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Year: 2023

Kozybayev University’s historical science and education

Posted on by Akmaral Turgaleyeva

The teaching staff of Kozybayev University, who has significant experience in the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, every year increases the topics of research work in line with historical science, continuing the good traditions of the legendary North Kazakhstan archaeological expedition, founded by archaeologist Zdanovich B.G. way back in 1967. It is worth adding that over the 55 years of its existence, the expedition discovered more than 2000 archaeological sites within the North Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, and Akmola regions.

The largest contribution to Kazakhstani and world archeology was the discovery of 1980, when the above-mentioned expedition discovered the Botai settlement near the village of Dolmatovo in the North Kazakhstan region, in the past the place of residence of the oldest horse breeders on the Earth. This historical achievement contributed to the development of the scientific concept of the origins of the steppe civilization, the study of the historical precedent of the interaction of a large number of peoples living on the territory of Eurasia.

In 1997-1999 the temple complex of the early Iron Age of Baikar was opened, which had no analogs for many years. In 2001, the archaeological research laboratory carried out excavations at the burial grounds near the Baganaty village of the Shal Akyn district. As a result of archaeological work, 17rnburial mounds of the Bronze Age, the Early Iron Age, and the Middle Ages were excavated, the finds of which made up the richest collection of ceramics, gold and bronze jewelry, and religious items. In 2004, fieldwork began on the large settlement Akirii near the Dolmatovo village. The finds made it possible to assert that the early medieval tribes of Northern Kazakhstan could live on the site of the destroyed Saka settlement.

A sensational discovery of the Northern region was the discovery of a medieval monument of the era of the Golden Orda – Kyzyl oba in the Ualikhanov district of the North Kazakhstan region. The expedition, studying the given historical and cultural object, was organized in September 2019 together with the “Margulan center”. As a result of two archaeological seasons, unique historical artifacts have been discovered that illuminate the history of Northern Kazakhstan in a new light.

At the university, activity on the development of historical science and education, and the formation of historical consciousness is carried out jointly with organizations in the region. Communication is established with scientific and educational organizations and institutions of the URPAQ region, \”Tugyryl khan\”, the International Association of researchers of the Golden Orda, the State Archives of the North Kazakhstan region, and the regional museum of local history. These measures will undoubtedly give impetus to the development of fundamental scientific research in the fields of history, archeology, and social sciences.

Satbayev University’s specialist took part in SciVal users’ meeting

Posted on by Satbayev University

The annual meeting of SciVal user group was held in the UAE. Gulziya Burshukova, head of Publication Activity and Scientific Publications Department at Satbayev University, made a report on behalf of Kazakhstan.

Her report was devoted to the nuances of working in the SciVal system and how Satbayev University systematically analyzes its work results both at the basic and in-depth levels with its help.

If you look at University’s data as a whole in the period from 2018 to 2023, the following is seen:

  • the total number for 5 years is 2076 publications;
  • the number of authors who participated in the writing of publications – 1502;
  • the total h-index is 25.

The review may include information on the structure of research activities based on disciplines. This helps to identify the strengths of University and its expert areas, and it is also possible to find data on international cooperation and partnerships in these expert areas. This is useful for strategic planning and identifying the future research directions of scientists and University as a whole.

University can identify the key publications that attract the attention of the world scientific community and form strategies to promote scientific research. SciVal provides real-time information, which allows University to quickly respond to changes in the scientific environment and quickly adapt its strategies.

SciVal is an analytical system designed to analyze publication activity in Scopus bibliographic database. It empowers to process huge amounts of statistical data and is intended for scientists and University staff. With the help of this system, it is possible to analyze publications, the results of researchers and groups of scientists, research areas, countries, arrays of publications and visualize the results.

Satbayev University strives to maintain the high standards of scientific research and with the help of SciVal conducts a comparative analysis of its productivity in comparison with other universities. This not only helps to identify competitive advantages, but also creates opportunities for collaboration and exchange of experience.

From safer prenatal tests to early cancer detection

Posted on by Editorial Team

CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine is home to a team of leading researchers who contribute extraordinary expertise to Hong Kong’s public healthcare system. Among them is Chemical Pathology Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, often referred to as the “father” of Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). Last year, he was awarded America’s top biomedical research prize for his discovery, which has revolutionised prenatal testing for Down syndrome. That clinical breakthrough has also laid foundations for the early detection of multiple types of cancer, creating life-changing impacts on patients around the world.

