Renowned Russian Researcher Suggests Participation in Joint Development of Nanomedicine to People of ASU

Professor Victor Timoshenko from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) has come to Astrakhan State University. At his meeting with Dr. Konstantin Markelov, Acting Rector of ASU, he discussed prospects of cooperation in the field of scientific research.

Timoshenko is a top manager of the cutting-edge Institute of Engineering Physics for Biomedicine of MEPhI, which trains unique specialists. Researchers of this Institute develop entirely new fields of science by combining several classical sciences. The distinguished guest told how Physics and Engineering help Medicine. Application of nanoparticles makes it possible to diagnose and treat serious diseases, e.g. oncology. According to Prof. Timoshenko, using the main medical principle “primum non nocere” (“first, to do no harm”), researchers search for materials that would be harmless for a human organism. Serious work has already been done in this field. Researchers deal with nanoparticles of silicon, gold, and some rarer elements. “It’s an interesting field; one has to study the chemistry of rare-earth elements”, the guest said. As science is developing, new terms emerge, e.g. “theranostics”, which implies both therapeutic treatment and diagnostics. Theranostics is based on a combination of Molecular Biology, Radiochemistry, and Nuclear Physics.

The researcher pointed out that the Russian nanomedicine should be developed in close cooperation with researchers competent in various fields. Dr. Alexey Rybakov, Director of our Institute of Researches & Solutions to Technological Tasks, confirmed that such research is being conducted in labs of Astrakhan State University; we have unique experience and specialists. Reps of the two universities agreed that joint activities are very promising. Graduates of ASU continue their education at MEPhI. Alida Alykova, a 2015 graduate of our Department of Physics & Technology, came to ASU together with Prof. Timoshenko. Now she is covering a PhD program at MEPhI; Prof. Timoshenko is her research supervisor. The Professor highly appreciated our graduates’ competencies. “Thank you for training such skilled and knowledgeable bachelors”, he said.

The guest will spend a week in Astrakhan; he will deliver the professional training course “Fundamentals of Electronics & Nanotechnology; Low-Dimension Structures & Their Application in Medicine”. He is also planning to meet our researchers, join our project groups, and work in our laboratories.