Category: Наука

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Mikhail Maslov, an engineer at the Vega Observatory at Novosibirsk State University, captured this image of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, which is currently only visible through amateur telescopes early in the morning. It will be one of the most striking astronomical events of the fall: its peak brightness will occur in late October and early November.

The comet was discovered relatively recently: on January 3, 2025, at the Mount Lemmon Observatory (USA), hence its name. It is a long-period comet: its orbital period is currently 1,369 years. Its perihelion (the comet's closest orbital distance to the Sun) is November 8, 2025, at a perihelion distance of 0.53 astronomical units.

"Brightness estimates for this comet have now been revised upward: in late October – early November, a brightness of approximately magnitude 4 is expected; previously, magnitude 6 was expected. This comet's brightening, ahead of the initial baseline forecast, was expected, as this is not the comet's first pass near the Sun, meaning, as astronomers say, it is not 'dynamically new.' In such comets, the most volatile substances from the surface of the nucleus have already largely evaporated during previous returns. Therefore, such comets, as they approach the Sun, exhibit a comparatively low brightness for their size (since the most volatile substances are relatively few in number). Then, closer to the Sun, when the more refractory components of the nucleus, such as water ice, begin to melt and evaporate, they increase their brightness quite sharply," explained Mikhail Maslov.

The comet was photographed around 4 a.m. on September 19, approximately 70 km from Novosibirsk, using a telescope with a focal length of 854 mm and an aperture of 2.8 f/2.0. The total shooting time was 31 minutes. The weather conditions were favorable: despite the presence of clouds, they nevertheless passed by and did not obscure the comet.

Another comet that will be observable from Russia this fall is C/2025 K1 ATLAS. This comet's brightness has also been revised upwards; in October-November, it is expected to reach magnitude 7 or 8 (previously, it was predicted to reach magnitude 9 or 10). It will be visible in amateur telescopes.

"The discovery of another bright autumn comet, C/2025 R2 SWAN, was recently officially announced. It's currently near its peak brightness—magnitude 7—but it's not yet visible at our latitudes. It will become visible around October 5-10, and by the end of the month and into November, it will be at a good altitude, although its brightness is waning," said Mikhail Maslov.

NSU astronomers advise astrophotographers to prepare in advance for the exciting autumn events.

"As they approach the Sun, comets' tails typically become more extended, and this tail may split into ionic (bluish-green gas) and dust (yellowish-white) components. Astrophotographers will have the opportunity to capture these beautiful hues of comet tails with their cameras," added Alfiya Nesterenko, head of the Vega Observatory at NSU.

Photo: Mikhail Maslov, engineer at the Vega Observatory at NSU

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding fundamental boiling processes Faculty of Physics of Novosibirsk State University and the S.S. Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, working as part of one of the research teams of the large-scale international project RUBI (Reference mUltiscale Boiling Investigation). For the first time, they observed the growth of an individual bubble during liquid boiling in zero-gravity conditions on the ISS, described it, and created numerical models of its growth. In doing so, the researchers made significant advances in understanding fundamental boiling processes. Two articles presenting a detailed analysis of these unique experiments have been published in leading international journals: first article, second articleThis research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under grants No. 21-79-10357 and 19-19-00695.

This large-scale international project was implemented aboard the ISS by an international scientific team under the auspices of the European Space Agency. To study individual vapor bubbles nucleating on a superheated substrate, the Reference Multiscale Boiling Investigation (RUBI) facility was built and delivered to the ISS. Conducting this experiment on Earth was impossible because gravity on our planet masks key physical mechanisms—bubbles quickly break away and are carried away by the Archimedes force, and natural convection significantly influences temperature distribution in liquids. Thanks to zero gravity, the ISS became an ideal "laboratory," allowing the bubbles to remain on the heater and grow to sizes unusual for terrestrial conditions. It provides a particularly suitable environment for studying individual vapor bubbles nucleating on a superheated substrate and the mechanisms involved. This was the first such experiment with a single vapor bubble on an artificial vapor center under carefully controlled conditions on the ISS, where the bubble grows to large sizes without detachment and in the absence of natural convection.