About one in 700 children around the world is diagnosed with Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a human embryonic cell, itself associated with delayed physical growth and intellectual disability.

Traditionally, expectant mothers opting to take early pregnancy tests to detect whether their children might have Down syndrome bore the risk of miscarriage, as certain tests needed to penetrate the womb near the foetus. That changed after Professor Lo, who is also Associate Dean (Research) of CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine, entered the international research scene. “Previous testing methods such as nuchal translucency scan and blood testing did not have high accuracies,” says Professor Lo. “Amniocentesis, another invasive test with relative higher accuracy could cause miscarriages. I was therefore motivated to develop a safe alternative with a high accuracy.” He started working on a solution in 1989, while still a medical student at the University of Oxford.

A correct hypothesis

Professor Lo’s approach was to search and test for foetal cells in pregnant women’s blood, balancing research while studying for finals. “At first, the research didn’t go very smoothly – the number of foetal cells was too small to be translated into clinical medical diagnosis,” recalls Professor Lo.

He returned to join CUHK in 1997, determined to make a breakthrough. “I came across two articles about cancer patients carrying cancer DNA in their plasma or serum, from which I thought – tumours grow in patients’ bodies in a way somewhat similar to foetuses developing in wombs. While many scientists at that time had a general assumption that DNA belonged only within a cell, I took the bold move to propose that foetal markers could also be found in maternal plasma. It turned out to be a correct hypothesis.”

Building on the momentum, Professor Lo’s team eventually identified the ratio of chromosomes via massive parallel sequencing to efficiently use the information stored in plasma DNA. They found a way to use critical information stored in plasma DNA to detect the presence of a foetus with Down syndrome to an accuracy higher than 99%.

A paradigm shift

“Our research created a paradigm shift in prenatal medicine,” Professor Lo acknowledges. Since its introduction to clinical practice in 2011, NIPT has been adopted globally, helping expectant mothers in over 60 countries. “The technology has now become the standard prenatal testing method for Down syndrome, obviating the need for invasive methods in many pregnant women.”

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority has been providing NIPT tests for free since 2019. On the mainland, over 60% of expectant mothers each year have taken the test, and some insurance companies overseas now include it in their policy coverage.

Professor Lo credits CUHK with its comprehensive platform for conducting research. “CUHK demonstrates its leading practices in intellectual property and patent creation. It allows my teammates and me to conduct research in a friendly and supportive environment. Our team has developed a close relationship with other departments of the University,” says Professor Lo.

From womb to head and neck

For Professor Lo, success in Down syndrome detection was just the beginning. “While insights into cancer is where I got my burst of inspiration for NIPT, I started probing cancer screening by developing ‘NIPT-like’ technologies. Our team began with asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which is the 12th leading cause of cancer deaths in Hong Kong.

“In 2017, we demonstrated that plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA analysis is useful in screening for NPC. Previously, most NPC patients in Hong Kong were identified at stages 3 and 4. With this technology, 70-75% can be identified at stages 1 and 2,” says Professor Lo.

In 2019, Professor Lo became the co-founder of healthcare startup Take2 Health at the Hong Kong Science Park which offers NPC screening services in Hong Kong.

The NPC study gave rise to a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, a method to screen for many types of cancer simultaneously. The test enables cancer markers to be detected through a simple blood draw, a landmark achievement hailed as one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2022.

Freer flows, bigger samples

Efforts by Professor Lo to achieve even greater impact with his research face hurdles outside the laboratory. “Barriers in the flow of samples are making research a more challenging task,” he says. “I hope that the flow of samples between Hong Kong and the mainland can be strengthened. Apart from innovative ideas and insights, access to large sample sizes is always crucial for clinical research.”

More than just a clinician, Professor Lo is also a medical scientist and an entrepreneur. “Having received training as a scientist, I am well aware of the development of latest scientific technologies. As a doctor, I am more sensitive to how these technologies can possibly help patients. My entrepreneurial expertise enables me to venture beyond laboratories. I actively engage with the real world and thoroughly understand the actual needs of society while remaining down-to-earth. It also allows me to draft more comprehensive patents for inventions,” he says.

Integrating Technology and Innovation in Liberal Arts: Highlights from the Pre-Summit APAC 2023 at Lingnan University

Posted on by Editorial Team

The QS Higher Education APAC Summit 2023, a crucial event for academics and administrators, took place in Kuala Lumpur from 7-9 November 2023. As a significant precursor, Lingnan University hosted a Pre-Summit APAC 2023 at its Hong Kong campus on 3 November 2023. The Pre-Summit primarily focused on liberal arts, exploring the ongoing evolution of these disciplines and the growing impact of technology inside and outside the classroom.

This hybrid event drew an audience of 400, with influential figures from the Asia-Pacific region discussing the future evolution of arts and humanities disciplines and their implications for universities, students, and teaching and learning approaches.

Professor S. Joe Qin, Lingnan’s President, highlighted the significant development in China’s higher education system, with a growing emphasis on innovation, entrepreneurship, internationalisation, and student outcomes. He stressed that forward-looking institutions must commit to change and foster the outlook and partnerships necessary for keeping pace with the digital era.

The agenda included discussions on the latest uses of technology in and beyond the classroom and specific steps liberal arts universities are taking to adapt and thrive in this new age. In his keynote address, Professor Michael Hui, Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs at the University of Macau, emphasized the need to integrate technology into all aspects of campus life and promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

In a subsequent session, the special President’s Forum focused on “The Art of STEM”. Speakers discussed how to integrate scientific thinking into a liberal arts curriculum, agreeing that all students will require STEM-related skills for their research projects, future careers, and meaningful contributions to society.

Professor Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technologies, UCL Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University College London, in her keynote at the Pre-Summit APAC 2023, discussed the importance of digital technology in enhancing student engagement and critical thinking in a liberal arts education. She highlighted the need for teachers’ confidence in delivering online content and for assessments to reflect real-world digital realities.

In a panel discussion, academics and a tech CEO emphasized the importance of liberal arts education in fostering global understanding and employability. They discussed the value of internationalization, cultural exchange programs, industry-academic collaboration, and the critical role of liberal arts education in tackling societal issues like nuclear power safety.

In summary, the QS Higher Education APAC Pre-Summit 2023 underscored the critical and evolving role of liberal arts in higher education. The discussions emphasized the need for integrating technology, fostering internationalization, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing students for a rapidly changing world. The event highlighted that universities, teachers, and students must embrace change, collaborate broadly, and harness the power of technology to enhance learning and address complex societal issues.

Please follow this link for highlights from the keynote speeches, President’s Forum, and Panel Discussion.

USU Lecturers Receive Patent for Self-Care Invention

Posted on by Editorial Team

Two lecturers of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Reni Asmara Ariga, S.Kp., MARS, from the Faculty of Nursing and Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., from the Faculty of Law, collaborated as inventors of Patent IDS000005334 WEB-BASED SELF-CARE METHOD. The Ministry of Law and Human Rights granted the patent on 12 December 2022 for the invention of the website ariganursingselfcare.com.

This patent holder is Universitas Sumatera Utara, as a manifestation of the inventors’ dedication to the advancement of USU in education and service for the community. The website seeks to address various health-care-related issues in North Sumatra, such as those caused by the increasing population, the long distance between patients and health service centers, the cost and time that patients have to spend to get services, the lack of professional nurses, and the increasing number of degenerative diseases. Its accessibility to the public benefits the downstream of care innovation products. The invention relates to a self-care method that provides nursing care information and consultation services based on a website implemented through a smartphone or a computer.

The ariganursingselfcare.com website invention is intended to improve individual and the public’s ability to access information on and perform self-care, especially in health promotion methods. Self-care is conducted by consulting the website’s information database for health, quality of life, and recovery improvement. Continuously maintained and updated, the website contains the latest nursing care information such as injury care, maternity care, diabetes care, respiratory care, general examination (hypertension, hypotension, hyperuricemia, hypouricemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypocholesterolemia), nutritional care for toddlers, dental care, COVID-19 care, and common diseases usually found in community health centers (PUSKESMAS), providing a comprehensive nursing care consultation services starting from the assessment to the evaluation stage.

In the era of revolution 5.0, humans will live alongside technology in all aspects of life through digital devices, including nursing. The inventors hope the website can offer the public access to health services, expanding the outreach of hospitals and nurses in providing nursing care services.

Virtual reality laboratory opens with support of Porsche at Satbayev University

Posted on by Satbayev University

On September 22, Satbayev University hosted the grand opening of a VR laboratory that allows students to visually study high technologies owing to virtual reality systems. The project was implemented within the framework of cooperation between Satbayev University and the official importer of Porsche in Kazakhstan. German manufacturer representatives noted that the support of education and culture is a long tradition of Porsche.

Equipped with the support of auto brand specialists, the virtual reality laboratory was named Porsche Learning Centre. Students of the “Transport Engineering” degree program are already studying the practical aspects of modern mechanical engineering technologies here. Now, wearing virtual reality glasses, students can use the example of Porsche cars to study the entire process of creating the car – from design and testing to the assembly of serial samples. Training takes place directly in the classroom due to the same VR laboratory: wearing virtual reality glasses, university students can hone their skills in car maintenance and repair. Virtual reality technologies allow each student to fully immerse themselves in the learning process, and in the most realistic conditions, directly interacting with 3D objects: for instance, to look inside the assembled engine or gearbox, to examine all the details up close from all sides, to understand the device and principles of operation of all the main components of the car.

At the opening ceremony of the laboratory, the University’s Rector, Meiram Begentayev, noted that within the framework of cooperation with the automaker, the University receives valuable opportunities both for effective technical practice and for real “immersion” of students in the high technologies world.

— Last year, together with Satbayev University’s teachers, we developed and introduced into the educational process a digital laboratory for the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles and cars with internal combustion engines. In turn, the official importer of Porsche in Kazakhstan supported the idea and provided the University with a platform and its specialists for shooting the training videos used in the VR laboratory. To date, more than 110 students have already been trained in these modern technologies at Satbayev University. In addition, using virtual reality technologies, we held an Olympiad among college and university students. About 80 students are scheduled to study using the digital VR laboratory for the current academic year, — Meiram Begentayev said.

University talked about the advantages of mastering technical knowledge using virtual reality. According to the teachers, within the framework of cooperation with Porsche, the University got the opportunity to hold regular joint seminars and scientific and practical conferences with the German enterprise. Such a format significantly increases the value of students’ research work and also forms a stable interest among young people in the application of theoretical knowledge in practice.

In turn, the company director – the official importer of Porsche in Kazakhstan Gauhar Gabdrakhimova noted that the importer will continue to provide all the opportunities for filming the training videos in the car center’s workshops. According to her, new 3D videos are needed to ensure that the base of training material in the University’s VR laboratory is always relevant and that students’ knowledge corresponds to the most advanced trends in the global automotive industry. Thanks to the constant updating of information, Kazakhstani students can now study not on archival materials, but on the latest and modern technological achievements of the global automotive industry, being aware of the most relevant innovative solutions.

– The company is pleased to contribute to improving the training of Kazakhstani students in technical specialties. This is a long-standing principle of Porsche – to support innovation, to develop the desire for modern knowledge in society, and to stimulate scientific and research activities. Porsche Kazakhstan always supports talented young people and encourages the introduction of innovative technologies in education. The company does this to improve the quality and practical value of the knowledge received by young people. Internship at the enterprise is also very important, and assist in the further employment of specialists who show the best results. We are happy to help such a prestigious Kazakh University with a remarkable history and deep academic traditions as Satbayev University to improve the training base of specialists. We are focused on long-term cooperation for the sake of the technological development of Kazakhstan, — said Gauhar Gabdrakhimova, director of the official importer of Porsche in Kazakhstan.

It is noteworthy that as a sign of long-term cooperation, the Company placed a life-size model of the Porsche Taycan electric sports car on the main facade of the university. According to Gauhar Gabdrakhimova, this has become one of the symbols of the University’s cooperation with the famous world automobile brand, as well as an additional inspiration for university students. “Life is a road, and the road should lead us to our innermost dreams. No wonder Porsche’s slogan sounds like “Driven by Dreams”. There is a deeply symbolic and philosophical connection here: for many young people, the university is actually the beginning of their life path, which symbolizes the road to the future. Every journey begins with a dream, and everything must be done to make it come true,” said the head of Porsche in Kazakhstan.

UMY Alumni Opens Coffee Shop after Obtaining Funding from BSI

Posted on by umy

An economic growth that prioritizes the sharia system is a concern that Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) and Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) are trying to realize. UMY has been providing funding assistance for entrepreneurial development to students by collaborating with BSI through the BSI Maslahat Sociopreneur program, This is where Ahmad Syaoqi Fuadi, who is an alumni of the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) UMY, succeeded in getting funding for the coffee shop business he owns, Calma Brewhouse.

