Research Professor, Department of Biotechnology; Leading Researcher, Research Institute of Biology and Biotechnology Problems
Sadvakassova Assemgul
Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor
CV
Professional Experience
| 2024-present | Research Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2017-present | Leading Researcher, Research Institute of Biology and Biotechnology Problems, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2020-2024 | Vice Dean for Research and Innovation and International Cooperation, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University; Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology. |
| 2018-2020 | Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2015-2017 | Acting Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| Since 2012 | Senior Lecturer, Department of Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2007-2016 | Senior Researcher, Research Division, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2006-2009 | Lecturer, Department of Microbiology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
| 2003-2006 | Junior Researcher, Research Institute. |
| 2001-2003 | Laboratory Assistant and Category I Specialist, Department of Microbiology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. |
Education
| 1997-2001 | Higher education, Faculty of Biology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. | ||
| 2001-2003 | Master’s degree studies, Faculty of Biology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. | ||
| 2003-2006 | Postgraduate studies in Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. | ||
| 2006 | Defended a Candidate of Sciences dissertation entitled «Obtaining Cadmium-Resistant Mutant Strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for Application in Ecobiotechnology». Date of defense: 28 June 2006. Awarded the academic degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences. | ||
| 2017 | Awarded the academic title of Associate Professor (Docent). | ||
| 2023 | Awarded the academic title of Professor. | ||
| 2025 | Awarded the title of Research Professor. | ||
Professional Development Courses and Research Internships
| 2021 | Fellow of the international Belt and Road Young Talent Program. Received support under the Tianjin SynBio program to conduct joint research with the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS), Tianjin, China, in the fields of synthetic biology, biofertilizers, and biopesticides. |
| 2023 | Research visit to Tianjin, China. Participated in the International Forum on Bioindustry Innovation and Development with the participation of the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS), National Innovation Center for Synthetic Biotechnology, ANSO, and COMSATS. Delivered a presentation on the biotechnological potential of phototrophic microorganisms. |
| 16-19 September 2024 | Participated in the international scientific and practical seminar «Metagenomic Approach to Viral Disease Surveillance» jointly organized by COMSATS and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and hosted by COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan. |
| 2021-2025 | International research activities within the project «R&D and Application of Bio-fertiliser and Biopesticide», implemented jointly with the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS), China. |
| 2024-2026 | Scientific cooperation and exchange of expertise within the establishment of the Sino-Kazakh Joint Research Centre for Agricultural Synthetic Microbiome Technology, in collaboration with the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS), China. Main research areas: synthetic microbiology, agricultural biotechnology, microbiome technologies, biofertilizers, and biopesticides. |
Membership in Scientific and Professional Organizations
A.K. Sadvakasova is a member of the National Scientific Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the priority area «Sustainable Development of the Agro-Industrial Complex and Safety of Agricultural Products». She is also an expert of the National Center of State Scientific and Technical Expertise of the Republic of Kazakhstan and participates in the expert evaluation of research projects and scientific reports.
Since 14 April 2021, she has been a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the COMSATS Joint Center for Industrial Biotechnology (CCIB).
In 2021, she became a fellow of the international Belt and Road Young Talent Program and received financial support for a research project under the Tianjin SynBio program aimed at developing joint Kazakhstan-China research in synthetic biology and agricultural biotechnology.
Scientific School
A.K. Sadvakasova is one of the leading representatives and successors of the scientific school established at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in the field of «Phototrophic Microorganisms and Their Applications in Biotechnology and Bioenergy». Her research activities encompass fundamental and applied studies of microalgae and cyanobacteria, selection of promising strains, environmental biotechnology, bioremediation of contaminated ecosystems, biofuel production, and the development of biofertilizers, biopesticides, and synthetic microbial consortia for agricultural applications.
In recent years, one of her key research areas has focused on the development of algal–bacterial and synthetic microbial communities capable of enhancing the resilience and productivity of agricultural crops, as well as on the development of microbiome-based technologies for environmentally sustainable agricultural production.