The boiling process is used in many industrial applications for matter and energy conversion devices. We can also observe it in nature—for example, in geothermal geysers or during volcanic eruptions. While a vast amount of scientific research has been conducted on boiling, scientists have focused on integral boiling parameters, which are crucial for engineering problems. The growth of an individual bubble can also be considered an elementary boiling process, so for a detailed study of boiling mechanisms, it is advisable to focus specifically on individual bubbles. This has never been done before in zero gravity due to the complexity of the process itself. The difficulty lies in the fact that the physics of boiling depends on many factors, and despite numerous long-term studies, a complete understanding of all multi-scale phenomena remains. Experiments in zero gravity conditions can shed light on these phenomena. In zero gravity, bubbles can grow in size without premature detachment. Thus, boiling phenomena can be observed on larger spatial and temporal scales with better resolution. At the same time, boiling in zero-gravity conditions is itself a subject of research that is important for space missions, explained Fyodor Ronshin, a senior lecturer at the NSU Physics Department.

Conditions close to weightlessness can also be achieved on Earth using short-term zero-gravity platforms. Initially, scientists used ground-based structures such as drop towers, then parabolic flights, and sounding rockets. However, these capabilities were clearly insufficient for studying bubble formation during liquid boiling, as zero-gravity conditions were created only for a few seconds or minutes. In this case, longer periods of time were required, achievable only on the International Space Station (ISS). It is here, thanks to the stable conditions of zero-gravity, that long-term experiments can be conducted. Zero-gravity provides a particularly suitable environment for studying individual vapor bubbles nucleating on a superheated substrate and the mechanisms involved.

"The specially designed RUBI setup was delivered to the ISS six years ago. The experiment continued until 2021, when it was returned to Earth. During this time, scientists from five international research teams were able to observe its progress from Earth, monitor instrument readings, and access data online. The results were discussed and analyzed weekly. The setup was a sealed cell. The working fluid was FC-72, a dielectric fluid used to cool electronics. It was housed inside the cell. The bubble growth dynamics were visualized using a high-speed black-and-white camera on the side and a high-speed infrared camera underneath. The setup was also equipped with a fluid circulation loop that generated the flow. It was possible to set the fluid temperature, pressure, heat flux on the heater, and the time between heater activation and the laser pulse that initiates bubble formation. All of this was necessary to cover the entire range of parameters for constructing models of the observed processes," explained Fyodor Ronshin.

A short (20 millisecond) laser pulse was used to form a single vapor bubble on an artificial nucleation site. The bubble then grows under the influence of Joule heating. This process occurs inside the cell. The setup was also equipped with microthermocouples, which could be placed at various locations within the chamber to determine the temperature distribution within the liquid. It was also possible to study the effect of shear flow, which could be used to remove bubbles. Furthermore, the chamber contained an electrode that generated an electric field, which could cause the bubble to detach from the substrate (analogous to Archimedes' force on Earth).

Our research currently focuses on the results of a single-bubble growth experiment, with particular attention to the effect of liquid subcooling (the difference between the saturation temperature and the liquid temperature). This allows us to better understand the dynamics of single vapor bubble growth in zero-gravity conditions, with particular attention to the role of dissolved (non-condensable) gases. The experimental results are confirmed by numerical simulations based on the developed model. Some observed phenomena, such as the absence of bubble collapse and the subsequent resumption of bubble growth, proved difficult to explain without the assumption of the presence of non-condensable gases, despite careful degassing of the working fluid. The model was appropriately modified to test this picture of the phenomenon, which included Marangoni thermocapillary convection induced by dissolved gases in the liquid. "We found that in our case, the presence of even a small amount of dissolved gases (~1%) after thorough degassing has a positive effect on heat transfer because the superheated liquid is distributed along the bubble, moving away from the heater toward the top of the bubble, and the bubble doesn't condense, but continues to evaporate and grow faster. This allows for more efficient heat transfer," explained Fyodor Ronshin.

As a result of experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station using the RUBI facility in conjunction with advanced numerical modeling, scientists modified the numerical model to account for noncondensable gases and thermocapillary effects, which was in good agreement with experimental observations. Accounting for these factors eliminated discrepancies between subcooling conditions. The researchers also concluded that the presence of noncondensable gases within a bubble significantly affects its survival and growth dynamics, ensuring bubble survival even under conditions of relatively high subcooling that would otherwise collapse pure vapor bubbles. They noted that thermocapillary convection, driven by temperature gradients along the bubble surface caused by the presence of noncondensable gases, enhances heat and mass transfer near the interface. This phenomenon promotes intensified evaporation at the base of the bubble and reduces the intensity of condensation at its apex, facilitating its stable growth.

