Assessment of the microbial communities and their petroleum hydrocarbon transformation potential in the northern Caspian sea

Marine bacterial biodiversity is an immense library of tools which have a potential in bioremediation of oil spills [1]. Oil industry is flourishing in the Caspian Sea which is effecting local environment and we hypothesize that natural seeps and historical anthropogenic leaks have sustained indigenous microbial communities, including hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms (Picture 1). Indigenous microbial communities of Northern part of the Sea and their overall metabolic potential have not been studied comprehensively. We aim to gain knowledge about the bacterial community, determine specific hydrocarbon degrading species and study their potential in bioremediation of oil-polluted Caspian Sea waters

MACROPOROUS CELL-LADEN GELATIN/HYALURONIC ACID/CHONDROITIN SULFATE CRYOGELS FOR ENGINEERED TISSUE CONSTRUCTS

Cryogels are a unique macroporous material for tissue engineering. In this work, we study the effect of hyaluronic acid on the physicochemical properties of cryogel as well as on the proliferation of a 3D model of mesenchymal stem cells. The functional groups of the synthesized cryogels were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. With an increase in the content of hyaluronic acid in the composition of the cryogel, an increase in porosity, gel content and swelling behavior was observed. As the hyaluronic acid content increased, the average pore size increased and more open pores were formed. Degradation studies have shown that all cryogels were resistant to PBS solution for 8 weeks. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated no toxic effect on viability of rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) cultured on cryogels. ADMSC spheroids were proliferated on scaffolds and showed the ability of the cryogels to orient cell differentiation into chondrogenic lineage even in the absence of inductive agents. Thus, our results demonstrate an effective resemblance to extracellular matrix structures specific to cartilage-like microenvironments by cryogels and their further perspective application as potential biomaterials

Genetic diversity of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica in Kazakhstan

Tularemia is a highly dangerous zoonotic infection due to the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Low genetic diversity promoted the use of polymorphic tandem repeats (MLVA) as first-line assay for genetic description. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is becoming increasingly accessible, opening the perspective of a time when WGS might become the universal genotyping assay. The main goal of this study was to describe F. tularensis strains circulating in Kazakhstan based on WGS data and develop a MLVA assay compatible with in vitro and in silico analysis. In vitro MLVA genotyping and WGS were performed for the vaccine strain and for 38 strains isolated in Kazakhstan from natural water bodies, ticks, rodents, carnivores, and from one migratory bird, an Isabellina wheatear captured in a rodent burrow. The two genotyping approaches were congruent and allowed to attribute all strains to two F. tularensis holarctica lineages, B.4 and B.12. The seven tandem repeats polymorphic in the investigated strain collection could be typed in a single multiplex PCR assay. Identical MLVA genotypes were produced by in vitro and in silico analysis, demonstrating full compatibility between the two approaches. The strains from Kazakhstan were compared to all publicly available WGS data of worldwide origin by whole genome SNP (wgSNP) analysis. Genotypes differing at a single SNP position were collected within a time interval of more than fifty years, from locations separated from each other by more than one thousand kilometers, supporting a role for migratory birds in the worldwide spread of the bacteria.Peer reviewe

Use of information and computer models in the process of training future teachers of physics

In article methodical aspects of use of information and computer models in the course of training of future teachers of physics are analyzed. The attention is focused on expediency of development of new means of informatization of training of students of higher education institutions to physics

Reconstructing the genetic structure of the Kazakh from clan distribution data

Applying quasigenetic markers - non-biological traits which are nevertheless inherited in generations - is one of the research fields within human population genetics. For the West European, East European, and Caucasus populations, surnames are typical quasigenetic markers. For Central Asian populations, particularly Kazakh, the clan affiliation serves as a good marker: a set of papers demonstrated that many clans include mainly persons which biologically descent from a recent common ancestor. In this study, we analyzed a large (~4.2 million persons) dataset on quasigenetic markers - the geographic distribution of 50 Kazakh clans at the beginning of the 20th century, and compared the dataset with the direct data of the Y-chro-mosomal diversity in modern Kazakh populations. The analysis included three steps: the isonymy method, which is standard for quasigenetic markers, comparing frequencies of quasigenetic markers, and comparing the quasigenetic and genetic datasets. We constructed 50 maps of frequency of the distribution of each clan and revealed that these maps correlate with the maps of genetic distances. The Mantel test also demonstrated a significant correlation between geographic and quasigenetic distances (г = 0.60; p < 0.05). The analysis of inter-population variability revealed the largest diversity between geographic territories corresponding to the social-territorial groups of the Kazakh Khanate (zhuzes) rather than to other historical groups that existed on the territory of Kazakhstan in preceding and modern epochs. The same is evidenced by the principal components and multidimensional scaling plots, which grouped geographic populations into three clusters corresponding to three zhuzes. This indicates that the final structuring of the Kazakh gene pool might have occurred during the Kazakh Khanate period

Morphological, Physiological and Genetic Characteristics of Populations of the Main Plague Host Rhombomys opimus Licht., 1823 in the Central Asian Desert Natural Focus of Plague

Revealed by morphological characters, physiological status, and genetic diversity of populations of the main plague host Rhombomys opimus Licht., 1823 in Central Asia desert natural focus is described.Differences in the skull parameters of R. opimus from different populations were revealed. It’s shown that gerbils from Moyunkum are separate autonomous populations group. Samples from Moyunkum and Mangyshlak differed from other samples. In Balkhash-Alakol depression found two regional complexes: Pre-Balkhash and Dzungarian.Study results of free amino acids level in R. opimus blood serum obtained by gas-liquid chromatography of blood sera from animals captured in different zones of Central Asian focus gave statistically significant differences. To determine genetic variability in ecological and geographical isolation of R. opimus populations the DNA was genotyped.DNA samples analysis combined the studied gerbil from the desert focus into four clusters with eighteen haplotypes. R. opimus sequence analysis taking into account data from territories of Iran, Kazakhstan and China, clustered into three large clusters. First cluster combined the sequences of Kazakhstan and China samples, while great gerbil captured in Kazakhstan is located in a separate treasure. Second and third clusters include sequences of a great gerbil captured in Iran

Development of non-integrative autonomously replicating vectors for epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells

The idea of the project is to utilize the genome of well-described alphavirus VEE as vector for delivery and expression of the human pluripotency factors used for epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells, namely Nanog, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. To date, no non-integrative viral vectors for epigenetic reprogramming of cells are available, except for the system utilizing the genome of negative strand RNA-virus, Sendai paramyxovirus

Development of non-integrative autonomously replicating vectors for epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells

The idea of the project is to utilize the genome of well-described alphavirus VEE as vector for delivery and expression of the human pluripotency factors used for epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells, namely Nanog, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. To date, no non-integrative viral vectors for epigenetic reprogramming of cells are available, except for the system utilizing the genome of negative strand RNA-virus, Sendai paramyxovirus