#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. An Antarctic expedition of Russian scientists will study the impact of near-Earth space on the human body, as well as antiviral drugs and search for new antibiotics, said the head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov.
“Scientists will set up a special meteorological station, collect data on ultraviolet and magnetic index, as well as cosmic dust and particles of micrometeorites that settle on the snow. All information is needed for future scientific work in geophysics, biology and chemistry – it is important to understand how changes in the magnetic field affect humans. The second research program is related to medicine. This season, for the first time, we have specialists from the Research Institute of Influenza working with us”, TASS quotes him as saying.
According to Alexander Kozlov, the specificity of Antarctic stations is that groups of people are in a cold climate and in a confined space for several months. That is, the conditions are extremely extreme and ideal for assessing the effectiveness of antiviral drugs. A mobile laboratory, where scientists will conduct research, is installed on the ship Academic Fedorov at the coastal station Molodezhnaya.
The minister noted that microbiologists from the Institute of Experimental Medicine and the North-West State Medical University, who are searching for new antibiotics, will continue their work.
“Today, public health around the world has encountered the fact that some infections have stopped responding to conventional drugs. Therefore, scientists are looking for new antibacterial agents – in particular, isolated from natural components”, the expert explained.
He clarified that during previous expeditions, specialists isolated bacteria from Antarctic soil. Experiments have recognized that two strains are promising for the treatment of staph infection.
It should be noted that this season more than 500 people will take part in the Antarctic expedition, including builders, crews of ships and aircraft, and scientists from 32 organizations. The scientific plan includes 65 research programs.
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Text: Polina Bardik, Photo: Denis Kozhevnikov
