Scientists of the youth integration laboratory "Bioengineering" of Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) are engaged in the development of domestic biofertilizer from modified chitosan and a portable gas analyzer to assess the effectiveness of its impact on the soil. It was possible to assemble a team of scientists to develop advanced agroecological technologies thanks to a grant from the Government of the Novosibirsk Region.
During the press tour on October 17, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova got acquainted with the developments of young scientists, in particular, she stressed: "The Bioengineering Youth Integration Laboratory was established last year at the expense of the regional budget under the program to support science, innovation and technology transfer development at the NSTU-NETI site, with the support of the agrarian university, NSU. It consists of 18 students, postgraduates, and young teachers who will be able to acquire new competencies here and enter into independent research projects for the real agricultural sector. Among the developments is a biodegradable gel for soil fertilization, created on the basis of the natural component chitosan, healthy organics, as well as an apparatus for analyzing soil gases to assess the effectiveness of fertilizer use. The first experiments of using developments are already being carried out in greenhouses and show high results: increasing profitability, reducing cost, obtaining products for a healthy diet. These products will definitely be in demand, and the work of young scientists is promising, given that the agricultural sector is one of the main sectors of the economy.
"Thanks to federal and regional support, as well as the participation of partners from among the members of the established consortium Medbiotech Siberia, which brought together educational institutions, medical organizations, scientific institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and agro-industrial production companies, the university is successfully developing new and promising areas in the field of biotechnology, bioengineering, artificial intelligence for biomedicine, veterinary medicine and agro-industry. The task of the government of the Novosibirsk Region is to develop tools to support such cooperation when researchers work in close conjunction with industrial partners," Vadim Vasiliev, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region, commented on the work of the laboratory.
The laboratory consists of biologists, microbiologists, chemists, physicists, engineers and IT specialists, which allows an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems. Elena Blinova, a junior researcher at the Center for Technological Excellence of NSTU-NETI, Candidate of Biological Sciences, heads the youth laboratory of NSTU-NETI.
"Our team's efforts are aimed at obtaining natural biopolymers that contribute to the deposition and preservation of bacteria useful for crop production. A natural biopolymer can act as a substrate for bacteria, support microorganisms and their active metabolites in order to preserve their active properties. During the implementation, it is planned to obtain a prototype of a biofertilizer with a gel carrier," Elena Blinova noted.
Another part of the project implemented by the laboratory is the development of a system for analyzing gases released by the soil. Such a system will allow not only to study the composition of the soil and understand the need to apply a certain type of fertilizer, but also to assess the impact of bacterial and organic preparations on the soil. Sensitive sensors, data collection systems, and sensor signal processing will allow to identify key gases involved in the processes occurring in soils after the introduction of biofertilizers, and the range of their concentrations. Due to the growing demand for biofertilizers, there is a request for simple and convenient test systems that allow you to assess changes in the soil in response to the introduced drugs.
At this stage, the release of bacteria from the biopolymer into the soil was checked, the growth-stimulating and protective function of the fertilizer from plant phytopathogens was characterized. "Now our biofertilizer is being tested in laboratory and field conditions on various crops — radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. Methods of applying fertilizers in greenhouse complexes are also being worked out," Elena Blinova noted. The tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the biofertilizer created by the laboratory team. Thus, in experiments with lettuce, both an increase in green biomass compared to the average values and a reduction in production time were recorded — the lettuce ripened three days earlier.
The work of the laboratory team on the creation of a domestic gas analyzer is led by Alexander Bannov, Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology at NSTU-NETI, Doctor of Chemical Sciences. As the scientist noted, sensors for the determination of soil gases have been selected at the moment, and the design scheme of the installation for the determination of gases has been worked out. Preliminary data on the content of CO2 in soil samples, poor and rich in organic matter, were obtained by IR spectroscopy. Data analysis models using simulation tools are being developed, a flowchart of ongoing processes in the soil and their regularity are being determined.
"NSTU-NETI is a participant in the Priority 2030 program with three strategic projects, including New Engineering Solutions and Artificial Intelligence. It is important for the university to attract new teams that are carriers of promising scientific directions. Cooperation with traditional subjects developed by the university allows us to be on the frontier of scientific research and in fact proves the effectiveness of interdisciplinary scientific developments," said Arthur Otto, Vice—rector for Research and Innovation at NSTU-NETI.