The results of the selection for grants to ensure scientific research in cooperation with organizations of the People's Republic of China became known, as a result of which the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia supported 10 projects from all over the country. Among them is the project of the Southern Federal University "Efficiency and mechanisms of PAH biodegradation and carbon sequestration in polluted soils using immobilized synergistic microbiota" under the guidance of Professor, Head of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Assessment, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory "Soil Health" of the SFedU Academy of Biology and Biotechnology D.I. Ivanovsky Tatiana Minkina (winners according to Protocol No. And-22-075-61622-1-0265, from 07.06.2023).

"The study of greenhouse gas emissions has become an urgent task in both Russia and China because of their strong influence on the processes of climate change on the Planet. Recently, it has been found that farmland soils have great potential for carbon sequestration and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Another serious threat to the population of our and other industrial countries is environmental pollution with persistent organic pollutants and, above all, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have high carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. The results of this project will contribute to the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining the safe cultivation of crops on soils contaminated with dangerous pollutants. The project will expand research cooperation and exchange of experience between the two countries. Mirror laboratories will be created in the partner countries to improve the quality and safety of soils in the conditions of technogenesis," Tatyana Minkina said. This topic meets the objectives of the project "Management of soil resources and agro-climatology" of the federal program "Priority-2030" (national project "Science and Universities") of the Southern Federal University.

The research will be conducted jointly with partners from Nanjing Agricultural University (Nakin, China), which is a national key university and is among the top two in the field of agriculture in China. The head of the scientific group in China will be Yanzheng Gao, a leading scientist, Honored professor of Jiangsu Province and chief professor of Nanjing Agricultural University. He also directs the Institute for Organic Pollution Control and Soil Restoration. In addition, Yanzheng Gao headed the National Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scientists, participates in the "National Project for Millions of Talents" and the "Program to support Excellent Talents of the New Century" of the Ministry of Education of China.

You can get acquainted with the results of the competition on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.