From June 1, 2023, Ass. Prof. Hrebenyk Liudmyla is undergoing a scientific internship at the University of Ostrava (Ostrava, Czech Republic) in the Laboratory of Trypanosomatid Biology, which is headed by Prof. V. Yurchenko. Research topic "The role of alternative oxidases in Trypanosomatidae". The research was made possible thanks to the funding of an individual grant project from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
The current project focuses on the detailed molecular characterization of the alternative oxidase (AOX) repertoire in Trypanosomatidae. This is important both from a fundamental scientific and from a practical point of view. Indeed, unicellular flagellate family Trypanosomatidae are obligate parasites of invertebrates, vertebrates and plants. Some trypanosomatids have AOX. This enzyme was first discovered in the causative agent of African sleeping sickness – Trypanosoma brucei (rhodesiense) – as glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase in 1960. It was later shown to co-localize with other mitochondrial (kinetoplast) enzymes, oxidize ubiquinone and donate electrons to molecular oxygen, leading to its renaming as trypanosomal alternative oxidase (TAO, TbTAO in T. brucei) in 1989. Because TbTAO is highly expressed exclusively in the form of trypanosomes in the bloodstream and is not detected in mammals, it is considered a promising chemotherapeutic target.
International activity of the department
1. Submitted – Ukrainian-Latvian research project for implementation in 2021 – 2022 “The latest hybrid apatite-biopolymer nanocomposite materials for bone regeneration with controlled drug delivery”
2. Obtained MINI GRANTS at SSU, DSAEU, BTNAU, SNAU and KNAU – 2020 Grants for young researchers and students In the framework of the Czech Republic Development Cooperation project: “Interuniversity cooperation as a tool for quality improvement of selected universities in Ukraine” 2019-2021 (graduate student Kumeda MO)
Project title: “Investigation of the properties of the sorption-aspiration drainage system with a layer of hydroxyapatite under conditions of peritonitis in white rats”.
3. A project proposal was submitted for participation in the competition of joint Ukrainian-German research projects for implementation in 2019 – 2020 “Functionalized hybrid nanofibers based on bioactive nanoparticles for biomedical applications (HYFIB4BIO)”
4. A project proposal was submitted for participation in the competition of Ukrainian-Lithuanian research projects for implementation in 2020 – 2021. “Development of biomimetic methods for obtaining calcium-phosphate coatings for medicine”
5. Cooperation with East Kazakhstan Technical University on biological research of samples containing metal compounds.
6. Cooperation with the Technical University of Kosice (Slovenia) in 2019-2020.