"Under terrestrial conditions, the influence of dissolved gases in a liquid can be suppressed by natural convection. In zero gravity, this does not occur, and their manifestation generally has a positive effect on bubble growth. We have discovered that by varying the concentration of dissolved gases in a liquid, we can influence the processes of bubble formation and growth. Using this data, we will be able to predict bubble growth in liquids with any concentration of dissolved gases, including in space," concluded Fyodor Ronshin.

Studying bubble growth in zero-gravity conditions without external forces is only part of the research, which is now complete. However, the RUBI experiment was not limited to this. Now, scientists will explore it under more complex conditions—for example, under the influence of an electric field, using the bubble removal method, and under varying electric field intensities. According to Fyodor Ronshin, the data received from the ISS will be sufficient for at least another five years of work. The results obtained will have both fundamental significance for the physics of heat and mass transfer and boiling, as well as practical applications—they will enable the development of more efficient cooling systems for spacecraft and orbital stations, where boiling is a promising method for removing high heat fluxes in zero-gravity conditions.

Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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On September 16, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed between NSU and BurService. The document solidifies the partnership in the development and support of digital technologies for the oil and gas industry and is a natural extension of the previously concluded agreement on the joint development and commercialization of a next-generation software package for interpreting seismic and geological-geophysical data used in constructing digital field models. The signing took place at the TNF-2025 Industrial and Energy Forum.

Arkaim is a joint development project combining NSU's scientific base and BurService's practical expertise. The software incorporates the intellectual property of both parties, making the product unique in its depth of development and innovativeness.

The parties entered into an agency agreement under which NSU modules and developments not included in the Arkaim project will be exclusively distributed by BurServis. The agreement is valid throughout the Russian Federation and beyond. This format of cooperation reflects a genuine collaboration between business and science and will allow for the most effective use of BurServis's experience in promoting and implementing new solutions for oil and gas companies in the region.

"Creating a science-intensive technological product requires at least two competencies: scientific—to solve the problems underlying the product—and applied—to properly plan its development and market promotion. We intend to achieve synergy between these two areas by signing an agreement with BurService, under which our partner will assume the functions of promoting and providing technical support for the software platform we are developing for interpreting seismic data and building digital models of oil and gas fields," commented Sergey Golovin, Director of the NSU Advanced Engineering School.

Commercial delivery of the product is scheduled for January 2026.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Student Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics Anna Arinicheva of Novosibirsk State University is developing an intelligent assistant for psychologists that takes over routine tasks and helps specialists focus on working with clients. The project won a student initiative competition and received a 1 million ruble grant from the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE).

According to the idea's creators, the AU assistant will take notes on consultations, systematize client information, and generate reports on their progress. A key feature of the solution is an interpretable algorithm for identifying cognitive biases, which highlights speech patterns and draws conclusions.

"The goal of our project isn't to replace psychologists, but to support them. Currently, specialists have to simultaneously take notes, ask questions, and monitor the client's nonverbal responses. This significantly reduces concentration and increases the risk of burnout. An AU assistant takes over the routine, freeing the psychologist to focus on working with the client," explains Anna Arinicheva.

The development is designed for individual consultations in both online and offline formats. It can be used by beginning specialists, as well as in clinics, government agencies, and corporate corporations, where the workload of a single psychologist is particularly high. Moreover, all the assistant's findings must be verified by a specialist—the technology serves as a support tool, not a replacement for a professional.

"Our solution is especially relevant for growing professionals, aggregator platforms, and clinics where a single psychologist handles a huge daily client flow and needs to maintain documentation while providing high-quality support. The AU assistant enables psychologists to maintain their effectiveness and avoid burnout even with a large client flow," notes Anna Arinicheva.

Today, approximately 19 million people in Russia consult psychologists, while the number of specialists does not exceed 100,000. The high workload forces psychologists to either limit the number of clients or risk losing their effectiveness. Experts believe that digital tools like the AU assistant can be a valuable aid in addressing this issue.

The origins of the internal algorithm were laid by Anton Kolonin, a leading specialist at the NSU Artificial Intelligence Center, who currently oversees the development. NSU Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics graduate Evgeny Brazhnikov has joined the team and is responsible for prototyping. A working algorithm for identifying cognitive biases has already been developed, over 40 problem-solving interviews have been conducted, and letters of interest have been received from specialists at NSU, RANEPA, and the Ulyanovsk Region Association of Psychologists.

The team is currently preparing a prototype AU assistant for closed testing to identify potential flaws and refine the model before launching it. The grant funds will be used to complete the prototype and launch a marketing campaign. The minimum plan includes creating a Telegram bot that receives an audio recording of a consultation and provides a transcript, notes, and analytics on cognitive biases. Upon request, the bot will be able to generate reports on the client's progress from session to session. Promotion is planned through a subscription model, and the marketing strategy includes working with professional communities and creating a dedicated Telegram channel.

NSU students' participation in such projects demonstrates the university's key advantage: its education is closely linked to real-world research and entrepreneurial practice. According to the university, such initiatives allow students not only to gain unique experience but also to bring their developments to market.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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The register of winners of the competition for the Novosibirsk City Hall Prize in Science and Innovation in 2025 has been published. The list includes young researchers from leading universities and research institutes in the region.

Among them are representatives of Novosibirsk State University:

Alexander Novikov, 3rd year postgraduate student Faculty of Economics, NSU in the specialty "Regional and sectoral economics";

Ilya Gertsel, 1st year postgraduate student Faculty of Physics, junior researcher at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, engineer at the Center for New Functional Materials at NSU and laboratory assistant at the SKIF Collective Use Center.

Alexander Novikov's work "Development of tools for analysis and forecasting of the carbon balance of the Novosibirsk region" is related to climate policy and sustainable development of the region.

— My scientific supervisor Anna Vladimirovna Komarova recommended me to participate in the competition. We discussed it and decided that there was a chance of passing the selection, since the research is focused specifically on the Novosibirsk region, — said Alexander.

The study began with an assessment of the carbon balance of the Novosibirsk region for the NSU Climate Center. The team led by Irina Viktorovna Filimonova analyzed greenhouse gas emissions and absorption across all sectors, which became the basis for the work of the regional government.

Next, within the framework of the RSF grant, the team studied the directions of emission reduction and proposed recommendations for energy, industry and agriculture. One of the key results was the development of a model for long-term forecasting of greenhouse gas emissions taking into account economic development scenarios.

“The joy of recognition of the results, gratitude to the supervisor and colleagues, as well as regional programs to support young scientists – that’s what I felt when I learned about the victory,” Alexander shared.

Ilya Gertsel's research paper "Development of Wear-Resistant Coating Technologies for the Oil and Gas and Energy Industries" is devoted to new methods of restoring and creating parts using laser additive manufacturing.

— For a scientific career, participation in competitions and awards is an important step. For me, the City Hall award became a starting point for future larger grants, — Ilya noted.

The young researcher is developing technologies that allow the creation and restoration of equipment elements in the oil and gas and energy industries. These are parts that must withstand aggressive environments, high loads and thousands of hours of operation. The key technology is the direct laser deposition method (Direct Metal Deposition). It allows the formation of products from metals and alloys, similar to 3D printing, but at a more complex level. Research includes the selection of material composition, laser exposure modes, analysis of the microstructure and operational properties of products.

— The work resulted in scientific publications in leading peer-reviewed journals “The Journal of The Minerals, Metals

Both laureates associate their future plans with scientific activity. Alexander Novikov is working on his PhD thesis on modeling international energy trade and is participating in a large grant from the Russian Science Foundation. Ilya Gertsel continues to develop the field of laser additive manufacturing and strives to receive his own scientific grant and lead a research group.

The victory of NSU students in the prestigious city competition confirms the high level of training of young researchers and their significant contribution to solving urgent scientific and practical problems of the region. Congratulations to the guys!

Material prepared by: Yulia Dankova, NSU press service

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Egor Pobezhimov, 2nd year master's student Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU, is implementing a project to create a test stand for a propeller-motor group with a thrust of up to 2 kg for unmanned aerial vehicles. The project became one of the winners of the federal competition "Student Startup", within the framework of which budding entrepreneurs are allocated 1 million rubles for a period of one year.

— The idea of the project arose from university research and engineering practice: a tool for objective analysis of the propeller-motor group was needed, which was lacking on the market. Currently, when designing and testing drones, there is an acute shortage of available full-featured stands. Existing solutions are either too expensive or do not take into account the vibroacoustic characteristics that are critically important for increasing efficiency and improving the operation of UAVs, — says Egor Pobezhimov.

So, now typical tests of VMG in design bureaus or laboratories are carried out manually: when working on a new prototype, the selection of propellers, modes, recording of parameters and data processing take from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 months. If we talk about the testing process itself, then one test takes on average one to two days. And to conduct full-fledged tests, it is necessary to conduct more than a dozen such tests.

— The stand and the availability of standardized test scenarios will reduce this time to two hours and obtain a larger set of data from which more information can be extracted. This directly reduces the cost: less time for specialists, less expenses on full-scale flights and replacement of failed components, — Yegor explains.

The solutions existing on the market have a number of limitations: they measure only basic parameters (thrust and current) and involve manual testing scenarios. The stand created at NSU comprehensively measures not only basic parameters (thrust, speed, electrical characteristics), but also vibrations and acoustic noise, provides a synchronous analysis of the power plant operation, which allows identifying anomalies and optimizing characteristics.

— Unlike existing solutions, our stand combines mechanics, electronics and software into a single system. Our product includes automated standard tests and built-in analysis and visualization. In addition, we will have a modular design with the ability to scale. And an important point: we offer not only equipment, but also testing services, which our competitors do not have, — adds Egor.

The project started in 2024. At present, the components and implementation algorithm have been defined; the concept of software and hardware parts has been developed, i.e. the architecture and methods of receiving and exchanging information between the source sensors, control software and the user. In addition, the necessary laboratory base has been created at NSU, where further work on the project will be carried out. A team has been formed, and agreements have been reached with design bureaus on testing.

The grant funds will be used for design, purchasing components, assembling and debugging the system, calibrating sensors and developing software, as well as paying for the team's work, registering patents, marketing and launching it to market.

It is expected that in a year a fully operational stand will be ready, which is a compact cubic frame with vibration isolation and protection against screw destruction, and also includes sensors for measuring various parameters and a controller. As for the software, a desktop application will be created, including an interface for collecting, storing and analyzing data, test scenarios. The development language is Python and C, and in the future it is also possible to integrate machine learning methods for predictive diagnostics.

The solution will find application in design bureaus engaged in the development of UAVs, for the selection of propeller-motor groups and the detection of defects; in production for quality and reliability control; in the "smart city" for reducing noise and improving the operation of delivery drones, etc.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Graduate Humanitarian Institute of NSU (Fundamental and Applied Linguistics) Ekaterina Kulyatina studied how the living conversational speech of the intelligentsia of the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok is structured. Her work expands the possibilities for research in the field of stylistics and genre theory, and also opens up prospects for teaching neural networks to understand the subtleties of human speech.

In the project, Ekaterina analyzed the recordings of memories of residents of Akademgorodok, paying special attention to the so-called modus – the subjective “superstructure” of the statement.

— If I say: it is raining — it is simply a fact. And if I say: it seems to be raining — I add doubt. That is the modus. There are many such semantic superstructures in the Russian language, and they can overlap, — Ekaterina explained.

The work is written within the framework of the structural-semantic approach, the founder of which is considered to be Viktor Vladimirovich Vinogradov. Within the framework of modern syntactic concepts, which Ekaterina Kulyatina relied on in her research (the theory of modeling elementary simple sentences, developed by Maya Ivanovna Cheremisina), the contradictions contained in V. V. Vinogradov's approach are overcome. Nevertheless, the structural-semantic approach allows solving a wide range of scientific problems. As Ekaterina Kulyatina explained, the dictum part of speech constructions is now very well described, many works on this topic have been published, but the modus component, which she emphasized in her work, has not yet been studied so well.

The student took the recordings for analysis from the project "Myths and Legends of Akademgorodok" and supplemented them with her own interviews. The sample consisted of interviews with ten respondents – people with a high level of proficiency in Russian, many of whom were engaged in scientific research work.

— In their speech, we saw a high density of meanings: complex phrases, participial and adverbial constructions. Such features make oral speech rich, but at the same time difficult to analyze — especially automatically, — noted Ekaterina.

According to the author of the project, understanding the mode is important not only for philology, but also for technology. In the future, such developments can be used in training neural networks so that they understand and convey not only facts, but also subjective shades of meaning.

“We are not yet at the stage where a computer can fully recognize and reproduce such nuances, but this is a logical next step,” she noted.

The results achieved within the framework of Ekaterina Kulyatina's diploma work may be useful for research in the field of stylistics and genre theory.

— We have outlined a methodology for describing the genre of memoirs from the point of view of structural and semantic features. This is useful both for stylistics and for teaching, — Ekaterina emphasized.

