News

It has been a month since the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia joined the #мейкерыпротивковид (makers against Covid) movement and has been helping doctors and patients with 3D printing. Engineer Mark Dyachenko from the Center for Additive and Foreign Technologies of RUDN University used a 3D-printer to print 1,149 adapters for mask filters, which are used by doctors in more than 15 hospitals in Moscow.

RUDN scientists explored how reduction of deuterium in water influences reactions in living organisms. As was found that reactions went in less time comparing to those when deuterium was changed into hydrogen. The article was published in Chemical Engineering Journal.

A chemist from RUDN University has proposed a new way to control toluene photooxidation using composite catalysts — artificial diamond and titanium dioxide. The discovery refutes the previously existing physical hypothesis about the process of photooxidation of toluene.

A RUDN University biologist has developed a model for the analysis of photosynthesis in vivo. This method allows you to calculate the absorption coefficient of light by chlorophyll, based on its reflectivity. Analysis of light absorption is important for assessing ecosystem productivity, which affects the state of the biosphere and the global climate. 

A scientist from the Mathematical laboratory of RUDN University has obtained new results in the study of the inverse problem for coupled Schrödinger equations. This result will be useful for describing the interaction of laser beams and particles with molecules and the analysis of molecular structures. 

A RUDN University chemist has synthesized an analog of alpkinidine, a compound that can be used as an anticancer drug. The authors of the experiment were able to obtain its analog via the Negishi reaction and subsequent annulation – a reaction aimed at completing the “rings” to the existing cyclic compound. Previously, there were no ways to synthesize this substance. The developed method could potentially become the basis for a scheme of the synthesis of alpkinidine. 

A chemist at RUDN University has come up with a new method for the synthesis of a large group of complex poly-heterocyclic organic compounds, which draw interest as possible future medications. The researcher turned to a two-step reaction, in which he used affordable and cheap organic reagents and catalysts based on gold, which allowed him to synthesize as many as 28 new molecules. This approach will significantly expand the libraries of biologically active substances. The work was published in Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

RUDN University soil scientists were able to visualise for the first time the activity of the phosphatase enzyme in the soil surrounding the roots of a plant by simultaneously using zymography and a fibre optic acidity sensor. This helped them to see how the plants “adjust” their root system to the environment. The study was published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry.

RUDN University bioengineers have created magnetic nanocontainers for “smart” delivery of drugs in the body. Thanks to them, the active substance enters only certain organs or tissues, which reduces the risk of side effects. In an experiment on mice, it was shown that nanocontainers are non-toxic and not dangerous. The results of the study are published in the journal Polymers.

A RUDN University chemist has created a catalyst for wastewater treatment that removes paracetamol – one of the most commonly prescribed antipyretics. This medicine is excreted from the body through the kidneys and enters the sewage, where it does not decompose and can pose a threat to people and the environment. The chemist managed to create a catalyst based on silver sulfide, zinc oxide, and graphene oxide to decompose paracetamol under light irradiation. The study is published in the journal Separation and Purification Technology.

For the first time, RUDN University chemists obtained polymer nanoparticles from chitosan derivatives with antibacterial activity at the level of modern antibiotics. Chitosan is a polyaminosaccharide, which is obtained from chitin and is actively used as a biological additive and cosmetics, but the antibacterial properties of chitosan are expressed quite poor, mainly due to its low solubility in water. Chemical modification of chitosan allows obtaining water-soluble chitosan derivatives with increased antibacterial activity. In this study, chitosan derivatives with extremely high antibacterial activity and significant solubility in water were obtained. To synthesize chitosan derivatives, from which highly active nanoparticles are formed, scientists have developed a new approach based on a combination of click chemistry and ultrasonic processing. With the help of the proposed approach, it will be possible to obtain other polysaccharide particles with antibacterial activity. The article is published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

Soil scientists from RUDN University found that the most suitable conditions for microorganisms are created in soil pores ranging in size from 60 to 180 micrometers. To visualize the relationship between enzymes produced by soil microorganisms and pore size, researchers first created a three-dimensional map of soil structure. To do this, they used soil 2D zymography and X-ray computed tomography. The article is published in the best soil science journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry.