A student from Altai State University developed a means of destroying insect pests that is safe for people and nature and won a million rubles
A student at the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical-Pharmaceutical Technologies of Altai State University Anna Makarova became the winner of the “Student Startup” project and won a million rubles to implement her project titled "Development of a technology for a biological insecticide based on polysaccharides of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to combat insect pests of agricultural plants."
"Student Startup" is a program implemented by the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises within the framework of the federal project "Platform of University Technological Entrepreneurship" with the aim to provide grant support for startup projects of students in Russian universities. Altai State University has been involved in it since 2022, with specialists from the Center for Development of Technological Entrepreneurship of Altai State University and teacher-curators working with students.
"I have developed a product to combat pests of agricultural crops and fruit and berry plants. This product is environmentally friendly, as it does not contain pesticides or chemical components. It contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria Rizobium radiobacter, capable of synthesizing polysaccharides that form a film on the body of an insect, preventing the breathing process. The product is presented as a liquid concentrate, easy to dilute and apply to plants using standard spray devices. Potential consumers can be individual entrepreneurs; farmers (peasant farms) and gardeners. Storage of the product does not require special conditions. It is suitable for greenhouses, open ground, indoor plants and aeroponics,” says Anna Makarova. “Pests are a very big problem for farmers, gardeners, and plant lovers. This problem affected me too. The summer before last, aphids settled on the tomatoes in my parents' garden. It was very difficult to get rid of them. Chemical insecticides do not always help in exterminating insects, as they cause addiction and adaptation. Moreover, they pollute the environment. I would like to use a product that will 100% help without harming our nature. That is why I decided to take up this topic."
Anna Makarova's supervisor, an associate professor of the Department of Organic Chemistry, Candidate of Biological Sciences Denis Minakov notes:
"The uniqueness of the product being developed lies in its active component, a polysaccharide isolated from the culture liquid of agrobacteria. The technological process for obtaining the finished product is not labor-intensive due to the short period of bacterial cultivation and the high yield of polysaccharides formed as a result of biosynthesis. The resulting product can be used both in open and closed environments when treating plants from insect pests, mainly from thrips, whiteflies, aphids and spider mites. The use of a biological contact insecticide and acaricide will reduce the pesticide load, regulate the number of insect pests and increase the yield of agricultural crops."
Scientists will conduct research aimed at developing a technology for isolating polysaccharides, studying their composition and physicochemical properties, as well as testing them on insect pests in the field. This will allow them to assess the applicability of the insecticide on an industrial scale. This is what the million rubles won will be used for.
"It's great that students have the opportunity to realize themselves not only in science and production, but also in business. I think this is a promising area, as it fosters shift in their thinking and opens up prospects for self-improvement. In addition to projects in the field of agriculture, our students enrolled in the 19.03.01 "Biotechnology" training direction, implemented at the Department of Organic Chemistry, are developing innovative products for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, which will continue to participate in the Innovation Assistance Fund competition," Denis Minakov summed up.