At the opening of Calma Brewhouse on Thursday (21/9), Budi Abdiriva as Area Manager of BSI Yogyakarta said that BSI is very open to continuing to collaborate with students who have businesses and are interested in developing their businesses. According to him, the funding given to Syaoqi is a real form of collaboration between BSI and UMY to drive the sharia economy.

BSI Maslahat Sociopreneur is a business incubation program for students who have the desire to become socially oriented Muslim entrepreneurs. It is not only aimed at developing financial entrepreneurial competence, but also the attitude, mentality and character of entrepreneurs that can be fostered through this program.

This is in accordance with what was conveyed by the LIKES & Education Group Manager of BSI Maslahat, Aprilia Eviyanti. “A business owner is a leader. In contrast to applying for a job and immediately getting a salary, in business we must be able to restrain our own ego and interests. That kind of entrepreneurial spirit is what we are trying to develop, not just guidance in business material,” she said.

In relation to this, Syaoqi explained the process he had gone through to obtain funding from BSI. According to him, the stages that must be passed are not easy, especially when it comes to increasing sales turnover. “One of the criteria used for assessment is the average turnover at a predetermined nominal value. Back then, I was still selling my coffee online, so my ability to increase turnover was limited,” he said when contacted on Saturday (23/9).

He also gave a few tips for becoming a good entrepreneur based on the experience he has gone through, namely being consistent and loving his own product.

When contacted, Head of the UMY Startup & Business Incubator (SEBI) Division Dr. Siti Nur Aisyah, SP added that another important factor behind success in developing a business is the person behind the business. He said that Syaoqi is someone who continues to learn and has wide connections thanks to his social skills. However, thanks to his hard work and enthusiasm to continue learning, he was able to realize his dreams and was able to expand his coffee shop.

More than half of COVID-19 patients have post-disease syndrome: HKBU study

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

The School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) found that 55% of the patients who sought medical treatment from the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to experience at least one long COVID symptom for six months to a year after diagnosed with an infection. The most common symptoms are fatigue, brain fog and cough.

The study also revealed that patients who took Chinese medicine after COVID-19 infection took a shorter time to test negative in rapid tests, and experienced significant symptom relief compared to patients who did not take Chinese medicine.

The research findings have been published in a number of papers in international academic journals including the Journal of Medical Virology and The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

HKBU established the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” in 2021 during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong to provide free telemedical services for COVID-19 patients. Making reference to the treatment protocols and clinical experiences in Mainland China, the expert team of HKBU’s School of Chinese Medicine formulated the “Chinese Medicine Clinical Guidelines for COVID-19 in Hong Kong” as the University’s clinical diagnosis and treatment standards for COVID-19. The Telemedicine Centre follows the guidelines to provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services to COVID-19 patients, close contacts, and caregivers.

Coughing is the most common early symptom of infection

The HKBU research team led by Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of the Clinical Division at the School of Chinese Medicine, conducted a retrospective study using patient statistics collected by the Telemedicine Centre during the fifth wave of the pandemic. The team analysed the symptoms in the first four weeks of about 13,000 patients who were infected with COVID-19 from mid-March to early May in 2022 and underwent home isolation.

The results showed that 93% of patients experienced at least one symptom. The most common symptoms during the first week of infection were cough (91%), sputum (75%), dry throat (50%) and sore throat (44%). 17% of patients still had these symptoms four weeks after infection. Although the symptoms gradually subsided over time, the prevalence of fatigue increased.

Chinese medicine accelerates viral clearance

Among this batch of patients, the research team selected 311 patients who had taken Chinese medicine for five days within 10 days after diagnosis, and another 311 patients who had not taken any Chine medicine during the same period to evaluate the efficacy of Chinese medicine.

The results showed that patients who took Chinese medicine within 10 days after COVID-19 infection needed an average of seven days to test negative in rapid tests, and experienced an average of four symptoms, which were significantly milder compared to patients who didn’t take Chinese medicine. The average time to test negative for patients who did not take Chinese medicine was eight days, and they experienced an average of 11 symptoms. The results show that Chinese medicine is an effective treatment for COVID-19 infection.

Over half of the patients experience long COVID after six months

The research team conducted a follow-up telephone survey from November 2022 to January 2023 with 6,242 COVID-19 patients who sought medical consultation at the Telemedicine Centre between December 2021 and May 2022 to understand their symptoms and risk factors after six months to a year of infection.

