BelSU Scientists Win Russian Science Foundation Grant Competition

Russian Science Foundation has recently announced the results of the competition in the foundation’s priority area of "Conducting Fundamental Scientific Research and Exploratory Scientific Research by Individual Research Groups".

Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor at the BelSU Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems, Mikhail Korokin, received funding for his project titled “Regulation of the Activity of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Isoforms (11βHSDs) for the Development of New Strategies for Pharmacological Correction of Disorders in Bone Remodelling and Osteoreparation.” This project aims to discover new compounds that could serve as drug candidates for treating osteoporosis.

“This study builds on a project we successfully completed in 2023, during which we developed genetically modified animals and demonstrated the role of steroid hormone metabolism disorders in osteoporosis linked to the lack of expression of 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. Over the next three years, our team will investigate promising compounds identified in the initial phase of our work. This involves extensive research, including evaluating their effectiveness, toxicological safety, and other critical factors,” explained Mikhail Korokin.

Sergey Mironov, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the BelSU Institute of Engineering and Digital Technologies, secured funding for his project “Selective Laser Melting of Maraging Steel.”

“The implementation of this project will optimize additive manufacturing technology, enhance the mechanical properties of additive products, and deepen our understanding of how metallic materials behave under extreme conditions,” said Sergey Mironov.

Maxim Ozerov, a research fellow at the Laboratory of Bulk Nanostructured Materials within the BelSU Research Institute of Materials Science and Innovative Technologies, received support for his project "Development of Composites Based on Medium-Energy NbTiZr Alloy Strengthened with Boride Particles for Biomedical Applications.” This grant from the RSF will enable researchers to advance their work on enhancing the properties of this innovative biocomposite material.

“Thanks to this support, we will continue our three-year project focused on developing composites made from a niobium-titanium-zirconium alloy reinforced with borides. In the previous phase, we achieved high hardness and wear resistance for these composites. In this new project, we will adjust the alloy composition for biomedical applications to increase plasticity without compromising strength or biocompatibility. Our goal is to further enhance the plasticity of these new composites. The RSF’s support will be instrumental in achieving an optimal balance between strength and plasticity for finished products made from this alloy,” Maxim Ozerov explained.