90th anniversary of Palladin Institute marks history of rise and development of biochemical science in Ukraine

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

This year the Palladin Institute of Biochemistry under the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) marks two significant events: the 130th anniversary of birth of Alexander V. Palladin, founder of the Institute and NASU member (pictured), and the 90th anniversary of the official establishment of the Institute.

Alexander Palladin had been at the head of the Institute for 45 years. The theoretical and practical results of Institute’s research at that time became the basis of the scientific trend, namely functional biochemistry and its integral part – neurochemistry. They brought international fame to the Ukrainian school of biochemistry and its founder Alexander Palladin.

At present, the Institute is directed by NASU member Sergey Komisarenko. Institute’s activity is aimed to study top-priority, fundamental problems of animal and human biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and nanobiotechnology, as well as to create drug preparations, diagnosticums and bioactive substances, among others, for medical practice, agriculture and veterinary medicine.

Although it is hard to estimate an economic, social and scientific contribution made by researchers of the Institute to a national economy over the course of 90 years of its existence, Dr. Komisarenko considers it very weighty. In addition to the fundamental results of research that were published in hundreds of monographs and textbooks, scientific articles, encyclopedic and historical books of reference, workers of the Institute obtained more than 300 certificates of authorship and patents on their inventions. Among inventions introduced earlier, it is worth noting Vicasol used for accelerating wound healing and blood clotting, the antimicrobic drug Microcide, the anti-cancer agent Mebiphon, the antialcoholic drug Medichronal, sets of highly efficacious additives to fodder, and others.

Thanks to advanced methods of investigation, in recent years scientists of the Institute have made the unique collection of producers of monoclonal
antibodies which were the basis for creating test-systems to diagnose a threat of thrombosis and hemostasis on the whole, tuberculosis, diphtheria,
whooping cough and some other diseases. They found new evidence of the existence of non-coenzymic mechanisms of the participation of thiamine in activity
of nerve cells. This confirms the previously formed hypothesis in terms of the molecular mechanisms of the neurotropic effect of thiamine. Researchers of the Institute have obtained novel results whereby to develop high biotechnologies and nanobiotechnoligies, analytic biosensors, as well as to evolve methods of the chemical modification of naturally occurring bioactive substances.

Today fundamental research continues at 10 scientific departments and six laboratories of the Palladin Institute of Biochemistry and the workers’ collective does it possible to carry on investigations up to world standards, preserving traditions established by its founder and retaining universally recognized leadership in its sphere.