Robert Alekseevich Pshenichnov, Contribution to the Formation of Academic Microbiological Science in Perm

Abstract

The main scientific and organizational activities of Robert A. Pshenichnov are connected with the launching the Department of Selection and Genetics of Microorganisms at the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1971, and his appointment as the Head of this first academic institution in Perm. He is credited with the selection of research personnel and equipment of the new department with the most modern microbiological equipment of that time. The development of this research and experimental base formed the scientific directions, later transformed into the Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms of the Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Science in 1988 Many areas of research have been implemented in solving applied problems. The use of the potential of continuous cultivation of microorganisms formed the basis of the method of reclamation of mine dumps proposed by Robert Alekseevich. He also successfully developed the direction related to the improvement of methods for indicating environmental pollution. Under the leadership of R.A. Pshenichnov, a new variant of bioindicator of toxicants - Microbioluminescent Toxicity Indicator (MIT), which had higher sensitivity to toxic compounds, was developed on the basis of genetically engineered strain Escherichia coli lum+. Robert Alexeevich is the author of five monographs and six issues of mutagen catalogs, as well as numerous scientific works in the field of general and infectious microbiology, genetics, mutagenesis and ecology of microorganisms.