Scientists of Irkutsk State University are investigating a new veterinary drug for the treatment of calves

The Research Institute of Biology of the Irkutsk State University (ISU) received a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Irkutsk Region for the study of a veterinary drug, the press service of the university reported.

"A grant in the amount of 700,000 rubles was directed to research work" The use of the veterinary drug "Trametin" for the prevention of associated infections in calves in the Irkutsk region," the report says.

It is noted that there are already agreements with dairy farms in the region on the practical stage of drug research.

"Trametin" was developed by Doctor of Biology Vera Chkhenkeli, who is currently a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Experimental Biotechnology at the Research Institute of Biology of ISU. It is an extract of the wood-destroying fungus Trametes pubescens. Scientists have learned how to grow it in the laboratory - in flasks, in a sterile nutrient medium, and in compliance with other special conditions.

"A patent has been obtained for the drug (...). Previously, Trametin has shown its effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in chickens and piglets. Studies were also carried out in agricultural enterprises of the region," the report says.

According to the ISU press service, Chkhenkeli began studying wood-destroying fungi in Georgia in the late 1980s. The initial task of the biologist was the disposal of agricultural waste. However, she noticed that some fungi produce antibacterial substances. The research continued in Irkutsk, where its focus changed towards medical and veterinary applications.

Irkutsk State University was founded in 1918 and is the oldest university in Eastern Siberia. At present, the educational complex of the university includes eight educational institutes, eight faculties, one branch and a scientific library. Its structure includes 13 scientific divisions, including four research institutes: the Research Institute of Applied Physics, the Research Institute of Biology, the Research Institute of Petroleum and Coal Chemical Synthesis, the Research Institute of Legal Protection of Baikal, as well as the Astronomical Observatory and the Botanical Garden.