The Scientific Departments of ARRIAM

Director of the ARRIAM, Academician of RAS, Doctor of Biology, Professor Tikhonovich Igor Anatolievich - personal Web-page.

Deputy Director for Scientific Research, Doctor of Biology Provorov Nikolai Alexandrovich - personal Web-page.

1. Laboratory of Rhizospheric Microflora.

Head of the Laboratory - Andrey Alexeevich BELIMOV, Doctor of Biological Sciences.

Rhizosphere as an interface of soil-microbe-plant interactions and modeling of plant-microbe integration processes.
The role of microorganisms and plants in the cycle of organic and inorganic substances in biogeocenosis.
Adaptation of symbiotic plant-microbe systems to environmental stresses.
Interactions between facultative phytopathogenic fungi, agricultural crops and biocontrol rhizobacteria.
Developmental genetics, control differentiation of specialized cells and regulation mechanisms of the heterocyst formation in cyanobacteria.

2. Laboratory of Microbial Ecological Technology.

Head of the Laboratory - Irina Alexandrovna ARKHIPCHENKO, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences.

Development of the processes for treatment of wastes and waste waters.
Development of the processes for production and application of nontraditional biofertilizers.
The use of chemical and biological methods for evaluating the pollutions of natural and effluent waters.

3. Laboratory of molecular and cellular biology .

Head of the Laboratory - Viktor Evgen’evich TSYGANOV, Candidate of Biological Sciences

The study of molecular-genetic and structural mechanisms of cell differentiation upon symbiotic nodule development.
The study of molecular-genetic and cellular mechanisms of adaptation of legume plants and their symbiotic systems to stress factors.
The study of signalling events upon legume-Rhizobium symbiosis.

4. Laboratory of Biological Nitrogen.

Head of the laboratory - Andrey Petrovich KOJEMIAKOV, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

The search for and the study of natural microorganisms ensuring a number of functions useful for plants: fixation of air nitrogen, supply of the plants with additional amounts of the mineral nutritient elements, control of the plant uptake of the heavy metals and radionuclides, protection of the plants from diseases and pests, enhancing the plant resistance to stress factors.

5. Laboratory of Microbiological Monitoring and Mioremediation of Soils.

Head of the Laboratory - Eugeny Eugenievich ANDRONOV, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

Theoretical bases of the microbiological monitoring and biological diagnostics of the soil.
The system for an over-all evaluation of the soil state under various agrotechnical practices of the agricultural production is being developed.
The microbiological methods for bioremediation of the soils polluted with pesticides are being developed and introduced into practice.

On the basis of fundamental research in the field of soil microbiology a modern technology to produce biologically active organic fertilizers and substrates for plant growth in greenhouses has been developed.

6. Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of Microorganisms.

Head of the Laboratory - Boris Vasilievieh SIMAROV, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences

The study of the genetics of highly effective symbiosis of nodule bacteria and leguminous plants.
A great collection of the nodule bacteria strains with altered symbiotic properties including the strains with an enhanced nitrogen fixing activity, effectiveness and competitiveness has been made. Several genes responsible for an increased symbiotic effectiveness and competitiveness were cloned and sequenced.
The collection of native alfalfa nodulating isolates from 4 gene centers of alfalfa were generated and genomically fingerprinted. Special focus is put on rhizobia native to stress environment affected by salt and drought, like at the Aral Sea region. The main objective is to increase tolerance of symbioses benefit for recultivation salt-dust areas and degradated lands. This scientific research is crossed with the developing of new molecular tools and approaches aiming to significantly improve biodiversity research on the field of stress tolerant genes among alfalfa nodulating rhizobia.

7. Laboratory of Microbiology and Pathology of Rodents and Insects.

Head of the Laboratory - Nikolai Vasilievich KANDYBIN, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences.

Development of the production and application of the microbial preparations for protecting plants against pests and diseases, optimization of the mineral nutrition and intensification of the self-purification processes of the industrially polluted soils.

8. Laboratory of Technical Microbiology.

Head of the Laboratory - Vladimir Kuzmich TCHEBOTAR, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

Development of the production process and application of the microbiological preparations for agriculture; - improvement of the existing production processes of the microbial preparations employing accessible carbon and nitrogen sources.
The search for, study and selection of the new strains of microorganisms possessing a stimulating and a protective effect on the agricultural crops.

9. Laboratory of Genetics of Plant-microbe Interactions.

Head of the Laboratory - Vladimir Alexandrovich ZHUKOV, PhD.

Molecular-genetic bases of interaction between plants and microorganisms in symbiotic systems.
Approaches to create effective plant-microbe symbiotic systems for sustainable agriculture.

10. Russian Collection of Agricultural Microorganisms.

Head of the Collection – Vera I. SAFRONOVA, PhD.

Russian Collection of Agricultural Microorganisms (RCAM) is one of long standing and specialized depositories of beneficial microorganisms in Russia. It exists just from a moment of foundation of the Institute in 1930. The challenges of the collection are as follows: isolation, study, taxonomic identification, long-term storage and patent deposit of non-pathogenic bacteria, fungi and yeasts for agricultural purposes. The Collection includes about 5000 strains, which can be used as:

biodestructors of pesticides, insecticides and other organic pollutants of soils;
producers of vitamins and phytohormones;
stimulators of agricultural crops growth;
agents for a conservation of forage;
biocontrollers;
accumulators of heavy metals and radionuclides for a phytoremediation of contaminated soils;
antistress agents for a stimulation of plants growth in stress conditions caused by soil pollutants and drought.

The collection controls and distributes microbial strains among various institutions and commercial organizations under specialized regulations.

11. Group of Zootechnical Microbiology.

Head of the Group - Georgy Yurievich LAPTEV, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

The study of the microflora of the rumen of the ruminant agricultural animals and the role of the rumen in digesting fodders. Probiotic preparations have been developed including those based on recombinant microorganisms.
The study of the microbiological processes in preserving silos, production of the strains of lactic-acid bacteria with altered physiological and biochemical properties for using as an ensilage.

12. Group of Bioinformatics and Mathematical Simulation.

Head of the Group - Nikolai Ivanovich VOROBYOV, Candidate of Technical Sciences.

Creation of the database for microbiological evaluation and forecasting the soil processes in agricultural production.
Support of the scientific research conducted at the Institute with modem instruments, laboratory and computer equipment.
Development of novel instrumental and mathematical methods of research.