The graduate herself plans to slightly change the direction of her research during her master's studies, focusing on the automation of speech analysis.

"I want to try to teach the computer to extract modal meanings and compare the machine results with my manual ones. This will be an honest test of how technologically ready we are for such an analysis," Ekaterina concluded.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Master's student Faculty of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University (FNS NSU) Valeria Meleshenko was among the winners of the Student Startup competition of the University Technological Entrepreneurship Platform. Her project to create an enzyme for cheese making received a grant of 1 million rubles and is aimed at developing domestic biotechnology.

The enzyme chymosin, which is used to coagulate milk in cheesemaking, is currently mostly obtained in Russia from calf stomachs or purchased abroad. This approach is both expensive and limited in its scope of application. Valeria's project offers a fundamentally different approach – genetically engineered production of chymosin. This involves using a synthetic gene obtained from a database and introduced into a yeast strain. As a result, it becomes possible to produce the enzyme in a laboratory, without using animals.

— This approach is quite popular in the field of biotechnology today, it allows to make production more technological, and at the same time humane, since it does not require mass slaughter of animals. For example, insulin production is organized in a similar way, but bacteria are used there, and yeast is used in my project, — explained Valeria Meleshenko.

At the first stage, which also became her bachelor's thesis under the supervision of Dmitry Shchebakov, an employee of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector" of Rospotrebnadzor, Valeria had already obtained a strain capable of producing the necessary enzyme.

The next step is to test it at cheese-making plants.

— My task is to produce a sufficient amount of chymosin and conduct tests in real production. If it turns out that there is no difference in the quality of the cheese or even improvements appear, for example, the bitterness goes away or less enzyme is needed to curdle the milk, the project can be considered successful, — the author of the startup adds.

The project already has potential partners. Successful negotiations were held with representatives of the Cheese Research Institute of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agrobiotechnology (FANCA), Barnaul. And in case of positive results at this stage, a cheese-making enterprise in Kuzbass is ready to join the project.

According to Valeria, the startup did not simply grow out of her bachelor's thesis. "It is important to note that my victory was made possible largely thanks to the teachers of the NSU Natural Sciences Department, who taught me flexible and analytical thinking rather than blind memorization. And participation in Technohack, a hackathon from the NSU Advanced Engineering School, gave me my first ideas about creating startups," she emphasizes.

An important component of the project is that it not only promotes the development of domestic production of an enzyme important for the food industry, but also expands the use of advanced technologies in this industry.

— Biotechnological projects are one of the most promising areas of development. For NSU students, participation in such initiatives is an opportunity to get involved in real research and create startups that are in demand in industry while still studying, — the university notes.

Valeria continues working on the prototype. She has a year to implement the project – that's how long the grant from the Student Startup competition gives. If the testing is successful, Russia will have its own technology for producing the enzyme, which today has to be mostly purchased abroad.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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On the night of September 7-8, residents of almost the entire territory of Russia could observe a total lunar eclipse. In Novosibirsk, there were ideal weather conditions that night – a clear and bright sky, so astronomy lovers could enjoy a rather rare astronomical phenomenon.

According to Egor Konyaev, an engineer at the Vega Observatory at NSU, the next total lunar eclipse, visible over most of Russia, will occur in 3 years, on December 31, 2028.

— According to local time in Novosibirsk, its maximum will be almost midnight (23:50). Therefore, it can already be called New Year's, — adds Yegor.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, enters the shadow of our planet, and the Earth at that moment is exactly between the Sun and its natural satellite.

Why is the moon red? And why is it visible?

— The most important and interesting question that arises in the observer is: why does the Moon turn red during a total eclipse? And why is it visible if an eclipse occurs? It would seem that if the Moon is immersed in the Earth's shadow, it should not be visible at all. But this is not so. And here the Earth's atmosphere plays the main role, — explains Yegor Konyaev.

According to Rayleigh's theory, there is a dependence of the intensity of light scattering on the wavelength. Blue rays, which have a shorter wavelength, are scattered in the Earth's atmosphere 4-5 times stronger than red ones, which is why the color of the daytime, clear sky is blue.

— It is for this same reason that during a lunar eclipse the Moon takes on a red hue. Some of the rays that are refracted and not scattered in the Earth's atmosphere hit the lunar surface, from which they are reflected and "return" to the observer located on the Earth's night side. And we can observe such an interesting, beautiful effect when the Moon is painted in different shades of red — from copper-yellow to dark-dark red, — says Yegor Konyaev.

