Students’ “BioNanoÖrtük” Research Project Wins Bronze Medal at the “Scientists of Tomorrow” Competition

A group of students from A. Abbasov Secondary School in Garadaghli village of the Aghdam district, operating under the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, conducted research within the scientific project titled “Biological Study of Antibacterial and Self-Cleaning Properties Inspired by the Nanostructure of Azerbaijani Saffron (BioNanoÖrtük)” together with Aysel Aliyeva, a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of the project, based on the principles of biomimicry and nanotechnology, the phytochemical properties and nano-morphological structure of Azerbaijani saffron were studied. Based on the conducted research, the concept of a bio-nano coating with antibacterial and self-cleaning properties was investigated, and scientific results were obtained in this field.

As part of the project, a bioinformatic molecular docking analysis was carried out to theoretically substantiate the interaction between saffron phytochemicals and bacterial enzymes. This analysis was used to evaluate the binding potential of saffron bioactive compounds with the active sites of target bacterial enzymes. The molecular docking research was carried out by Aysel Aliyeva, a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology.

The results of the analyses showed that saffron phytochemical compounds can form stable interactions with bacterial enzymes and theoretically support the obtained experimental antibacterial results.

It should be noted that the project was presented at the 15th Republican “Scientists of Tomorrow” Competition and was awarded a bronze medal for its innovative approach, multidisciplinary research methods, and achieved results.