Press releases

Belarusian academy of sciences reveals details of scientific program on ISS

MINSK, 26 March (BelTA) - The Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) has selected strains and microorganism combinations for biotechnological experiments to be conducted on the ISS, BelTA learned from the NASB press service.

“As part of the scientific program on the International Space Station (ISS) the first Belarusian woman cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya is set to perform biotechnological experiments on cultivation and storage of samples of probiotic strains of lactic acid microorganisms and bifidobacteria in space flight conditions, as well as production of samples of fermented milk products with a complex of probiotic cultures. Scientists of the NASB Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry have selected strains of lactic acid microorganisms and bifidobacteria, determined the optimal nutrient media and milk bases for the development of strains and combinations of cultures as part of an experiment in space flight conditions. The research will provide new data on the safety and properties of strains of lactic acid microorganisms and bifidobacteria, as well as their combinations in the state of anabiosis and after cultivation, parameters for obtaining fermented milk products in space flight conditions,” the press service said.

Employees of the Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry - Natalia Zhabanos, Head of the Biotechnology Department, and Elena Biryuk, Head of the Laboratory of Microbiological Research and Collection of Industrial Microorganisms of the Biotechnology Department, successfully conducted pre-flight preparation of the scientific equipment Bioecology and Probiovit intended for use onboard the ISS as part the scientific research program. The preparations were carried out at the Russian State Scientific Center – the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences together with the staff of the center and specialists of PKK Energia and BioTechSis.

As BelTA earlier reported, the flight of the Belarusian cosmonaut has been planned as a flight with scientific research purposes. The scientific program of the flight was developed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus with the participation of the Russian Academy of Sciences and approved by Roscosmos. The program includes seven experiments, including five research and two educational ones.

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