Soil streptomycetes as a strategic biofactory of natural metabolites for modern biotechnology were discussed at the general academic interdisciplinary seminar at the O.V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the NAS of Ukraine.

On January 23, 2026, the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine held the next meeting of the general academic interdisciplinary seminar in the field of natural sciences "Current Issues of Physico-Chemical and Mathematical Biology." The interdisciplinary report "Soil Streptomycetes – a Strategic Biofactory of Natural Metabolites for Modern Biotechnologies" was presented by Maria Loboda, PhD, a research fellow of the Department of General and Soil Microbiology at the D.K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the NAS of Ukraine. In his opening remarks, the seminar leader, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Head of the Muscle Biochemistry Department of this Institute, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Serhiy Kosterin noted that the speaker's focus was on interdisciplinary issues at the intersection of microbiology, soil science, biotechnology, and environmental protection. Specifically, these include: - Increasing agricultural crop yields without chemicals and preserving soil health; - Solutions to soil problems suggested by nature itself; - A unique microbial biofactory of metabolites; - Biologization of the agricultural complex; - Development of phytosorbents for cleaning soils contaminated due to military actions. Next, Maria Loboda, PhD, delivered the interdisciplinary scientific report. In her presentation, she shared research results on already known Streptomyces strains registered in the Ukrainian Collection of Microorganisms and the Depository of Non-Pathogenic Microorganisms of the D.K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the NAS of Ukraine, as well as new strains isolated from extreme environments, specifically from industrially polluted and war-damaged soils. The speaker shared findings on their application in biotechnologies for accelerated soil restoration, anti-stress, adaptogenic, and phytoprotective effects on plants, as well as the molecular-genetic and biochemical foundations of the priming effect of their secondary metabolites. Seminar attendees were introduced to a new biotechnological approach to soil remediation related to the construction of microbial phytosorbents and the generation of green energy, with prospects for using streptomycete secondary metabolites in green synthesis methods of nanoparticles, and in the search for antiviral and anticancer agents. The scientist also emphasized other current problems that can be solved using the biosynthetic potential of streptomycetes. Questions to the speaker and discussion of the report were made by: - Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor Serhiy Veryovka; - Seminar leader, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Head of the Muscle Biochemistry Department of this Institute, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Serhiy Kosterin; - Junior Research Fellow of the Molecular Biology Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, PhD Olga Rudnytska; - Head of the Immunobiology Laboratory of the Molecular Immunology Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine Denys Kolibo; - Leading Research Fellow of the Muscle Biochemistry Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences Yuriy Danylovych; - Leading Research Fellow of the Scientific-Information and Innovation Research Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Olga Matyshevska; - Head of the Lipid Biochemistry Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Candidate of Biological Sciences Halyna Kosyakova; - Master's student Aliona Panchenko; - Head of the Enzyme Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences Artem Tikhomirov, and others. In his concluding remarks, seminar leader Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Serhiy Kosterin thanked PhD Maria Loboda for the interesting and substantive interdisciplinary report, which the audience listened to attentively and discussed in detail, and wished the speaker further creative success in her scientific pursuits. VIDEO RECORDING According to information from the Institute of Biochemistry named after O.V. Palladin of the NAS of Ukraine Photo author – Candidate of Biological Sciences Maiya Hryhorieva