National Technical University «Kharkov Polytechnic Institute» was founded in 1885, as educational establishment, preparing specialists the most claimed areas of scitech that time. Beginning of the XX century was marked stormy development of the engendered chemical industry, therefore scientists ran into the problem of control and analysis of basic compounds, and in 1940 from the department of chemistry was extracted an independent department «Department of Analytical Chemistry» which lasted under this name to 1998 year.
At that time, the Department of Analytical Chemistry was headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Mykola Kleshchev. He was an initiative-driven and forward-thinking individual, which led him to make the decision to establish the specialty “Biotechnology” at NTU “KhPI”. In 1998, the department became a graduating (degree-awarding) department and was renamed the “Department of Biotechnology and Analytical Chemistry.” The technical facilities allowed for the training of biotechnology engineers, but there was a shortage of specialists capable of teaching subjects in this field at a high level. As a result, renowned scientists and talented educators, such as:
- Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Leonid Kosobutskyi, a leading specialist in the field of microbiology and virology;
- Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Yevhen Babych, an internationally recognized expert in the field of microbiology and virology;
- Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vadym Davydov, an internationally recognized biochemist;
- Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vasyl Rossikhin, a specialist in the field of biologically active substances of natural origin.
The department began training students in the specialty “Industrial Biotechnology.” In addition to the theoretical foundations of biotechnology, significant attention was given to quality control and certification of biotechnological products.
The supervisor of this block of disciplines was Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Professor Tetiana Kostyrkina, a highly qualified analytical chemist.
But time does not stand still—the department continued to grow and strengthen, and the number of applicants wishing to pursue education in this specialty steadily increased. In 2001, the department began offering part-time (distance) education programs.
The faculty team also expanded. The following specialists joined the educational and scientific process:
• Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov, a specialist in the field of condensed matter physics, biophysics, and chemical biophysics, a leading research scientist
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Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Olena Klimova, a leading research scientist.
In 2012, the department received accreditation for a second specialty, “Pharmaceutical Biotechnology”. Courses in this field began to be taught by:
• Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Yurii Krasnopolskyi, a leading specialist in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology
Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Honored Scientist and Technician of Ukraine Viktor Heorhiievskyi
In the spring of 2015, the department was renamed the “Department of Biotechnology, Biophysics, and Analytical Chemistry.”
That same year, the Academic Council of NTU “KhPI” elected Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, as the Head of the Department of Biotechnology, Biophysics, and Analytical Chemistry.
He led the department until the end of 2019
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Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov was a highly versatile individual whose interests extended far beyond physics and mathematics. Possessing vast erudition, he quickly and successfully mastered new scientific fields, including molecular biology, molecular biophysics, and chemical biophysics. His broad range of scientific interests encompassed molecular interactions, cooperative processes, and phase transitions in biopolymers, as well as radiation-induced modifications of biological polymers by electronic excitations.
Under the leadership of Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, the department initiated research into the mechanisms of energy transfer in condensed media to local centers and the formation of molecular and biomolecular nanocomplexes. This included the exploration of methods for controlling the functional properties of macromolecules and their associates by influencing various covalent and non-covalent intra- and intermolecular interactions.
Additionally, the department focused on the development of remote, non-destructive analytical methods for monitoring stimulated modifications of bonding systems in biopolymers and functional materials, as well as the formulation of theoretical foundations for biotechnology and bioengineering. A defining feature of Professor Ogurtsov
Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, was a member of the editorial board of the international scientific journal Innovative Biosystems and Bioengineering (Kyiv), as well as a member of the editorial board of the scientific journal Biophysical Bulletin. He also served on the Scientific Council on the “Molecular Biophysics” program at the B. I. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and was a member of both the Methodological Council and the Editorial and Publishing Council at NTU “KhPI”.
Professor Ogurtsov was the author of 450 scientific and educational-methodological works, including 2 monographs, 56 textbooks and manuals on biotechnology and bioengineering (with a total volume of 15 236 pages!), and more than 60 scientific publications recognized internationally and indexed in the SCOPUS database.
Professor Oleksandr Ogurtsov taught numerous courses, including: Bioinformatics, Biological Membranes, Bionanotechnology, Biosynergetics, Biophysics, Biophysical and Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Genetic Engineering, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biotechnology, Molecular Biophysics, Chemical Bionanophysics, Scientific Research Methods, Enzymatic Catalysis, and Physics.
Professor Ogurtsov made a significant contribution to the development of higher education and science in Ukraine. He was distinguished by his sense of responsibility, initiative, and diligence. He was highly respected as a scholar and educator within Ukraine’s academic and educational community.
During his tenure as the head of the Department of Biotechnology, Biophysics, and Analytical Chemistry, the department trained over 350 highly qualified specialists in biotechnology and bioengineering, who are now working in 15 countries around the world
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Solemn Graduation Ceremony for Master’s Degree Recipients at the NTU “KhPI” Student Palace
December 24, 2019
(Graduation of Master’s Students in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Class of 2019).