Favorable conditions at YSU for promotion of postgraduate students' research activities

Senior laboratory assistant in the Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, and postgraduate student Silvard Tadevosyan is one of the winners of the "Research Assistance Program for Young Applicants and PhD Students - 2023". She conducts research in the laboratories of the YSU Faculty of Biology within the framework of the scientific program. The young researcher talked about applying to the scientific program, conducting research, the scientific environment and the opportunities provided by YSU.

How I applied to the program.

I started studying the topic "From Plants to Pathogens: Study of Antibacterial Activity and Mechanisms of Action of Biologically Active Compounds of Plant Origin" during my graduate studies. And in postgraduate studies, with the advice of my scientific supervisor Naira Sahakyan, Candidate of Biological Sciences, I applied for the "Research Assistance Program for Young Applicants and PhD Students - 2023" of the Higher Education and Science Committee of RA MoESCS and was named the recipient of the grant.  

Antibiotics are no longer effective against a group of bacteria.

If people use too many antibiotics, their bodies will gain resistance, and the antibiotic that was supposed to kill the bacteria will no longer have any effect, and the bacteria will continue to grow, mutate and spread. In other words, the bacterium resists, and the medication no longer has an effect. In our experiments, we study plant compounds and their antibacterial and antioxidant activity on various microbes. As a test system, we study those microbes that are more widespread. They are mainly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are no longer affected by a certain group of antibiotics.

These bacteria are spread all over the world. In case of insensitivity to them in the human body, we will offer new measures as a result of the study.

Herbal compound as a new antibiotic agent against bacteria

We are trying to obtain new compounds that can affect those very bacteria and eliminate them. If the experiments have satisfactory results, the study will not end within the grant program period (October 2026) and will continue after the end of the program and postgraduate studies.

At this stage, we are still doing experiments on the compounds isolated from plants, understanding the mechanisms of action. If a satisfactory result is achieved, the herbal compound can be used as a new antibiotic agent against bacteria. It can be included in medicine, increasing the amount of herbal ingredients and reducing the damage to the body, and become an accompanying measure. These are the works of the next stages, which cannot be implemented alone. The professional advice of pharmacologists and biochemists will be necessary.

Laboratory has appropriate conditions for efficient work.

My scientific supervisor helps a lot, gives professional advice and guidance. I always like to discuss the experiments with her. After each experiment, there are several options for continuing the work, and professional advice and guidance are needed to choose any of them.

We have all the equipment required for the experiments. Maybe not all the equipment is located in one laboratory, but within the framework of cooperation, we have the opportunity to conduct our experiments in different laboratories of our chair. Young scientists also work alongside us, which activates the university students, the work of the laboratory and motivates us. In the laboratory active works are always being carried out. While conducting research, it is important to set goals, go after something new, never stop and move forward.

I am a devotee of the university

When I was admitted to YSU, I loved the university very much, and later working here became a dream. During my undergraduate studies, I was the Responsible for External Relations Committee in the Faculty Student Council. During that period, I got acquainted with educational programs abroad, later applied to one of them and was recognized as the winner. However, receiving an offer to work at the university, I did not hesitate, I chose to stay and work at YSU.

Already in my master's degree, I had the opportunity to be in the team of the supervisor of my scientific work as an employee. At that time I was already excited, and I decided to continue my studies in YSU postgraduate program, even though there were opportunities to continue my studies abroad. If one day I go to study abroad, I am sure that I will return to YSU again. I want to become a lecturer to pass on my knowledge to those who are taking their first steps towards the world of science. Besides being a scientific and educational environment, the university is also a family where everyone is willing to help each other. I like this teamwork very much, and I also try to help everyone, passing on my knowledge and skills as needed. I am a devotee of the university.