Dr. Dmitriy Berillo, Senior Scientist at the Department of Biosensors and Bioinstruments, PI ‘National Laboratory Astana’, Nazarbayev University and recipient of a Newton Researcher Links Travel Grant awarded in November 2014.
Host Institution in the UK: School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton.
Research title: ‘Immobilized noble metal nanoparticles as efficient flow through catalyst for “green” decomposition of chlorinated aromatic compounds’.
Dmitry’s research, supported by the Newton – Al-Farabi Partnership Programme, will make a real impact on tackling the serious environmental challenges faced by Kazakhstan. Dmitry says, ‘This technology will significantly decrease the CO2 emission during the decomposition of toxic compounds in future. The implementation of the technology in industry and the application of the material can solve problems with contaminated water, for example at the Irtysh River located in Kazakhstan, where at some regions the concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls can reach up to 7-4 mg/L, which is considered to be as very high and dangerous concentration for humans and animals. The technology I have been working on will therefore have a positive impact on ecosystem and health of people.’
Dr Berillo conducted his research during a six-month visit to Brighton in 2015, during which he also participated in conferences and seminars across the UK and published a number of joint scientific papers.