Durmishidze Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology

The Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology was established in 1956, initially as a Laboratory of Plant Biochemistry under the leadership of Member of Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Professor S. Durmishidze, Vice president of Georgian National Academy of Sciences. In yearly years, researches were connected mainly with isolation, study and determination of biosynthetic pathways of biologically active compounds of plant origin. Later, the scope of scientific interests significantly extended in the directions such as study of plant cell genome, establishment of biochemical peculiarities of secondary fermentation, revelation of plant ability to utilize and convert xenobiotics, study of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes of microbial origin, etc. The range of study and theoretical and practical importance of obtained results, published articles created all preconditions for establishing the Institute of Plant Biochemistry in 1971 on the basis of the Laboratory of Plant Biochemistry. From the initial stage, scientific orientation of the Institute was connected with solution of theoretical and practical problems of biochemistry and biotechnology.
At present, 3 laboratories: Laboratory of Nitrogen Fixation and Assimilation Enzymes (T. Sadunishvili, Professor, Corresponding Member of Georgian National Academy of Sciences), Laboratory of Biological Oxidation (Professor, G. Khatisashvili, Doctor of Sciences), Laboratory of Biotechnology (Dr. L. Kutateladze).

The Institute is led by Professor, President of Georgian National Academy of Sciences Giorgi Kvesitadze.

Research:

• Investigation of extremely rich endemic vegetation of the Caucasus on the content of physiologically active compounds; Natural plant biologically active food additives and paramedical remedies.
• Plant nitrogen metabolism; ammonia assimilation. Key enzymes of nitrogen and energy metabolism: glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glutathione transferase.
• Redox enzymes ( Phenoloxidases and peroxidases) of perennial plants
• Creation of collection of microorganisms of different taxonomic groups (bacteria, actinomycetes, mycelial fungi, yeasts) from the diverse soil-climatic zones of the Caucasus with special attention to extremophiles, investigation their synthetic, detoxificational potential, and pathogenicity.
• Selection of industrially valuable microbial strains of different taxonomic groups, actively producing different low-molecular-weight metabolites and enzymes.
• Investigation of plants and microorganisms synergistic ability to absorb and detoxify organic contaminants of different structure.
• Plant-phytopathogen-bacteriophage interaction; molecular identification of phytopathogenic bacteria; phytopathogen specific bacteriophages.

Monographys:

• Beridze T.G. Satellite DNA, Nauka Edition, Moscow, 1982 (in Russian)
• Beridze T. Satellite DNA, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Tokio, 1986.
• Г.Н. Пруидзе. Окислительно-восстановительные ферменты чайного растения и их роль в биотехнологии., Мецниереба, Тбилиси, 1987,188с.
• Kvesitadze, G.I. Enzymes of Microorganisms Living under Extreme Conditions . Ed. W. Kretovich, Nauka, Moscow, 1990, 52 p. (in Russian)
• Kirtadze E.G., Kurdovanidze T.I. Biochemical features of secondary alcoholic fermentation Pub-haus:., Okriba", Tbilisi, Georgia, 1992, 164 p. (in Russian)
• G.Kvesitadze, E.Kvesitadze. Biotechnology., Tbilisi, 1999, 432p. (In Georgian)
• Kvesitadze, G. I., Bezborodov A. M. Introduction in Biotechnology. Ed. Skryabin K.G., , Nauka, Moscow, 2002, 284 p. (in Russian).
• Gordeziani, M., Khatisashvili, G. Membranous Xenobiochemistry. Tbilisi, 2005, 281 p.
• Квеситадзе Г., Хатисашвили Г., Садунишвили Т. Детоксикация антропогенных токсикантов в высших растениях. Москва, Майк-Наука, 2005, 245 с.
• Kvesitadze G., Khatisashvili G., Sadunishvili T., Ramsden J.J. Biochemical Mechanisms of Detoxification in Higher Plants-Basis of Phytoremediation. Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer, 2006, 263 p.
• Gordeziani M., Varazi T., Kurashvili M., Pruidze M. Biological Oxidation and Chemiosmosis. Tbilisi, 2007, 181 p.(In Georgian)
• Gordeziani M., Khatisashvili, G. Chemical Modification of Cytochrome P450. Tbilisi, 2008, 48 p.(In Georgian)
• A.Bakuridze, E.Kvesitadze, D.Gaganidze. An introduction to modern biotechnology., Tbilisi, 2009 , 313 p. (In Georgian)
• Khatisashvili, G., Gordeziani, M., Varazi, T., Kurashvili, M., Pruidze, M. Oxigenases of Biomembranes (Physiology and Biochemistry). Tbilisi, 2009, 338 p.(In Georgian)
• А. М. Безбородов, Г. И. Квеситадзе. Микробиологический синтез., Проспект Науки, Санкт Петербург, 2011, 145 с.
• Gordeziani, M., Khatisashvili, G., Varazi, T., Kurashvili, M., Pruidze, M. Xenobiochemistry with bases of ecological chemistry. Tbilisi, 2011, 322 p.(In Georgian)
• Н. Омиадзе. Растительные фенолоксидазы и пероксидазы в пищевой промышленности, Характеристика ферментов, пути их регулирования и применения. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2011, Saarbrucken, Deutschland, 58 с.
• G. Kvesitadze, T. Sadunishvili, T. Dudauri, N. Zakariashvili, G. Partskhaladze, V. Ugrekhelidze, G. Tsiklauri, B. Metreveli, M. Jobava. Two-stage anaerobic process for bio-hydrogen and bio-methane combined production from biodegradable solid wastes. ENERGY, 2012, vol.37, p.97-102.
• M. Gordeziani, G. Khatisashvili. ENZYMES. Conformational Changes, Chemical Modification and Modeling of Hemproteins. Tbilisi, 2013, 176 p.(In Georgian)

