Anzhelika B. Bren

Modern aquaculture faces the problem of late detection of critical states — failures of RAS equipment, disease outbreaks, and mass mortality of aquatic organisms. Traditional monitoring based on comparing current parameters with standard tabular values fails to capture pre-crisis dynamics: collapse often occurs at formally “normal” values of temperature, oxygen, and pH. The article substantiates the transition from analyzing absolute values to analyzing parameter variability and their temporal structure.Based on catastrophe theory and the concept of critical slowing down, it is shown that increasing variance and autocorrelation are universal early warning signals that emerge long before parameters exceed regulatory limits. The advantages and limitations of alternative approaches (SCADA systems, neural network forecasting, machine learning methods without theoretical justification) are analyzed demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method in terms of interpretability, minimal data requirements, and economic affordability. The prospect of hybrid systems combining critical slowing down analysis with artificial intelligence is discussed. Special attention is paid to practical implementation aspects: variability monitoring does not require replacing the sensor infrastructure and can be implemented as a software add-on over existing SCADA systems using standard sensors (oxygen, pH, temperature). A simple four-step algorithm for detecting early warning signals in real farms is proposed, as well as a general scheme for practical implementation — from selecting an indicator parameter to management decisions. It is concluded that the proposed methodology, which does not require significant capital expenditures, is a cost-effective tool for improving production reliability under limited budgets and can be supplemented by machine learning algorithms as data accumulates.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) represents a biotechnological process involving microbial cultivation on solid substrates that serve as both nutrient sources and physical support for growth. The method enables efficient conversion of inexpensive plant raw materials into valuable products, including enzymes, organic acids, biofuels, antimicrobial agents, and probiotic preparations. SSF offers significant advantages in terms of environmental sustainability and economic efficiency. However, the method faces limitations that complicate process parameter monitoring, standardization, and subsequent scale-up. Primary technical challenges stem from substrate heterogeneity and difficulties in controlling pH, temperature, moisture content, and metabolic heat dissipation. This literature review synthesizes data on substrate requirements, SSF variants, and target products. Overcoming these technical barriers positions SSF as an economically competitive alternative to conventional biotechnologies, underscoring the relevance of this fermentation method.

This work is a systematic review of current scientific concepts regarding the mechanisms of formation and control of the rhizosphere microbiota by plants. The main pathways of plant influence on the composition and functional activity of root-associated microbial communities are analyzed. The structural organization of the rhizosphere is considered, with three main zones distinguished: the endorhizosphere, rhizoplane, and ectorhizosphere, each characterized by a specific composition of microorganisms. The mechanisms for attracting beneficial microorganisms through the production of root exudates, including amino acids, sugars, organic acids, vitamins, and phenolic compounds, are described. It is shown that plants can selectively attract specific bacterial taxa through species-specific chemical signals and chemotaxis. The processes of bacterial attachment to the root surface involving adhesins, protein appendages, and exopolysaccharides, leading to the formation of biofilms, are examined. The role of phytohormones in regulating the microbiota composition, including strigolactones, abscisic, indoleacetic, jasmonic, and salicylic acids, is analyzed. Data on the genetic determinism of plant-microorganism interactions and the differences between wild and cultivated plant forms in the formation of the rhizobiome are presented. Current views of the rhizosphere as a dynamic system with multiple feedback loops between the plant and the microbiota are summarized. Practical recommendations for the selection of phytostimulant bacteria for agricultural purposes, based on an understanding of the principles of plant-microbial interactions, are formulated.

Neuromorphic computing, based on imitating the workings of the brain, is a popular and promising area of cybernetics, but its practical implementation faces fundamental difficulties due to the extreme complexity of ‘living’ neural networks and the insufficient study of the principles of their organisation. It seems more rational to start with modelling simpler and well-studied genetic-metabolic systems characteristic of the cellular level of life organisation. The review examines the principles of information processing in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, their potential application in heterogeneous processors, neuromorphic chips, and collective robotic systems. The term ‘cyberbionics’ is proposed for this field. The prospects for the development of this field are discussed, including the creation of self-repairing and evolutionarily optimised systems.

