A Memorandum of Understanding between Irkutsk State University and the Institute of Biology of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (IBT of VAST) was signed on January 27.

In July 2025, the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) announced the results of its competition for international projects. The winner was a joint project by Devard Stom, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Soil Studies of ISU, Chief Researcher at ISU Research Institute of Biology of Lake Baikal, titled “Oxidation and desulfurization of petroleum hydrocarbons by microorganisms: prospects for improving oil quality, corrosion protection, and bioremediation”. The project coordinator in Vietnam is Kieu Thi Quynh Hoa.

The RSF agreement on the project implementation was signed in September 2025 after Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology confirmed funding for the project from its side. The memorandum signed last week became the first agreement on scientific cooperation between ISU and a scientific institution in Vietnam.

The experience of Vietnamese colleagues in the study and application of biosurfactants will make it possible to isolate and analyze the composition of surface-active agents produced by microorganisms and assess their effectiveness in oil desulfurization processes.

Russian researchers will assess the prospects of using surfactants of microbial origin and synthetic surfactants to intensify enhanced oil recovery and bioremediation of oil pollution in natural environments.

The project implementation period is 2026-2028. Funding from the RSF will amount to 7 million roubles per year.

A total of 35 projects participated in the international competition held by the RSF jointly with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in the Foundation’s priority area “Conducting Fundamental and Exploratory Scientific Research by International Scientific Teams”. Eight projects were chosen to receive grant support. Project evaluation was carried out by Russian and Vietnamese reviewers. The winning projects received positive assessments from independent experts in both countries.