The study found that 55% of patients still experienced at least one long-term symptom, i.e. “long COVID” or “post-COVID syndrome”. The most common symptoms were fatigue (36%), brain fog (34%) and cough (31%). Furthermore, females, middle-aged persons, obese people, those with comorbidities such as ophthalmology or otorhinolaryngology diseases, digestive system diseases, respiratory diseases, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases, and patients with more initial symptoms were more likely to develop long COVID. However, there was no significant correlation between taking three or more doses of vaccine and the occurrence of long COVID.

Professor Bian said: “HKBU established the Telemedicine Centre during the COVID-19 outbreak to provide free treatments for COVID-19 patients. We analysed the Centre’s data to deepen the medical community’s understanding of the symptoms during the early and middle stages of COVID-19 infection as well as the post-COVID syndrome. It allows the public to understand the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in treating COVID-19. The study also shows that the tele-services of Chinese medicine can be an important component of Hong Kong’s healthcare and disease prevention system.”

Kazakh entrepreneurs, scientists agree to implement joint projects

Posted on by Satbayev University

RK Science and Higher Education Ministry represented by Science Foundation, together with Satbayev University and Autonomous Cluster Fund “Park of Innovative Technologies” – Tech Garden, organized a dialogue platform on integrating the science and business “Reactor of Technology Commercialization.”

Within the framework of the platform, Kazakh scientists presented 10 projects in subsoil use field. Each participant’s task was to convey the commercial value of their scientific development to potential business partners and investors in 3 minutes.

Among the submitted projects – technology of enhanced oil recovery for hard-to-recover reserves, installations for processing hydrocarbon-containing waste, a system for forecasting deposits and sediments, the introduction of devices for cleaning the geo-technological and oil wells, monitoring of the flooding front of oil and gas fields “NOAH”, bio-meliorant based on industrial waste, a highly efficient mill for fine and ultrafine grinding of ore materials, cry-adsorbent for metal extraction, technology for treating the wastewater contaminated by subsurface use, method of complex processing of large data arrays of areal and borehole geophysics “Pollok”.

The event was attended by representatives of Association of Organizations of oil-gas and energy complex “Kazenergy”, “Kazmunaygas”, Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises, Association of producers and consumers of petrochemical products, experts, scientists, inventors and business representatives.

In his welcoming speech, Chairman of Board of Science Foundation Abdilda Shamenov noted the practical effect of holding such meetings – “according to the results of the commercialization Reactors conducted earlier, 31 out of 63 scientific projects have found their potential business partners for joint implementation.”

Satbayev University’s Rector Meiram Begentayev noted in his speech: “Currently the whole world is promoting sustainable development goals and in this regard Satbayev University is no exception. The commercialization reactor, which is carried out within the walls of University, is also an indicator of SDG achievement, the unification of business and science, the topic of environmentally friendly subsoil use is one of the active goals of sustainable development and ESG.”

By the way, Satbayev University, today, is implementing 24 projects through Science Foundation. Among them are the serial production of charging stations for electric vehicles with the improved characteristics, intelligent unmanned lethal systems, the production of modules for solar electric panels, as well as other projects in the agro-industrial and mining sectors, construction and pharmaceuticals.

In turn, Autonomous Cluster Fund “Park of Innovative Technologies” – Tech Garden has the potential for active development and implementation of innovations in digital technologies and industrial solutions sphere. “Technology Commercialization Reactor” was another step in achieving the given goal.

Following the results of the event, an agreement was reached on joint activities between business enterprises and scientific organizations.

Cultivating Euglena in Tomato Juice

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Euglena (Euglena gracilis) is a microalga containing chloroplasts and producing organic matter through photosynthesis in a well-lit environment, while taking in organic matter from outside in an unlit environment. It is known to be rich in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA. Owing to the lack of cell walls, Euglena has a high digestion and absorption rate, making it attractive as a new source of nutritious and health enhancing food.

Moreover, Euglena protein is rich in methionine, a characteristic of animal protein, and its nutritional value is comparable to casein found in milk. Therefore, it is expected to be one of the solutions to the shortage of animal protein due to the effects of climate change and population growth, as well as one of the production technologies for space exploration, which is flourishing these days. In addition, Euglena also contains a high percentage of a special type of beta-1,3-glucan called paramylon, known for its immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective effects. Paramylon may also be effective in reducing atopic dermatitis, influenza, and arthritis symptoms, as well as in preventing colon cancer. However, the existing methods for food-grade manufacturing of Euglena are quite complicated.

