Scientists from the Institute of Biology at the Irkutsk State University won a grant of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF is the largest Science Foundation in Russia) to support the project "Application of submicron encapsulated sensors in intravital (in vivo) diagnosis of stress conditions of endemic hydrobionts in Lake Baikal".

The main objective of the project is to develop and implement a new generation of encapsulated optical biosensors which can be used to diagnose stress conditions of living organisms (in vivo). The new biosensor technology entails tryouts in ecology and ecophysiology of Baikal organisms as well as for Baikal environmental monitoring.

To launch the project the Institute creates a new laboratory of biosensors and ecophotonics which will be headed by Professor Igor Meglinski.

Professor Igor Meglinski is the world's leading expert in biophotonics, development and practical implementation of optical diagnosis in biomedicine, environmental monitoring and visualization of the internal structure of composite biomaterials. He currently manages a number of research groups in the UK and New Zealand. He is a professor at the University of Oulu (Finland).

Since 2008, Professor Meglinski is working with the research group of Dr Maxim Timofeyev. This cooperation has been previously supported by a few joint grants under the Federal target program "Personnel".