Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that emerged at the intersection of biological, chemical, and engineering sciences. The outcomes of biotechnology research can directly impact industry, agriculture, energy, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals, and medicine. One of the key objectives of biotechnology in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure access to clean water and adequate sanitation for all.
To address this challenge, Senior Lecturer Maryna Hromnadska of the Department of Industrial Biotechnology and Biopharmacy at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biotechnics is developing functional biopolymers, including those derived from renewable raw materials, for innovative water treatment and water management technologies.
"I have always been inspired by the opportunity to combine fundamental scientific knowledge with practical technological solutions," the researcher says.
Her dedication and effective scientific work earned her first place in the university's Young Lecturer-Researcher 2025 competition.
According to Maryna Hromnadska, the development of functional biopolymers is being carried out by a research team that includes Doctor of Technical Sciences Vita Halysh and PhD students Anna Haponiuk, Oleksii Humeniuk, Yevhenii Mukalo, and Arsenii Taranenko. Their collaborative research focuses on developing effective approaches to producing functional biopolymeric materials, investigating their physicochemical properties, and exploring their practical applications in water treatment technologies.
The young researcher pursued participation in these projects—both scientifically exciting and highly relevant to society—with determination and persistence.
"My professional journey has been closely connected with Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where I earned my higher education and continued my academic and research career, combining teaching with scientific research in the field of modern biotechnology," she explains.
Her journey began at Kyiv Medical College No. 3, where Maryna developed a strong interest in the natural sciences and decided to pursue a career in biotechnology—a field that harnesses the potential of living organisms and biological processes to create innovative products and address global technological challenges.
In 2011, she enrolled in the bachelor's program at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biotechnics of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. After completing her undergraduate studies, she continued with a master's program and later entered the PhD program.
In 2021, she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation (Doctor of Philosophy, PhD) entitled "Biotechnologies of Artificial Magnetic Labeling and Natural Magnetic Labeling of Animal Cells" in Specialty 162 – Biotechnology and Bioengineering.
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Maryna began her career at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2015 as a laboratory technician. In 2016, she was appointed Training Master, and in 2017 she became an Assistant at the Department of Bioinformatics. Since 2022, she has been a full-time member of the Department of Industrial Biotechnology and Biopharmacy. Since 2025, she has been a researcher in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biotechnics' exploratory research project, "Scientific Foundations for the Use of Basidiomycete Fungi in Biotechnology."
Today, alongside her research, the young scientist is actively engaged in teaching. She lectures the courses General Immunology and Theory and Practice of Biotechnological Experimentation and contributes to the department's educational, methodological, and student mentoring activities. Under her supervision, bachelor's thesis projects and master's theses are completed and successfully defended. "At the Department of Industrial Biotechnology and Biopharmacy, students have the opportunity to work in research laboratories, participate in scientific projects, prepare research publications, and present their findings at conferences. Such activities enable future specialists to gain hands-on experience in real scientific research while still pursuing their studies," she notes.
"We actively involve students in research activities," adds Valentyna Polishchuk, Head of the Department. "After all, research is, above all, an opportunity to ask questions and seek answers. It is through laboratory work that a genuine interest in the profession develops, along with an understanding of how knowledge can be transformed into innovation. Studying at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biotechnics opens opportunities to engage in real scientific research while still pursuing a degree. Working in laboratories, participating in research projects, and taking part in international academic programs allow students to become part of the global scientific community and contribute to the advancement of modern biotechnology."
Talented, young, and highly professional, both the students and their mentors are the ones who will continue and develop the department's scientific traditions in the field of modern biotechnology, expand international scientific cooperation, and put their research achievements into practice.