Patents:

• Patent of Germany 2151265. 1972. Verfahren Zur Herstellung von alpha-amylase. Kvesitadze G.I., Kokonashvili G.N., Fenixova R.V.
• Patent of USA 3826716. 1974. Method for prepering of alpha-amylase. Kvesitadze G.I., Kokonashvili G.N., Fenixova R.V.
• Patent of Switzerland 583777. 1976. Verfaren Zur Herstellung von Glucoamylase, alpha-amylase and Transglucosidase. Durmishidze S.V., Kvesitadze G.I., Kokonashvili G.N.
• Patent of USSR № 659617. 1979. Strain Aspergillus niger 147-A producer of acid-stable alpha-amylase and glucoamylase. Kvesitadze G., Kvachadze L., Aleksidze T., Koridze V.
• Patent of USSR № 1161549. 1983. Microscopic fungi strain Mycellia sterilia-IBR producer of phenolase. Durmishidze S., Pruidze G., Kvachadze L.
• Patent of USSR № 1252336. 1984. Strain Aspergillus terreus-490 producer of cellulases. Kvesitadze G., Kvachadze L., Loginoval L.
• Patent of USSR №1490953. 1989.Strain Aspergillus awamori-producer of glucoamylase. Kvesitadze G., Kvachadze L., Kutateladze.
• Patent of USSR № 1509402. 1989. Strain Penicillium canescens-producer of b-galactosidase. Kvesitadze G., Gomarteli M., Tsereteli A., Bilai T.
• Patent of USSR №1643608. 1990. Strain Allesheria terrestris producer of cellulases. Kvesitadze G., Kvachadze L., Kvatadze N.
• Patent of USSR №1667374. Strain Sporotrichum pulverulentum source of the protein rich biomass. Kvachadze L., Kvesitadze G., Aleksidze T.
• Patent of USSR № 1075733 The Method of winemaking. E.Kirtadze
• Patent of Georgia № 861. 1991. Nutient medium for production of betta-glucosidase by mutant strain Penicillium canescens AMT-85. Tsereteli A., Butskhrikidze N., Kvesitadze G.
• Patent of Georgia № GE U 2004 1128 U. The Method of cleaning of soil polluted by crude oil and oilproductes . L. Amiranashvili, N. Gagelidze, L. Tinikashvili, G. Khatisashvili, M. Gogoberidze, G. Kvesitadze
• Patent of Georgia GE U 2004 1124 U. The Method of cleaning of soils contaminated by 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. L. Amiranashvili, X. Varsimashvili, E. KirTadze, M. Gogoberidze, G. Kvesitadze
• Patent of Georgia P4860. Treatment Prophylaxis Means Against Tomato Bacterial Spot., N.Ghudumidze, T.Sadunishvili, E. Kvesitadze
• Patent of Georgia № 1121. 1993 Method of Production of Colorants. Pruidze G., Mchedlishvili N., Gogava M., Omiadze N.
• Patent of Georgia № PP 4609 (2009). Medical-Prophylactic Plant Remedy and Method for Its Production . Gulua L., Kvesitadze G., Mchedlishvili N., Omiadze N., Abutidze M., Akhvlediani K.
• Patent of Georgia № P4610 (2009). Medical-Prophylactic Plant Remedy and Method for Its Production . Gulua L., Kvesitadze G., Mchedlishvili N., Omiadze N., Abutidze M., Akhvlediani K.