Research Units

Laboratory of Ecological Safety

Laboratory of Ecological Safety was formed in 2017 on the basis of Metabolic Engineering Laboratory and 3 sectors of the Microbial Depository Center (MDC): spore-forming bacteria and actinomyces, nonspore-forming bacteria and lower and higher fungi. The main scientific fields of the laboratory are: biotechnology, microbiology, ecology.    

RESEARCH MAIN DIRECTIONS

• Resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics and spread of resistant strains
• Entomopathogenic microorganisms as a means to combat pests and as alternatives to chemical insecticides and pesticides
• Biodegradation of synthetic compounds by microorganisms
• Discovery and study of new protease inhibitors

MAIN INVESTIGATION RESULTS

• Identification of antibiotic resistance genes and determination of their localization in the soil species of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas genera have been implemented. Plasmids possessing antibiotic resistance genes have demonstrated a high level of stability in the soil species of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas genera.
• Novel inhibitors of serine proteases and collagenase have been identified.
• Antimicrobial compounds able to inhibit antibiotic-resistant bacteria and phytopathogens have been discovered.

MAIN OBJECTIVES AND TASKS

• Improvement of  biodegradation of synthetic and natural polymers
• Revelation of novel protease inhibitors with high selectivity
• Study of microbes genomes resistant to the soil multiple antibiotics
• Study of degradation enzymes produced by the strains included in the MDC collection
• Study of biological properties of compounds synthesized by synthetic amino acids, peptides and microbes

LIST OF GRANT PROJECTS 

1. 19YR-2I018 "Modeling, target synthesis of non-protein amino acids as potential inhibitors of collagenase enzyme and their activity in vitro study", 2019-2021 (Project Manager: Tatev Sargsyan, PhD)
2. 18T-21036 “The genetic study of plasmids isolated from antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas strains”, 2018 (Project Manager: A. Hovhannisyan, PhD, YSU).
3. ANSEF microbio-5133: “Genetic study of plasmids from antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas strains”, 2018 (Project Manager: A. Sargsyan, PhD).
4. ISTC #A-2889 “Synthesis and screening of a new generation of optically active non-proteinogenic α-amino acids, peptides and polymers containing unsaturated groups in the side chain”,  2017-2020 (Project Manager: Academician of NAS RA, Prof. A. Saghyan).
5. 15T-1F241 “The ways to overcome antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia strains”, 2015-2017 (Project Manager: A. Hovhannisyan, PhD, YSU).

KEY PUBLICATIONS 

Scientific articles

1. Delegan Y., Sargsyan A., Hovhannisyan N., Babayan B., Petrikov K., Vainstein M. Analysis of genome sequence and trehalose lipid production peculiarities of the thermotolerant Gordonia strain // Journal of Basic Microbiology, 2020, v.60, 14-21.
2. Shahinyan G.A., Dadayan A.S., Hovhannisyan N.A., Markarian Sh.A.  Study of the interaction of novel nonprotein amino acids with trypsin by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy // Journal of Fluorescence, 2020, v. 30, 229-233.
3. Babayan B.G., Hovhannisyan N.A., Hovhannisyan A.M., Sargsyan A.S., Davidyan T.S. Resistance To β-Lactam Antibiotics In Some Soil Stenotrophomonas and Pseudomonas // The Scientific-Heritage, 2019, v.2, No 34, pp. 32-38.
4. Babayan B.G. The Plasmid Differences In Multi-Drug Resistant Opportunistic Pathogenic Soil Strains of Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas // ISBN 9781645701347 4th International Conference on Medicine and Natural Sciences, 26-27 April, 2019, Amsterdam, Proceedings Book,   pp. 5-10.
5. Казанчян Н.Л., Киносян М.А., Тадевосян Н.С., Хачатурян Н.С., Африкян Э.Г. Brevibacillus laterosporus как перспективный источник получения новых биоинсектицидов // Annals of Agrarian Science, Georgia,  2018, v. 16, No. 4, pp. 413-415.
6. Sargsyan A.S., Babayan B.G., Avetisyan N.S., Mkrtchyan A.G., Hovhannisyan A.M., Hovhannisyan N.A. Heterocyclic substituted non-protein amino acids as inhibitors of  Clostridium histolyticum collagenase //  Biological Journal of Armenia,  2018, v. 1 No. 70, pp. 12-15.
7. Hovahannisyan N.A., Oganezova G.G., Melkumyan M.A., Avetisyan N.S., Hovhannisyan A.M.,  Kinosyan M., Chitchyan M.B. The response of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to the action of synthetic amino acids and peptides // Proceedings of the Yerevan State University, 2017, v. 51, No. 1, pp. 54-57.
8. Gevorgyan S.A., Khachaturyan N.S., Markosyan L.S., Afrikian E.G. Screening of fungal degradants for evaluation of biostability of synthetic polymeric materials // Biological Journal of Armenia, 2016, Special Issue, pp. 19-23.

