Laboratory of biochemistry

Sergey Grigorievich EFIMENKO Sergey Grigorievich EFIMENKO

  Head of the laboratory of biochemistry
  PhD in biology

  Tel: (861) 274-53-94
  Fax: (861) 254-27-80
  E-mail: biohim@vniimk.ru

The biochemical laboratory was established in 1922-1923 by the outstanding biochemist Sergey Vladimirovich Rushkovsky (1886-1960). In the 1930s it was transformed into the department.

S. V. Rushkovsky headed the department of biochemistry for 25 years. He developed a high-performance method for the quantitative determination of sunflower oil in sunflower seeds. This method resulted in great success in the breeding of sunflower for high oil content of seeds.

From 1947 to 1969, the department was headed by N. F. Dublyanskaya; from 1970 to 1986, it was headed by A. A. Borodulina. From 1986 to 1990 — by P. S. Popov, and from 1990 to 1991 — by Ya. N. Demurin.

In 1992, the Central research analytical laboratory (CRAL) was merged with the Department of biochemistry with the simultaneous establishment of the Laboratory of biochemical genetics. From 1992 to 2004, the Department of biochemistry was headed by I. V. Shvedov.

Highly qualified scientists have been working in the department since its establishment. They defended 16 PhD and two doctoral theses, published several hundreds of scientific articles, received 29 certificates of authorship and patents for their inventions, and completed many methodological developments on the invention level.

Scientists have mastered methods for determination of fatty acids composition of seeds of oil crops by gas-liquid chromatograph Crystal 2000M with a capillary column (more than 30 fatty acids were identified), tocopherols and phospholipids — by thin layer chromatography (TLC) with automatic applicator, the total content of tocopherols (Vitamin E), carotenoids (Vitamin A). Methods of determination of oil resistance to oxidation on the device RANCIMAT 743 at the temperature of 80-220 °C have been worked out.

The laboratory annually conducts an analysis of fatty acids content — 4.5 thousand, content of glucosinolates and essential oil — 3.1 thousand, a complex analysis of soybean seeds on IR-analyzer NIR System 4500 (protein, oil content, trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) — 820 samples and acid number in seed oil — 150 analyses.