A.K. Sadvakasova actively contributes to the training of scientific personnel, supervises research conducted by master’s and doctoral students, and promotes international scientific collaboration in the fields of phototrophic and agricultural biotechnology.
Principal Investigator of Grant-Funded Projects
• 2015-2017 – Principal Investigator of the project «Replenishment, Preservation, Certification, and Creation of a Database of Collection Cultures of Phototrophic Microorganisms Promising for the Production of Biofuels, Biofertilizers, and Biologically Active Substances», State Registration No. 015RK00290.
• 2018-2020 – Principal Investigator of project AP05131743 «Development of Scientific and Methodological Foundations for Biomonitoring Technology and Prediction of the State of Contaminated Aquatic Ecosystems Using Phototrophic Microorganisms».
• 2020-2022 – Principal Investigator of project AP08052402 «Development of a Technology for the Production of Biofertilizers Based on Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria».
• 2021-2023 – Principal Investigator of project AP09260077 «Study of the Biotechnological Potential of the National Collection of Microalgae for the Production of Liquid Fuel – Biobutanol».
• 2024-2026 – Principal Investigator of project AP23488028 «Development of Technology for the Production and Testing of Algal–Bacterial Biopreparations Enhancing the Resilience and Productivity of Agricultural Plants».
Principal Investigator of International Projects
• 2021-2025 – R&D and Application of Bio-fertiliser and Bio-pesticide – an international research project focused on the development and implementation of biofertilizers and biopesticides, supported by the Tianjin Synthetic Biotechnology Innovation Capacity Enhancement Initiative, Tianjin, China. The project was aimed at developing synthetic microbial systems and biological preparations for sustainable agriculture.
• 2024-2026 – Construction of the Sino-Kazakh Joint Research Centre for Agricultural Synthetic Microbiome Technology – an international project aimed at establishing the Sino-Kazakh Joint Research Centre for Agricultural Synthetic Microbiome Technology at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS), with support from the Tianjin Science and Technology Programme.
Publication Activity
A.K. Sadvakasova is the author and co-author of more than 90 scientific publications, over 50 of which have been published in journals indexed in the international Scopus and Web of Science databases. She is also the author and co-author of 7 patents and 6 educational publications.
Her scientific works have been published in leading international journals, including Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Environmental Research, Algal Research, Bioresource Technology, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Journal of Applied Phycology, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Cells, Plants, and Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences.
Her major publication areas in recent years include biohydrogen production using cyanobacteria, development of algal and cyanobacterial biofertilizers, construction of synthetic microbial consortia, bioremediation of contaminated ecosystems, biofuel production from microalgae, application of phototrophic microorganisms to enhance stress tolerance in agricultural plants, and the use of metagenomic approaches in sustainable agriculture.
According to the provided CV: Scopus h-index – 21; number of citations – 1,065; Scopus Author ID – 55978114100. ORCID: 0000-0003-1456-5320.
International Partners
A.K. Sadvakasova actively develops international scientific collaboration with research organizations in China, Japan, the Russian Federation, Italy, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and other countries. Joint research activities focus on phototrophic microorganisms, synthetic biology, microbial consortia, biofuels, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture.
One of the principal international partners is the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB CAS, Tianjin, China). Joint research focuses on the development of synthetic microbial communities, biofertilizers and biopesticides, as well as technologies for agricultural synthetic microbiomes. This collaboration has provided the basis for the implementation of international projects and the establishment of the Sino-Kazakh Joint Research Centre for Agricultural Synthetic Microbiome Technology.
Another important area of international cooperation is collaboration with Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU, Xi’an, China). Joint research covers agricultural and environmental biotechnology, microbial technologies, bioremediation, and the development of biological approaches to enhance the resilience of agroecosystems.
Within the framework of the international organization COMSATS, A.K. Sadvakasova participates in scientific and technical cooperation in the field of industrial biotechnology. In September 2024, she also participated in an international seminar organized by COMSATS and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) on the application of metagenomic technologies for viral disease surveillance, held at COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.