Six-month research training at Ghent University: PhD student's study focuses on women's reproductive health

The research objective of Tigran Aleksanyan, PhD student at the Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, is to identify strains isolated from the vagina that have the potential to serve as probiotics for the prevention and treatment of various disorders of the female reproductive system.

His research project, titled "Integrated Identification of Vaginal Microbiome Isolates Using MALDI-TOF MS and Whole-Genome Sequencing", has received funding through the "Professional Training-2025" competition. 

"I study the probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the vaginal microbiome. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when introduced into the human body, confer beneficial effects. Lactic acid bacteria are typical probiotics, commonly consumed with dairy products," explains Tigran Aleksanyan.

He emphasizes that probiotics are increasingly viewed as an alternative to antibiotics, saying, "Probiotics are already present in our bodies, and by manipulating them, we can suppress the growth and development of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria." 

Tigran Aleksanyan will undergo training under the supervision of Professor Pieter Vandamme from the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ghent University. Previously, together with his scientific supervisor, Associate Professor Inga Bazukyan from the Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, YSU, he spent a month at Ghent University, performing bacterial identification.

"MALDI-TOF MS is a system that provides the protein profile of bacteria. It allows rapid identification of numerous bacterial strains. During our visit to Ghent University, we brought with us bacterial strains isolated from sources such as the gastrointestinal tracts of bees, the vaginal microbiome of women, various dairy products, and fermented vegetables, and performed their identification," he says.

In February 2026, Tigran Aleksanyan will travel to Ghent University on his own. Presenting the MALDI-TOF MS system, the student noted, "In our project, this system is used for preliminary screening to provide an initial profile of the bacteria, which is then complemented with whole-genome sequencing." 

After assessing the physiological, biochemical, and biological activities of the bacterial strains, the YSU PhD student will select strains that, based on preliminary experiments, show potential for probiotic applications. In this context, he added, "Whole-genome sequencing will also be conducted abroad through a specialized company, followed by bioinformatic analysis."

Tigran Aleksanyan expects to obtain results that can lead to the development of probiotic formulations, such as suppositories, which may be used for the prevention or treatment of disorders of the female reproductive system.

He has co-authored four research articles on lactic acid bacteria, published in high-impact international journals.