Since the beginning of the 2000s, the scientific problems of the department have been associated with the problems of molecular evolution of genetic macromolecules, evolutionary biochemistry and bioinformatics.
8 monographs and over 350 scientific works were published.
Three Ph.D. theses were defended:
- Achinovich O.V. - 'Structural and functional properties of membrane-bound mammalian adenylate cyclases, analysis of their messenger RNA and amino acid sequences' (2003);
- Butvilovskiy A.V. - 'Dynamics of changes in the nucleotide sequences of messenger RNA and amino acid sequences of alcohol dehydrogenases in the process of evolution' (2007);
- Khrustalev V.V. - 'Biochemical and evolutionary aspects of mutational pressure in the genomes of prokaryotes and viruses' (2011);
- Khrustaleva T.A. - 'Structural basis of the specificity of binding of manganese (II) ions by proteins and peptides' (2015).
The Department of General Chemistry of the Belarusian State Medical University is developing original research methods in the field of molecular evolution, based on the theory of neutral evolution by M. Kimura and the theory of mutational pressure by N. Sueoka. The foundations of this theory and the results of its conceptual development are presented in the monograph 'Replication, transcription, mutational pressure' (Khrustalev V.V., 2011, edited by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Prof. Barkovsky E.V.), On the basis of the theory of mutation pressure, a method has been developed for the isolation of the least mutable protein fragments for the creation of immunological diagnostics and components of synthetic vaccines. This marked the beginning of the practical application of the theory of mutational pressure.
Khrustalev Vladislav Victorovich, PhD in biological sciences, the head of the department, was awarded the international prize Scopus Award Belarus 2013 for his outstanding contribution to the development of science in the field of biology in the field of higher education in the Republic of Belarus.
Currently, research at the Department of General Chemistry is devoted to the application of the theory of mutational pressure to study the life cycles and pathogenesis of pathogens that cause serious diseases (AIDS, herpes infection, shingles, staphylococcal infection, autoimmune complications of streptococcal infection, influenza, diphtheria, tuberculosis, Ebola, Parvovirus B19, Zika, SARS-CoV-2).
The problems of tuberculosis and staphylococcal infection are being developed jointly with colleagues from the University of Arak (Iran) and the University of Putra (Malaysia). The pathogenesis of Parvovirus B19 infection is being studied jointly with colleagues from the Luxembourg National Institute of Health. Together with colleagues from the Mandi Institute of Technology (India), the mechanisms of mutational pressure in genomes of the Zika virus, Adeno-associated viruses and coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2) were studied. Together with colleagues from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology of Moscow State University, new approaches to combating the influenza virus are being developed.
Since 2013, much attention has been paid to the problems of protein folding. Based on the use of original bioinformatic methods, chemical synthesis of the original model peptide CC36 and the results of its spectral analysis, unknown aspects of the transition of the alpha-helical form of the prion protein to the beta-structural form are revealed. An article on this work was published in the journal PROTEINS: Structure, Fucntion, and Bioinformatics in 2016.
More detailed information on the scientific activities of the department, links to articles and the collection of original computer algorithms on the topic of molecular evolution can be found at https://chemres.bsmu.by/.
In 2020, the staff of the department successfully completed the BRFFR-RFBR grant on the topic 'Search for new ways to block the penetration of the influenza virus into the cell at the stage of membrane fusion and matrix disintegration'.
The following dissertations are carried out at the department
- Doctoral dissertation: 'Stability of the structure of proteins and vaccine peptides.' The head of the department., Assoc. Prof. Khrustalev Vladislav Victorovich. Scientific adviser - Stojarov A.N., Doctor of Biological Sciences, Prof., Head. department radiation medicine and ecology BSMU.
- PhD thesis: 'Comparative characteristics of the physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of lactoperoxidases from the milk of goats, cows and humans.' Assistant Kokhanovskaya Ekaterina Yurievna. Scientific supervisor - Semak I.V., PhD., associate professor, the head of the department of biochemistry, BSU.
- PhD thesis: 'Protein regions with an unstable secondary structure: a method of detection, a role in the pathogenesis of diseases accompanied by structural transitions.' PhD student Poboinev Victor Vitoldovich. Scientific supervisor - Khrustalev V.V., Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., the head of the department of general chemistry.
- PhD thesis: 'The epidermal growth factor with an amino acid substitution: design, evaluation of antagonistic properties, the choice of the delivery method.' PhD student Akunevich Anastasia Aleksandrovna. Scientific supervisor - V. V. Khrustalev, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., the head of the department of general chemistry.