On 8 and 9 October 2026, Master’s students of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Viktoriia Zadarko and Yevhen Androshchuk, presented the results of their research at the 7th International Multidisciplinary Conference for Young Researchers, MCYR 2026, held in Prague at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The conference brought together young researchers from different disciplines and provided a platform for presenting current scientific results, discussing their practical relevance and developing international collaboration.
Viktoriia Zadarko, a Master’s student in the first year of study, presented the work titled “Miscanthus sinensis Responses to Rare Earth Element Stress”. Her scientific supervisor is Associate Professor Viktor Husak. The study examined the response of Miscanthus sinensis to soil contamination with a mixture of the rare earth elements La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm. The analysis included plant growth and biomass allocation, the elemental composition of roots and leaves, leaf surface ultrastructure and the thermal characteristics of biomass. In the experiment, detectable rare earth element signals were found in roots but not in shoots. At the highest exposure level, the plants showed stronger shoot growth suppression, pronounced structural damage to leaves and a decrease in the estimated cellulose component. The findings indicate a possible role for Miscanthus in phytostabilization of soils affected by rare earth elements, while also showing that high contamination levels can reduce the quality of aboveground biomass.
Yevhen Androshchuk, a Master’s student in the second year of study, presented the work titled “Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Enhanced Extraction of Anthocyanins and Polyphenols from Plant Materials”. His scientific supervisor is Volodymyr Shvadchak, PhD. The study focused on natural deep eutectic solvents based on glycerol and their use for extracting biologically active compounds from plant materials. Systems containing proline, oxalic acid and citric acid were characterized, and their extraction efficiency was evaluated for anthocyanins from blueberry powder and phenolic compounds from Rhodiola root powder. Among the tested systems, the highest extraction efficiency was obtained with oxalic acid and glycerol at a molar ratio of 0.1 to 1. The effects of water addition, extraction temperature and extraction time were also evaluated.
The presented studies involved collaboration with researchers from partner institutions in Ukraine and the Czech Republic. This approach allows Master’s students to gain experience with modern research methods, work in an international scientific environment and place their own results in a broader interdisciplinary context.
Participation in MCYR 2026 was an important part of the students’ professional development. Presenting research to an international audience helps strengthen scientific communication skills, supports professional discussion of experimental results and creates new opportunities for academic networking. We congratulate Viktoriia Zadarko and Yevhen Androshchuk on successfully presenting their research and wish them further scientific achievements.