Abstracts Presented at Conferences

1. Babayan B.G, Hovhannisyan N.A., Melkumyan M.A., Sargsyan A.S. Inactivation of Macrovipera lebetina obtusa snake venom by enzymes of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas // ELSEVIER, Toxicon, v. 159, Supplement 1, 5 March 2019, p. S20.
2. Melkumyan M.A., Hovhannisyan N.A., Ghazanchyan N.L., Khachaturyan N.S., Gevorgyan S.A., Babayan B.G., Sargsyan A.S.  Entomopathogenes against phytopathogenes // In Abstarcts of FEMS International conference “Microbes: Biology and Application”, Yerevan. 2019, p. 43.
3. Bagdasaryan S.A., Babayan B.G., Sargsyan A.S., Kinosyan M.A., Davidyan T.S., Hovhannisyan N.A. Study on the Pseudomonas genes coding polyphenol oxidases // In Abstarcts of FEMS International conference  “Microbes: Biology and Application”, Yerevan,. 2019, p.21.
4. Babayan B.G., Bagdasaryan S.A., Mikaelyan G.S., Kinosyan M.A., Davidyan T.S.,   Hovhannisyan N.A. Polysorbates biodegradation and the plasmid stability in soil opportunistic pathogenic strains of Stenotrophomas and Pseudomonas // In Abstracts of FEMS International conference “Microbes: Biology and Application”, Yerevan, 2019, p. 9.
5. Babayan B.G., Sargsyan A.S., Bagdasaryan S.A., Melkumyan M.A., Hovhannisyan A.M., Hovhannisyan N.A. Antibiotic resistance genes of  Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas isolated from soil // Regional Workshop: Alternative approaches to combating anti-microbial resistance. Almaty. Kazakhstan, 2019, pp. 31-32.
6. Hovhannisyan N.A., Babayan B.G., Sargsyan A.S., Bagdasaryan S.A., Hovhannisyan A.M. Study on the stability of soil Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas plasmids possessing antibiotic resistance genes // In Abstracts of 2^nd Annual Congress on Microbiology and Microbiologists and 6^th International Conference on Mycology and Fungal Infections. Madrid. 2019, p. 24.
7. Hovhannisyan N.A., Babayan B.G., Sargsyan A.S., Bagdasaryan S.A., Hovhannisyan A.M. Study on stability of soil Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas plasmids possessing antibiotic resistance genes // 2^nd Annual Congress on Microbiology and Microbiologists and 6^th International Conference on Mycology and Fungal Infections, October 7-9, 2019, Madrid, Spain, p. 24.
8. Sargsyan A.S., Hovhannisyan A.M., Babayan B.G., Mkrtchyan A.A., Hovhannisyan N.A. Non-protein peptides – inhibitors of metalloproteases // International Conference “Enzyme biocatalysis and chemical biology: The new frontiers”, September 9-12, 2018, Pativa, Italy, p. 110-111. (Poster Presentation)
9. Hovhannisyan A.M., Oganezova G.G., Melkumyan M.A., Avetisyan N.S., Chitchyan M.B., Sargsyan A.S., Mkrtchyan A.A., Hovhannisyan N.A. Novel synthetic amino acids and peptides demonstrating pharmacological properties // Abstracts of World Congress on Pharmacology and Chemistry of Natural Compounds, October 09-11, 2017, Tbilisi, Georgia, pp. 55-56.
10. Hovhannisyan N., Oganezova G., Melkumyan M.A., Avetisyan N., Hovhannisyan A., Kinosyan M., Chitchyan M. Novel synthetic peptides inhibiting the growth of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains // Abstracts of 15^th Naples Workshop on Bioactive Peptides,  Italy, June, 2016, p. 131.
11. Sargsyan T.H., Hovhannisyan N.A., Jamgaryan S.M., Gyulumyan E.A., Danghyan Yu.M., Tsaturyan A.N., Hovhannisyan A.M., Saghyan A.S. Synthesis and PASS prediction of novel biologically active short peptides // Abstracts of 15^th Naples Workshop on Bioactive Peptides, Italy, June, 2016, p. 73.
12. Sargsyan A.S., Hovhannisyan N.A. Novel inhibitors of collagenase // The 42^nd ISOBM annual Congress “Oncology in the Biomarker Era”, October 3-7, 2015, Poland, p. S47. (Oral Presentation)