KFU scientists speak about their work before Russian Science Day
On the eve of Russian Science Day, it is important and necessary to speak about those who tirelessly work on solving today’s global challenges. Scientists around the world are searching for new ways to combat climate change, developing medicines for severe diseases, advancing renewable energy technologies, and creating innovative solutions for the sustainable development of society.
“An integral feature of science throughout most of its history has been the selfless search for truth—knowledge about the world as it is ‘in itself.’ The achievements of science along this path are widely known. In today’s knowledge economy, the discourse of truth is being displaced by the discourse of usefulness,” notes Mikhail Shchelkunov, Chair of the Department of General Philosophy and an academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. “The importance of applied branches of science is beyond doubt. But we should not forget that by themselves they are not capable of generating fundamentally new knowledge and exist only insofar as they are nourished by fundamental knowledge. This is known to anyone familiar with the history of science. Yes, fundamental research is costly, but without ample resource support, applied fields will also begin to run dry.”
At KFU, scientific research is being carried out that helps us understand complex natural and social processes and find answers to the most important questions about the future of the planet and humanity.
The Laboratory of Gene and Cell Technologies scientists are developing gene and cell-based therapies for diseases in which classical pharmacotherapy is often insufficiently effective. This includes orphan diseases (metachromatic leukodystrophy, Tay–Sachs disease, mucopolysaccharidosis type I, etc.), as well as neurodegenerative and oncological conditions.
“One of the key areas is gene therapy platforms: we create therapeutic constructs and delivery systems (viral vectors, mRNA and others) to restore the function of ‘broken’ genes in a targeted manner and/or activate the body’s own regeneration mechanisms. Concurrently, we are developing cell products based on modified mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells, increasing their resilience, engraftment, and therapeutic activity after administration,” emphasizes Albert Rizvanov, lab head and a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. “A separate focus is biomimetic membrane vesicles and extracellular microvesicles as ‘cell-free’ therapy capable of transporting therapeutic biomolecules and reducing the risks associated with using living cells. Ultimately, we are forming a set of universal technological platforms that can be adapted to different diseases – from rare hereditary disorders to age-associated and chronic conditions.”
The team of scientists also carries out a full cycle of preclinical studies – from in vitro functional tests in cell cultures and multi-omics analytics to evaluating efficacy and safety in animal models, in order to understand doses, biodistribution, and possible side effects.
“For each nosology, we identify measurable ‘efficacy endpoints’ – biomarkers, functional tests, and behavioral/physiological parameters that allow us to compare prototypes and optimize dosing regimens. We pay great attention to quality and safety control, including standardizing product characteristics and verifying reproducible therapeutic activity. Within the framework of the Priority–2030 program and the infrastructure of the KFU Biopharm Park, we refine manufacturing and scale-up protocols, bringing laboratory prototypes closer to GMP requirements and industrial transfer. The practical result is a pipeline of prototypes and technologies that can become the basis for domestic medicines and increase access to high-tech treatment in the region and the country,” the scientist is convinced.
In the coming years, Earth is expected to face a shortage of elements such as cobalt, nickel, zinc, as well as rare-earth metals. This is due to the natural depletion of explored reserves. These elements are in high demand in industrial production, and, according to expert estimates, the Moon contains resources with a total value of about 16 quadrillion dollars. With the support of the Russian Science Foundation, astronomers at Kazan University are working on this problem within the project “Building a Global Selenodetic Model Based on Observations from Modern Space Missions and the Use of Neural Network Systems.”
“The presence and volume of useful resources are important factors in choosing promising sites for a spacecraft landing on the Moon from the standpoint of subsequent robotic exploration within the modern Russian lunar program. The Moon is an airless celestial body, so asteroids do not experience friction when falling onto its surface. According to modern studies, if at the moment of collision with the Moon an asteroid has a speed below 12 kilometers per second, it is classified as slow, and up to 50 percent of the material from which the asteroid consists may remain on the surface of the satellite. A metallic asteroid with a diameter of about 2–3 kilometers can reach 30 trillion kilograms and consist of components such as iron, nickel, cobalt, platinum, and others. Our research group has created a system for tying landing spacecraft to reference objects, which significantly increases landing accuracy. We have also developed a model that, using artificial intelligence methods, enables the selection of lunar craters presumably formed as a result of impacts by slow asteroids,” explains Alexey Andreev, Lead Researcher at the Research and Innovation Center of Excellence for Cyber-Physical Systems, IoT and IoE, and Associate Professor at the Institute of Physics.
Ecologists and biotechnologists at the university are addressing global challenges such as water, soil, and air pollution, declining crop yields, and more. For example, at the Center for Agrarian and Ecobiotechnologies of the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Biotechnology, researchers are developing environmentally friendly ways to increase oil recovery through the use of microorganisms and their metabolites. The Center’s staff also participate in creating technologies for microbial remediation of oil-contaminated soils, in particular for Anapa, a Black Sea resort which suffered from a massive oil spill in December 2024.
“We are studying the sequestration potential of microalgae, adapting them to elevated temperatures so that later they can be used to clean flue gases from boiler plants and thermal power stations. Together with colleagues from Ulyanovsk State Agrarian University, we are conducting a long-term field experiment whose goal is to determine the optimal agricultural technology that contributes not only to increased yields, but also to reduced greenhouse-gas emissions and increased soil carbon stocks. The research made it possible to develop a prototype agro-climate project and to show that switching from traditional plowing to direct seeding leads to a reduction in the fuel burned for agricultural operations,” shares Polina Kuryntseva, Associate Professor of the Department of Biotechnology.
Another important area, the researcher added, is plant protection products that have minimal impact on non-target biota. Within this area, a compound biological preparation is being developed to increase wheat yield. And jointly with the Institute of Chemistry, a new generation of supramolecular complex preparations is being created.
The importance of scientific discoveries is hard to overestimate – they form the foundation for innovation, strengthen people’s health, and help us live in harmony with the surrounding world.