About the Institute

Institute of Chemical Biology is a learning and scientific institution which participates in the graduate program of the University. It administers the graduate program in Molecular Sciences (Molecular Sciences, Biopharmacy), and PhD program in Chemical Biology and Molecular Biotechnology).

 Activities of the Institute concentrate on the following scientific and research programs:

 1. Biologically active composites and cellular regulations.

Resume of the program: the program focuses on the important problems of modern biomedical sciences and studies fundamental and practical issues. Biologically active materials are used for focused management of biological processes. Thus, these materials are widely used for biotechnological, microbiological, pharmaceutical and food industries. Program sets the goal to investigate plant and animal biologically active materials and their working mechanisms, determine their influence on the regulatory systems and elaborate test-systems which will study activities of these materials on a cell level. Within this program scholars study the role and importance of different regulatory macromolecules in endocrinology and inflammatory diseases and explore possibilities of correction of mentioned distortions with the use of polyphenologic admixtures of plant found in Georgia. Cell cultures will be used for determination of citotoxic and pharmacological potential of biologically active materials.

2. Study of molecular and cellular foundations of memory.

Resume of the program: the program focuses on one of the displays of synaptic plasticity – memory. Scholars study model of visual imprinting in chicken. Their research concentrates on the change of gene expression in the process of memory forming, epigenetic changes during formation and storing processes of recognition memory, changes of micro-RNM spectrum during forming of recognition memory and changes of protein spectrum at different stages of memory forming. Generated data will be used during the second stage of research in order to define general mechanisms of memory preservation and elaborate strategy for treatment of mental diseases

3. Research of molecular and cellular foundations of epilepsy and epileptogenesis and identifying of ways of their prevention.

Resume of the program: researchers study pathological functional activity of the central nervous system, such as epilepsy. Scholars concentrate on post-traumatic epilepsy or the forms, which are caused by kainite. Research of the Institute in molecular biology is focused on the following issues: changes of genetic expression in the process of epileptogenesis with the use of micro area technology and effects of chronic treatment of this process by inositols; changes in the process of epileptogenesis and micro-RNM spectrum and effects of chronic treatment of this process by inositols; inositole effects and post-translation modifications of histons, which determine epigenetic changes; changes in methylation of status of those genes, which are differently expressed based on the results of the micro area experiments and assessment of inositol influence on the processes; changes in albumen spectrum during the process of epileptogenesis and after inositol treatment. Work of the

Institute in the field of the cellular biology will be based on the study of:

a. changes in ultra structure of neuron cells during different functional states

b. in vitro electro physiological methods in case of normal or pathological states.

With the use of atomic force microscope scholars will study three dimensional structure, displacement, arrangement density and mechanical features (viscoelasticity) of dendritic rough surface of live neurons of hypocampus in case of different functional states. Different methods will be used for triggering of epileptic discharges and study of influence of pharmacological substances (for example inositols) on them. Study concentrates not only foundation of cell and molecular epileptogenesis but also on the ways of its prevention. Integrative approach unites molecular biological, electro physiological and morphological methods and provides an opportunity to generate qualitatively important results.