Maria S. Muntyan

Muntyan M.S. graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in biochemistry with a specialization in molecular biology; postgraduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree of Ph.D. and awarded academic title of Associate Professor.

Main areas of research and main results:

Group studies the features of energy-coupling systems in organisms living in extreme conditions, when the electrochemical potential of hydrogen ions on their membranes is extremely low. We have shown for the first time that one of the mechanisms that provide microbes with energy in highly saline alkaline lakes (soda lakes) is a fundamentally new converter of biological energy in living organisms - sodium-motive cytochrome oxidase. The novelty of the enzyme is that it converts the energy of the respiration reaction into the energy of a gradient of sodium ions pumped across the membrane, and not hydrogen ions, as was previously known for cytochrome oxidases. In another representative of soda lakes (a new genus of haloalkaliphilic bacteria), we discovered the gene for proteorhodopsin, which forms a separate new branch in the family of recently discovered proteorhodopsins that pump sodium ions. Our experiments showed that the new proteorhodopsin performs light-dependent sodium export from bacterial cells, and the physiological role of sodium-pumping proteorhodopsin is to store the energy of sunlight in the form of a gradient of sodium ions on the cell membranes, which is necessary for the life processes of the cell.

Participation in joint research projects and grant support:

Group participates in the joint Dutch-Russian research international cooperation projects and has cooperation with University of Helsinki (Finland); University of Turku (Finland); Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands); several Research Institutes of Russian Academy of Sciences.

The studies were supported by a number of organizations: the International Scientific Foundation (grant # MH-2000); mutual support of the Netherland Organization for Scientific Studies and Russian Foundation for Basic Research (# NWO-RFBR № 47.011.2004.010); Russian Foundation for Basic Research (## 08-04-01731; 11-04-00819; 14-04-01577; 17-04-02173 - several projects) and the State scientific-technology committee of Russia for the program "The newest methods of bioengineering" (line of investigation 3.1).

Educational activity:

Under the leadership of M.S. Muntyan, a number of theses were completed with the award of the title of Specialist, Bachelor, Master; and in co-supervision - dissertations with the award of the degree of Ph.D.

Scientific awards:

Muntyan M.S. is a winner of several scientific awards and among them are the State Prize Award of Russian Federation for outstanding achievements in the field of science and technology, Award of the International Scientific Foundation, Award of the Academia Europaea.