Tetiana Vasylivna Skliar, PhD in Biology, Associate Professor
Head of the Research Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Microorganisms and Microbial Biotechnology
ORCID: 0000-0003-0224-2460
E-mail: microviro@ukr.net
The research activities of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Microorganisms and Microbial Biotechnology are focused on studying the biological foundations of the functioning of microbiocenoses in the environment and the human body. Research is conducted in the following areas:
- monitoring the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria isolated from various biotopes of the human body and determining the role of β-lactamases in the development of microbial antibiotic resistance;
- studying the plasmid profiles of strains of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria isolated from various biotopes of the human body and carrying genes responsible for β-lactamase synthesis;
- searching for and selecting probiotic microbial cultures and studying their effect on the level of antibiotic resistance of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial strains under conditions of co-cultivation;
- development of environmentally safe biological products for controlling agricultural pests and diseases of vegetable and cereal crops.
The laboratory is equipped with modern facilities, including spectrophotometers, photoelectric colorimeters, pH meters, electronic balances, a microtome, chambers for nucleic acid extraction and electrophoretic separation of genetic material, and amplifiers.
The Research Laboratory provides services for the production of biofertilizers to increase the yield of cultivated plants and biological products for controlling phytopathogens and agricultural pests. For a long period of time, the laboratory has been involved in the development of new microbiological preparations and the implementation of existing ones for controlling plant pests and diseases. Regulations for small-scale production have been developed, and pilot-industrial batches of “Boverin”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Bactocide” “Bactoculicide”, “Planriz”, “Trichodermin” and other preparations are being produced.
At the request of Bio Zakhyst LLC, under a contractual research agreement, the efficacy of the biological product “Bactoculicide” for protecting agricultural plants from diseases and pests under natural conditions was determined. The biological product was tested in experimental potato plots against the Colorado potato beetle. Before treatment with “Bactoculicide,” the average number of Colorado potato beetle larvae was 4.8 individuals per 1 m² in the experimental plot and 6.5 individuals in the control plot. Ten days after treatment, an average of 0.5 individuals per 1 m² were detected in the experimental plot, compared with 6.3 individuals in the control plot. The technical efficacy of the biological product was 93.6%.
A new highly effective dual-action biological product, “Bactofungin” is currently undergoing registration. It is based on a spore-crystal complex of the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and blastospores of the fungus Beauveria bassiana. The preparation demonstrated high activity against insects of the order Lepidoptera (70–93% mortality), Coleoptera (at least 80% mortality), as well as against tobacco thrips (at least 77% mortality) and spider mites (90–93% mortality). Liquid, paste-like, and granular formulations of the complex preparation have been developed. Methods for their storage and application have also been proposed.
Field trials of “Bactofungin” were conducted against the most widespread harmful pests of agricultural and ornamental crops. The biological product demonstrated high efficacy against larvae of the cereal ground beetle in winter wheat crops. The working suspension titer was 1.8 × 10⁸ spores/mL of B. thuringiensis and 1.0 × 10⁷ blastospores/mL of B. bassiana, with an application rate of 500 L/ha. Technical efficacy against first- and second-instar larvae was 100%, and against third-instar larvae it was 74.1%.
When “Bactofungin” was applied in a forest shelterbelt against larvae of the fall webworm, the spore titer in the working suspension was 1.5 × 10⁷ spores of B. thuringiensis and 0.5 × 10⁷ blastospores of B. bassiana. The reduction in the number of first- and second-instar larvae was 85%, while for third- and fourth-instar larvae it was 63%.
The biological product was tested against the common spider mite on an eggplant plot under protected-ground conditions. The working suspension titer was 1.6 × 10⁸ spores/mL of B. thuringiensis and 1.0 × 10⁷ blastospores/mL of B. bassiana, with an application rate of 400 L/ha. The technical efficacy of the preparation was 93%.
The laboratory has developed an innovative product — an integrated method for protecting “Sasher” tomato plants against fungal diseases, including alternariosis, anthracnose, and late blight. The method is based on the combined application of the biological product “Tricholong,” based on the strain Trichoderma longibrachiatum KMB-F-17, and the chemical fungicides “Cabrio Duo” and “Luna Experience.”
The protection method was tested at the customer's experimental agricultural plots (a private entrepreneur, N. P. Boiko). It reduced the incidence of fungal diseases in tomatoes and decreased the area of affected leaf tissue by 25% compared with control groups of plants treated with single preparations. The use of the integrated method increased tomato yield by 16.7%.
At the plot treated with “Tricholong,” a profit of UAH 47.8 per m² was obtained, with a profitability rate of 61.1%. At the plot treated with chemical agents, the profit amounted to UAH 60.5 per m², with a profitability rate of 72.5%. At the plot treated with “Tricholong” in combination with chemical plant protection agents, the profit amounted to UAH 66.9 per m², with a profitability rate of 83.5%.
The research results of the laboratory have been presented in numerous scientific publications and protected by Ukrainian patents, including:
Mitina N. B., Zubareva I. M. Aspects of Biosafety of Biotechnology Laboratories in Educational Institutions / Zubareva I. M., Mitina N. B. // Modern Engineering and Innovative Technologies: Collective Monograph. — Dnipro. — 2021. — No. 16, Part 2. — ISSN: 2567-5273 (3.7 author’s sheets).
Zubareva I. M., Skliar T. V., Lykholat Yu. V., Lykholat T. Yu. Method for Intensifying the Development of Pleurotus ostreatus // Patent No. 147752, Ukraine, IPC (2021.01) A01G 18/20 (2018.01), C12N 1/00, C12R 1/465 (2006.01), Application No. u 202100175, filed 19 January 2021, published 9 June 2021, Bulletin No. 23 — 3 pp.
Sklyar T., Kurahina N., Lavrentieva K., Burlaka V., Lykholat T., Lykholat O. Autonomic (Mobile) Genetic Elements of Bacteria and Their Hierarchy // Cytology and Genetics. — 2021. — Vol. 55, No. 3. — pp. 256–269 (0.8125 author’s sheets) (Scopus). DOI: 10.3103/S0095452721030099.
Sklyar T. V., Lavrentieva K. V., Kurahina N. V., Lykholat T. Yu., Papiashvili M. G., Lykholat O. A., Stepanskyi D. O. Monitoring of Enterobacteria Strains Producing β-Lactamases in Males with Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases of the Urogenital Tract // Medical Perspectives. — 2022. — Vol. 27, No. 2. — pp. 110–118 (WoS). DOI: 10.26641/2307-0404.2022.2.260282.
Vargalyuk V. F., Polonskyy V. A., Sklyar T. V., Stets N. V., Laguta O. V. Physico-Chemical and Bactericidal Properties of Copper-Containing Composites Based on Maleinate Complexes of Cu+ // Journal of Chemistry and Technologies. — 2023. — Vol. 31(2). — pp. 208–215 (WoS, Scopus). DOI: 10.15421/jchemtech.v31i2.275070.
Staff of the Research Laboratory
Viktor Vasylovych Bryhadirenko
PhD in Biology, Associate Professor
Ecology, entomology, parasitology, physiology
ORCID: 0000-0002-9448-8232
Tetiana Mykhailivna Kolombar
PhD in Biology, Associate Professor,
Senior Researcher
Ecology, zoology, insects, invertebrates, pollutants, food additives, flavorings, microelements
ORCID: 0000-0001-8981-8682
