The laboratory provides state of the art equipment in the following areas: cell cultures, DNA analyses, microbiology, pathogenic microorganisms, GMOs, ecotoxicological research, in vitro plant cultures etc. The laboratory is part of the Biopharmaceutical Laboratory Complex and its main task is evaluation of the biological activity and toxicity.
- Human and mammalian cell cultures for testing and characterization of biological activities of various extracts and purified bioactive compounds.
- Antimicrobial activities of various extracts and individual biologically active compounds.
- Plant cell and tissue cultures for propagation and maintaining of valuable MAPs accessions and cell lines.
- Bacterial, yeast and fungi cultures for obtaining and biotransformation of bioactive compounds and production of recombinant proteins.
- Various applications of molecular biology and recombinant DNA methods including molecular marker applications for genotyping and genetic authenticity analysis, gene expression analysis, tailor-made expression vectors construction and various expression studies.
- Ecotoxicology testing and valuation of various industry products, wastes, bioactive extracts and compounds.
Projects
- Obtaining and characterization of bioactive extracts of balm enriched with rosemary acid to create innovative products, № 100-2019/03.10.2019
- Characterization of the biological activity of extracts and formulations of medicinal plants and microbial fermentations for the development of innovative bioactive products, № 53-2018 / 20.06.2018
- Establishment of a methodology for calculation of biological wastewater treatment plants based on technology with biomass carriers and development of a computer program for functional sizing of this type of treatment plants, contract № BG16RFOP002-1.005-0139 under OP” Innovation and Competitiveness “2014 -2020, performed in partnership with Aquarius ND Ltd.
Publications
- Fermentation of rose oil distillation waste waters and biotransformation of phenolics by Trichoderma asperellum SL-45; М. Rusanova , K. Rusanov , S. Momchilova, T. Zagorcheva, Y. Evstatieva, D. Nikolova, I. Atanassov; Annuaire de l’Universite de Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Annual of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Faculty of Biology Book 4 – Scientific Sessions of the Faculty of Biology, 104: 52-61
- Rapid Assay for Detection of the Epidemiologically Important Central Asian/Russian Strain of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Genotype. Igor Mokrousov, Ekaterina Chernyaeva, Anna Vyazovaya, Yuriy Skiba, Natalia Solovieva, Violeta Valcheva, Klavdia Levina, Natalya Malakhova, Wei-Wei Jiao, Lia Lima Gomes, Philip N. Suffys, Marge Kütt, Nagima Aitkhozhina, A-Dong Shen, Olga Narvskaya, Viacheslav Zhuravlevd, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 2018 Volume 56 Issue 2, 2018
- New cycloartane triterpenes from bioactive extract of propolis from Pitcairn Island; Kristina Georgievaa, Boryana Trushevaa, Veselina Uzunova, Tihomira Stoyanova, Violeta Valcheva, Milena Popova, Rumiana Tzoneva, Vassya Bankova, Fitoterapia 128 (2018) 233–241, 2018
Equipment
- Cytation 3 Cell Imaging Multi-Mode Reader
- Multifors 2: Parallel bioreactor for bioprocess development
- Biological Safety Cabinet Class 2
- Multi-gas Incubator (CO2, O2 & N2)
- Ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer 150 ° C
- Automatic anaerobic chamber
- Freeze Dryers
- Analytical balance
- Fluorescence Microplate Reader
- UV/vis spectrometer
- Fast protein liquid chromatography
- Flow cytometer
- Gradient PCR Machine
- qPCR Machine
- Trinocular Epi-Flourescence /Brightfield Compound Microscope
- Cooling Centrifuge
Services
- Determination of antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans) of plant extracts, essential oils and chemical compounds.
- Study of particular probiotic properties and characteristics of potential probiotic strains of genus Lactobacillus. Antibacterial activity against test-pathogenic microorganisms.
- In vitro testing of cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of sample biologically active compounds on human and animal cell lines.
- In vitro propagation and maintenance of plant cell and tissue cultures of valuable cell lines of medicinal and aromatic plants.
- Acquisition of cell biomass of lactic acid bacteria and cultural filtrate for development of probiotic and antimicrobial products.
- Application of yeast and fungal fermentation in modification of the composition and utilization of waste waters of rose oil distillation, enriched in phenolic compounds. Characterization of the composition changes of extracts of cultural media and cell biomass.
Fermentation of rose oil distillation waste waters and biotransformation of phenolics by Trichoderma asperellum SL-45; М. Rusanova , K. Rusanov , S. Momchilova, T. Zagorcheva, Y. Evstatieva, D. Nikolova, I. Atanassov; Annuaire de l’Universite de Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”, submitted for publication in 2019
Rapid Assay for Detection of the Epidemiologically Important Central Asian/Russian Strain of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Genotype. Igor Mokrousov, Ekaterina Chernyaeva, Anna Vyazovaya, Yuriy Skiba, Natalia Solovieva, Violeta Valcheva, Klavdia Levina, Natalya Malakhova, Wei-Wei Jiao, Lia Lima Gomes, Philip N. Suffys, Marge Kütt, Nagima Aitkhozhina, A-Dong Shen, Olga Narvskaya, Viacheslav Zhuravlevd, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 2018 Volume 56 Issue 2, 2018
New cycloartane triterpenes from bioactive extract of propolis from Pitcairn Island; Kristina Georgievaa, Boryana Trushevaa, Veselina Uzunova, Tihomira Stoyanova, Violeta Valcheva, Milena Popova, Rumiana Tzoneva, Vassya Bankova, Fitoterapia 128 (2018) 233–241, 2018
Scientific fields: Molecular genetics. Cloning, characterization and expression of genes. Recombinant proteins. Molecular markers. Plant Genetic Resources. Plant Biotechnology
Management
Plant Biotechnology Since 2012 – Doctor of Biological Sciences’ Agrobioinstitute Sofia Since 2013 – Professor and Head of Molecular Genetics Group Specializations: 2014 Technical University Braunschweig; 2005-2008 University of Manchester; 2001 ICGEB New Delhi; 1998-1999 Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon; 1994-1996 Life Science Center, Japan Tobacco Inc. More than 80 articles and over 15 completed projects in the field of molecular genetics and plant biotechnology
Sofia, bul. Tsarigradsko Shousse 111,
Laboratory Complex, Floor 2
e-mail: invitro-lab@sofiatech.bg
e-mail: labs@sofiatech.bg
Phone: + 359 889 900 614