Lomonosov Institute Staff Win Grant for International Researcher Teams

Faculty members of the I.P. Alimarin Analytical Chemistry Department at the Lomonosov Institute of Fine Chemical Technologies — I.A. Rodin, T.M. Baigildiev, L.Yu. Martynov, and Yu.A. Yefimova — received a Russian Science Foundation grant for international researcher teams. Their project is designed to create a new platform for rapid and accurate detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food products and water. PFAS are persistent pollutants widely distributed in the environment. They are resistant to degradation and can accumulate in living organisms. Therefore, controlling them is key for food and environment safety, as well as for human health risk assessment. The relevance of this topic is confirmed by international practice and the inclusion of PFAS in programs for regulating and controlling new pollutants in various countries.

Within the project, the RTU MIREA researchers together with partners from Russia (Lomonosov Moscow State University) and China (China Agricultural University) are developing an integrated full-cycle solution — from rapid screening to laboratory confirmation of results. The platform will combine several approaches: creating new recognition materials (such as antibodies and molecularly imprinted polymers, MIP), developing sensor tools for fast measurement in complex matrices, as well as highly sensitive and selective verification techniques based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography within high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for a wide range of PFAS, including ultra-short-chain and short-chain substances.

Platform verification and testing will be conducted on a wide range of objects in Russia and China: water, meat, dairy products, seafood, eggs, and other food products. The project results are expected to provide both fundamental new knowledge on molecular PFAS recognition and practical solutions for analytical control, monitoring, and regulation support, ready to deploy in healthcare, food, and environmental safety.