately, the application for the Advanced Research Competition was rejected for technical reasons. However, we won the competition for thematic funding for scientific and technical activities in the field of Biological Sciences: 21T-1F124 “Biometals. Microbiological Recovery of Valuable Metals from Electronic Wastes”.

Currently, the researchers of our laboratory carry out the thematic program in parallel with the basic one with great responsibility and commitment. Within the framework of the theme, senior researcher, PhD in Biology A. Vardanyan performs scientific and practical research at the University of Liege, Belgium under the guidance of the theme consultant Stoyan Gaydardzhiev.

At the end of the year A. Khachatryan received a reward by the Science Committee for a scientific paper published in a high impact factor journal.

We are summing up the results of the year with another scientific achievement - a book has been published by Springer, the ninth chapter of which presented by us is dedicated to the problems of microbiological leaching of copper ores.

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