Candidate of Science
The study of alternative to antibiotics to combat pathogenic microorganisms is the main area of research Dr. Marusich.
In addition, a large place in the scientific activity of E. Marusich is occupied by the study of new chemical compounds with pronounced geroprotective properties, which positively affect the increase in life expectancy and the slowdown of human aging. Studies are conducted on a model system of nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans.
A study of the influence of metabolic stress and autophagy on the reduction of the neurotoxicity of human Aβ1-42 amyloid on the model of Caenorhabditis elegans Alzheimer's disease is carried out in collaboration with Russian and foreign colleagues.
Searches for new modulators of growth and development of agricultural plants are carried out on the platform of high-throughput screening (NST) and computer modeling of chemical compounds in collaboration with MIPT laboratories and representatives of the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation.
A graduate student conducting research on this topic should have in-depth knowledge in many areas of microbiology, including bacterial virulence factors, bacterial pathogenesis, the most important human, animal and plant diseases caused by bacterial pathogens, and methods of combating microbial pathogens.
A graduate student is required to have experience working safely with pathogenic bacteria, be able to work in sterile conditions, be familiar with methods of physico-chemical analysis, work on technological equipment, including a fluorescence microscope, spectrophotometer, DNA amplifier, climate chamber, ultracentrifuge and others.
It is equally important that the graduate student is able to master and competently perform a new method of work for him, is able to work accurately, efficiently, analyze the results and draw the right conclusions.
The substance for the study of antimicrobial activity is unique. Firstly, it is of natural origin, safe for the environment and for the object of application (human-animal-plants). Secondly, the larvae of the fly Hermetia illucens is manufactured in the Russian Federation, i.e. an antimicrobial agent developed in the future based on our study will be a cost-effective domestic product. Thirdly, in addition to the vast field of scientific research, the program has an aspect of important practical application in medicine, veterinary medicine and agriculture.
In the course of work on the project, we interact with the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of bioorganic chemistry RAS (Moscow), FBIS SRCAMB (State Research Center for Applied Biotechnology and Microbiology) (Obolensk), a leading manufacturer of veterinary drugs - company AVZ (Moscow), a manufacturer of flies Hermetia illucens LLC NordTechSad (Agkhangelsk).
This postgraduate program received financial support from the administration of the Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics at MIPT. The proposal was submitted to RFBR contest “The best basic research projects carried out by young scientists studying in graduate school (“Postgraduate students”) in order to receive funding for further development of our program in the direction of studying the mechanism of antimicrobial actions of substance from Hermetia illucens larvae.