Currently, Euglena can be propagated using both autotrophic as well as heterotrophic culture mediums. Conventionally, the Koren–Hutner (KH) medium, a higher yielding heterotrophic medium, is used for its culture. But it requires measuring and mixing 26 different chemicals. Moreover, after the microalgae has reproduced to high densities in large pools, it must be extracted, washed, concentrated, and dried to foods or nutritional supplements. The energy required for these processes accounts for about 30% of the total production cost, and other costs such as cultivation land and transportation costs are also incurred in the production of Euglena as a food ingredient.

Aimed at improving the efficiency of existing production processes, a team of researchers from Japan conducted experiments to find a promising method to grow Euglena in large quantities. As explained in their latest paper, the team examined several beverages to find a suitable growing medium for Euglena. This paper was made available online on August 14, 2023 and was published in Issue 5 of the journal Sustainable Food Technology on September 1st, 2023. The study was led by Assistant Professor Kyohei Yamashita from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) and co-authored by Dr. Kengo Suzuki and Dr. Koji Yamada from Euglena Co., Ltd. and Professor Eiji Tokunaga from TUS.

Interestingly, this study is a part of follow-up research for which a patent was filed by Dr. Yamashita during his doctoral course in 2017. Dr. Yamashita explains, “We had previously confirmed that E. gracilis can grow even when foods such as seaweed, dried sardines, and boiled rice are used as a source of essential vitamins.”

The researchers first cultured Euglena with initial cell density of 4.2 x 103 cells/mL statically under aerobic conditions for about 10 days. For this, they used either Cramers–Myers (CM) medium, an independent nutrient medium, or KH medium, a heterotrophic medium. The cell density increased to 106 cells/mL and 107 cells/mL, respectively. Next, they incubated Euglena with initial cell density of 1.6 x 104 cells/mL in 13 different beverages, including diluted grape juice (with juice-to-water ratio of 3:7 or 7:3), pineapple juice, apple juice, sweet wine, diluted carrot juice (with juice-to-water ratio of 3:7 or 7:3), tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, prune juice, coconut water, and maple water, and culture medium supplemented with essential vitamins B1 and B12 under aerobic conditions. The cells were cultured under ‘light’ (26 °C, white light irradiation) or ‘dark’ (23 °C, no light irradiation) conditions.

Interestingly, the researchers found that the cell density of Euglena cells reached a maximum when cultured in tomato juice, especially under light conditions, and increased to 107 cells/mL, the same level as in KH medium. This also resulted in a change in the appearance of the culture medium from red to green after incubation (as shown in Image 1). The bright green chloroplasts in Euglena cultured in tomato juice were observed to be tightly packed inside the cells. On the other hand, in the non-tomato juice, the number of chloroplasts was low, and the green color was lighter. These findings suggest that tomato juice is more suitable for the growth of Euglena than other beverages.

Furthermore, on culturing Euglena under aerobic conditions using tomato juice diluted with water (in a ratio of 3:7, 4:6, or 5:5) and without essential vitamins, it grew to approximately 100 times of its initial cell density to 106 cells/mL under all dilution conditions. This revealed that the nutrient composition of tomato juice itself is suitable for Euglena growth.

“During static incubation, tomato juice diluted with water separated into a solid sediment layer and an upper aqueous solution layer in the container, and Euglena proliferated actively near the boundary of these layers. Therefore, when cultured under aerobic conditions using ‘tomato (filtered) medium,’ in which solid components were removed from tomato juice, Euglena were distributed throughout the entire culture medium,” points out Dr. Yamashita. Notably, the cell density was greater than that in the unfiltered tomato juice medium. This indicates that the removal of solid components may mitigate the effects of density, including growth space, light and nutrient acquisition, and waste accumulation.

Finally, the team cultured Euglena in CM medium with glutamic acid, a nutrient characteristic of tomato juice. The cell density reached two to three times that of the CM medium, but only about half that of the tomato juice medium. These findings suggest that components other than glutamic acid contained in tomato juice also contribute to the good growth of Euglena.

“Euglena is rich in nutrients and functional ingredients, so it is possible to easily fortify foods by converting some of the nutrients in the food into Euglena. Being simple and economically feasible, we expect this method to be useful for carbon-neutral and sustainable food production. It could also contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals related to food and hunger and has the potential to contribute as a food production technology in space exploration,” concludes Dr. Yamashita, expressing his hopes for the future development of this research.