Laboratory of Comparative Biochemistry

Scientific Head: N.V. Zhukova, Dr. Sci. Biol., leading researcher.

Main fields of research:

• lipidomics of marine invertebrates and macroalgae;
• trophic and symbiotic relationships in marine ecosystems;
• biosynthesis of lipids and fatty acids (FA);
• chemical structure of FAs, oxylipins, and other lipids;
• chemosystematics of marine invertebrates and bacteria;
• biological activity of polyunsaturated FAs;
• methods for obtaining pure FAs (99%) and biologically active additives (BAA) from marine-derived lipids.

Approaches and method used

One- and two-dimensional high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with quantitative densitometry; UV-VIS spectrophotometry; low-pressure column liquid chromatography; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); preparative HPLC; capillary gas chromatography (GC); gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS); gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS); isotope ratio mass spectrometry; 1Н/13С two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR); liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry of low (LC-MS/MS) and high (LCMS-IT-TOF) resolution.

Range of organisms and objects under study; geography of research

Marine animals such as, mainly, invertebrates (bivalves and gastropods, squid, crabs, sponges, jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, holothurians, reef-building and soft corals, and hydrocorals), marine plants (macro- and microalgae, sea grasses), plankton and bacteria from marine sources, some freshwater organisms, seeds of terrestrial plants, and blood plasma of higher animals and humans. The Laboratory is specializes in the study of the chemical composition of fatty acids, classes of lipids, certain molecular types of lipids and complete lipidome, as well as the role of these lipids in functions of both individual organisms and marine ecosystems in general. The geography of research is as follows: the Far Eastern seas of Russia (Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan/East Sea), the South China Sea (Vietnam), and Lake Baikal.

Researcher Personnel

Information provided by the principal researcher A.B. Imbs.