What Belarusian microbiologists are developing for domestic enterprises, BelTA learned from Aleksandr Shepshelev, Director of the Institute of Microbiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
“At present, we produce around 30 goods and actively export them. A significant share of our research contracts comes from Russian enterprises. We see two main directions for our future development. The first is work on microorganisms, strains and high-yield producer strains. We are expanding our expertise through cooperation with leading organizations in Russia and China. Our specialists undergo internships, master new techniques and study the specifics of developing such products,” Aleksandr Shepshelev said.
The second area focuses on improving industrial production processes. “For example, we are working to increase the digestibility of by-products from various industries. At present, we are conducting research on soybean and rapeseed meal. By treating these materials with microorganisms, it is possible to increase their protein content and digestibility in a short period of time. This improves their economic value and enhances the feed base,” he explained. According to the institute’s director, similar work is underway on a wide range of substrates and industrial by-products, including rapeseed meal, distillery stillage, potato pulp, by-products from amino acid production and protein-rich materials. While these substances are not easily digested by animals in their original form, microbiological treatment significantly improves their digestibility and nutritional value. He added that optimizing production processes also helps enterprises substantially reduce costs.