How often do lunar eclipses occur?

On average, both lunar and solar eclipses occur twice a year. But an observer on Earth has a much greater chance of seeing a lunar eclipse than a solar one. Why? The reason is geometry.

— A lunar eclipse looks the same wherever the Moon is above the horizon — its area is equal to a hemisphere. In addition, the Earth is larger than the Moon, so the Earth's shadow completely covers the Moon. During a solar eclipse, when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, the shadow cast by the Moon is much smaller than the Earth's and covers an insignificant part of the Earth's surface. Therefore, the chance to see a solar eclipse is only available to people located within a narrow strip of the Earth's surface along which the Moon's shadow passes, — adds Yegor Konyaev.

So, the next total solar eclipse, which will occur on August 12, 2026, in Russia can be seen only on the Taimyr Peninsula, but observation will be extremely difficult, since it is very low above the horizon and not all phases will be visible.

A total lunar eclipse has three phases. The first phase is the penumbral phase, when the Moon is still fully illuminated by direct sunlight, but falls into the Earth's penumbra. As it continues to move along its orbit, the Moon falls into the Earth's shadow, which completely blocks sunlight for some areas of the Moon – this is the shadow phase of the eclipse. When the Moon is completely immersed in the Earth's shadow, the total phase of the lunar eclipse occurs. This is the moment when the Earth's natural satellite turns red.

This time, the maximum phase of the eclipse was 136%, it was reached at 1:12 Novosibirsk time. The total phase lasted from 0:31 to 1:52, the umbral phase from 23:27 to 2:56, and the penumbral phase from 22:28 to 3:55.

What is interesting about a lunar eclipse?

As Alfiya Nesterenko, head of the Vega observatory at NSU, notes, this lunar eclipse was quite long, unlike those observed earlier. Thus, the phase of the total lunar eclipse this time lasted more than an hour.

“Also, during a lunar eclipse, you can discern relief details that are not noticeable on the Moon during normal times, due to the greater contrast of some elements,” adds Alfiya Nesterenko.

Photo: Egor Konyaev, Mikhail Maslov, NSU Vega Observatory. The photo shows all phases of the lunar eclipse.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

From August 18 to 22, 2025, the All-Russian scientific conference with international participation "Modern Problems of Organic Chemistry" (SPOKh-2025) was held in the Akademgorodok of Novosibirsk. It was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences V.P. Mamaev. Maria Sotnikova, a 4th-year student, gave an oral report at the section dedicated to modern trends in biochemistry and analytical chemistry. Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU, direction "Chemistry". Her scientific supervisor is a junior researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Engineering Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies (IMMT) NSU Nikita Basov.

The work presented by Maria is devoted to exometabolomic screening of yeast strains isolated from traditional fermented products – kumiss, mead and kefir fungus. Such analysis allows to identify microorganisms with unique metabolic profiles, promising for use in biofermentation tasks.

Modern analytical methods played a key role in the study: high-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). These technologies allow for the simultaneous recording of hundreds of metabolites and open up new possibilities in selecting strains for the synthesis of target substances in demand in industry, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and the agricultural sector.

The results showed that even closely related yeast strains can differ significantly in their metabolic profiles. This makes metabolomic analysis a powerful tool for rational selection of microorganisms for biotechnology and the development of environmentally friendly production.

M.A. Sotnikova's speech at the SPOH-2025 conference aroused great interest among the scientific community and became a vivid example of how NSU students and young researchers are forming a scientific foundation in the field of advanced biotechnology.

The work is especially important because it was carried out by young scientists and students working at IMMT NSU. In addition, Maria is already preparing her first scientific article dedicated to metabolomic studies of cells. Next year, she plans to enroll in a master's degree program in Industrial Pharmacy at IMMT NSU and continue her research at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biotechnology and medicine.

This is not the first time the student has performed: earlier, Maria was awarded a third-degree diploma at the International Scientific Student Conference (ISSC-2025), which was held at NSU for the 63rd time, in the Analytical Chemistry section.

Thus, at the university, students are involved in real science already at the early stages of their studies, participating in interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering. It is this approach that meets the modern challenges of biofermentation and opens up prospects for the creation of future technologies.

The study was carried out in collaboration between the Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of the Institute of Mathematics and Mathematics of NSU and the Engineering Center "Prombiotech" of the Altai State University.

The project was implemented with the support of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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