In this study, the rhizosphere bacterial community of winter wheat was investigated. Paenibacillus and Bacillus strains, previously identified for their significant hydrolytic activity, demonstrated higher phosphate mobilization efficiency compared to a commercial product. Furthermore, these strains were capable of synthesizing siderophores and auxins known to promote plant growth. The obtained results open prospects for the development of novel biopreparations based on the isolated strains, with the potential for wide application in various branches of agriculture, from crop production to fodder production.

журнал Живые и биокосные системы Концепция «Жизнь как вычисление» и разработка новых противоопухолевых технологий

The oil cakes of essential oil plants were screened for prebiotic properties for further development of prebiotic feeds for livestock animals based on these essential oil plants’ extracts. For screening, a microbiota model of the chicken cecum, which was created on the basis of an artificial intestinal medium, was used. This model renders it possible to simulate conditions close to intestinal ones. Oligofructose, inulin, β-glucan, psyllium seeds, and apple fiber at a concentration of 0.5% were used as substances with known prebiotic properties. The oil cake concentration was 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%. The direct antimicrobial effect of the cakes on intestinal bacteria was also investigated. The ability of the cakes to stimulate a decrease in the pH level by Lactobacillus was studied under conditions close to intestinal ones. It was shown that the cakes of big seed false flax (Camelina sativa), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), and spicate lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) exhibit prebiotic properties in relation to the microbiome of chickens in model experiments. They enhance the acid-forming properties of lactic acid bacteria, thereby lowering the pH of the medium. This leads to a decrease in the number of Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, and lactose-positive bacteria, as well as a complete suppression of Proteus. The optimal oil cake concentrations are 1% and 2%. These oil cakes are promising sources of prebiotics for the development of prebiotic feed for agriculture.

A synbiotic preparation based on two strains of B. licheniformis was developed to reduce the harmful effects of mycotoxins in postharvest products used for cattle feed. The genomes of these strains were sequenced to analyze their potential for producing bioactive secondary metabolites. An optimal substrate was selected from the variety of plant substrates, with soybeans being identified as the optimal choice. Based on the results of experiments conducted on experimental animals for a month, the introduction of a synbiotic preparation leveled the negative effect of mycotoxins on weight gain in heifer calves, bringing it to the level of the control groups. There was also a decrease in the level of alkaline phosphatase in serum to normal values, which may indicate the probiotic effects of the preparation, not associated with the elimination of the effect of mycotoxins. The activity of these strains against mycotoxins correlates with the presence of lactonase genes in their genomes. Antimicrobial and bioactive metabolites, such as lichenicidin and lichenisin synthesized by strains CL 33 and CL 56, also seem to contribute to the probiotic effect. The results of the study open up prospects for the creation of new synbiotic preparations to fight contamination with mycotoxins.

Fish as model objects have found wide applications in biology and fundamental medicine and allow studies of behavioral and physiological responses to various environmental factors. Representatives of the genus Nothobranchius are one of the most convenient objects for such studies. Male fish belonging to the family Nothobranchiidae are characterized by extremely diverse coloration, which constantly changes, depending on the age of the fish, environmental factors, and social hierarchical status. These fish species are characterized by a short life cycle, which allows changes in coloration, an indicator of the ontogenesis stage, to be estimated. Existing methods of fish color assessments do not allow the intensity of coloration of particular body zones to be clearly differentiated. In the present study, we suggest a method of two-factor assessment of specific fish body zones using modified methods of photofixation and image processing software. We describe the protocol of the method and the results of its application to different-aged groups of male Nothobranchius guentheri. The coloration of selected areas (i.e., red spot on the gill cover (RSGC), black border on the caudal fin (BBCF), and white border on the dorsal fin (WBDF)) differed significantly according to the size and age of the fish (p < 0.05). The data obtained suggest that N. guentheri can be a model for studying aging by the intensity of body coloration in males.