Scientists working in the strategic project "Gastronomic R&D Park" within the framework of the "Priority 2030" program presented their developments in the field of food engineering. They are aimed at strengthening food security and technological sovereignty of Russia, reports press service of the Siberian Federal University.
Several research projects were presented by the staff of the Laboratory of Bioluminescent Biotechnologies. One scientific article is devoted to the development of a biosensor for rapid assessment of the quality and contamination of food products. In the second study, biophysicists study the effect of various pesticides on crops, and subsequently on the human body.
“With the advent of the Gastropark, scientists from various fields have received additional opportunities for experiments and practical application of scientific results. In this regard, new scientific priorities have emerged. If we previously studied the effect of organophosphorus substances on the luminescence of bacteria, now we understand that this is important for assessing the contamination of products with pesticides and insecticides and creating new mechanisms for protecting plants from harmful substances. For these purposes, we began to develop portable devices - biosensors with high sensitivity, which will allow you to easily and quickly determine the quality of, for example, a tomato. Any person with the help of a biotest will be able to pinch off 5 mg from a tomato, make sure that it is environmentally friendly and immediately use it in a salad. Thus, the Gastropark project solves a broader problem than one might imagine,” said Valentina Kratasyuk, professor at the Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology of the Siberian Federal University.
IIFIRE has developed high-power lamps with a variable spectrum, which will affect the speed and quality of seedlings. The lamps will be used on an automated multi-tier plant growing rack system (university vertical farm). A patent application for this technology is currently being considered.
“Specially for the Gastropark, a unique means of lighting plants in a protected environment has been developed, which can be used to grow vegetable or flower seedlings at home or in industrial conditions. The uniqueness of the lamp lies in its variable spectrum, which allows you to choose an individual lighting program for plants. At the moment, large-scale photobiological experiments are being planned using these lamps,” said Maxim Molokeev, Associate Professor at IIFiRE SibFU.
“The relevance of the project is determined by the ecological doctrine of food security in Russia, as well as intensive agricultural production, stable growth of the food market and the demand for local production. Today, government structures have become more attentive to the implementation of scientific results in real practice, which accelerates the launch of a particular product on the market. The involvement of specialists from various fields (biotechnologists, IT technologists, agronomists, engineers, gastronomists, molecular biologists, etc.) allows implementing applied projects for city farming, the agricultural and restaurant sectors of the economy at the Gastropark site. The results of research and innovation activities receive patent protection and will subsequently be transferred under a license agreement to Russian and foreign organizations,” said Natalya Bahova, head of the Gastronomic R&D Park strategic project.