Victory of young YSU researcher in international competition

The idea to participate in the competition was conceived back in 2023, when Ani Harutyunyan and her research team took part in the innovative projects competition 100 Ideas for Armenia, organized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, where they won in the category "Biological Sciences". In 2025, following an invitation from the ministry, the project was presented at the international level.

The competition in Astana lasted two days and brought together around 60 young scientists and innovators from various countries, including Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The first day featured an exhibition, while the second day was dedicated to the competitive stage, during which participants presented their projects to the jury composed of representatives from different countries. The assessment was carried out using a point-based system and secret voting.

Ani Harutyunyan presented an innovative antimicrobial agent based on silver nanoparticles obtained through a green synthesis method. The research is grounded in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the phycocyanin pigment isolated from the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. The resulting nanoparticles exhibit antibacterial activity. Their antifungal, anticancer, and hemolytic properties (toxicity toward red blood cells, erythrocytes) were also investigated.

This work constitutes an important part of Ani Harutyunyan's PhD dissertation. Research on nanoparticles has been conducted in the relevant YSU laboratory for several years. At the first stage, chemically synthesized nanoparticles were studied, and currently, the research group is focused on green synthesis as a safer and more biocompatible approach.

The studies are continuing, with more in-depth exploration of the impact mechanisms of nanoparticles, particularly their antimicrobial and anticancer potential, which represents a promising direction in the field of biomedicine.

In the "Medicine and Healthcare" category, 12 projects were submitted to the competition. Ani Harutyunyan notes that the competition was quite intense, as many strong and interesting projects were presented. At the same time, it provided a highly motivating environment for professional communication and future collaborations. As a result of the competition, Armenia and Tajikistan were both declared winners in this category.

The research presented internationally by the YSU PhD student was conducted under the supervision of Lilit Gabrielyan, PhD in Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at the Chair of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology of the YSU Faculty of Biology. Their research group has been engaged in the green synthesis of nanoparticles for nearly ten years, using the biomass of cyanobacteria and green algae isolated in Armenia.

Within the framework of this project, phycocyanin was successfully applied for the first time as a platform for the green synthesis of nanoparticles. Phycocyanin is an essential photosynthetic pigment of cyanobacteria and is currently widely used in biotechnology, biomedicine, agriculture, and the food industry. This innovative approach opens up new opportunities for the application of nanoparticles, particularly in the fields of medicine and healthcare.