There have been announced the winners of the contest for the support of Russian-Chinese research teams, which was held by Russian Science Foundation and National Natural Science Foundation of China. According to its results, 51 projects are to receive funding, including two joint projects of Saratov State University and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

The examination of the projects was carried out independently from the Russian and Chinese juries. The winners were research teams that were chosen by the experts from the both countries. The amount of one grant from the Russian Federation will be from 4 to 7 million roubles annually. The scientific projects will be implemented in 2024-2026.

The SSU projects-winners have become The development of optical methods for studying glycation and hemodynamics of biological tissues in patients with diabetes mellitus and The photosleep therapy of traumatic brain injuries in humans and mice.

The first project is dedicated to the study of non-invasive and minimally invasive ways to detect complications at an early stage of diabetes mellitus. The scientists will develop optical methods for studying structural and biochemical changes in biological tissues during the development of type I and type II diabetes in animal models. The Russian research team is led by Head of the Research Medical Centre, SSU, Chair of the Department of Optics and Biophotonics, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valerii Tuchin.

To study the changes in the structure and properties of tissues, it is planned to use a number of unique biophotonics methods, including Raman spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, light sheet microscopy and structured light microscopy, optical coherence tomography, as well as photoacoustic and laser speckle imaging.

The Photosleep therapy of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in humans and mice project is based on advanced studies of lymphatic pathways for the elimination of toxins and blood from brain tissues. It is aimed at developing the technology of photostimulation of the excretion of blood products and toxins through the lymphatic system of the brain and its membranes during deep sleep. The Russian research team is led by Chair of the Department of Human and Animal Physiology, the Faculty of Biology, Oksana Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya.

The Chinese team will develop a highly effective method of optical clearing of the head and neck of mice without damaging the morphological structures of tissues. It is done to reconstruct full-size 3D- structures in the lymphatic network and lymph nodes, as well as to study the architecture of the lymphatic network.

The Russian team will provide the Chinese group with wireless technology for EEG monitoring of sleep stages in mice in order to stimulate the lymphatic excretion of blood products from brain tissues in mice with TBI. The Russian group will also conduct pilot clinical studies of the effectiveness of the phototherapy technology of TBI during sleep developed jointly with the Chinese team.

The joint research of the SSU scientists and the Chinese team in this sphere has been carried out since 2013. The Chinese group is a world leader in the development of optical clearing technologies for biological tissues, including rodent brain tissue. The research will be mutually beneficial for both the Russian and Chinese teams.

To remind, the contes for the support of Russian-Chinese research teams has been held for the third time. Since 2020, 97 Russian-Chinese research teams have already been supported as part of the bilateral international partnership.