All ten laboratories of the Center of Technology of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan have switched to self-sustaining economic activities since the new year. This was reported on January 10 by the information site "Turkmenistan: Golden Age".

The publication writes that the laboratories conduct research in the field of bio-, nano-, information technologies , physicochemical in-depth study of substances, molecular biomaterials and hydrocarbons. Research results are used in all sectors of the country's economy.

The publication provides an example of one of the studies - the production of food citric acid on an industrial scale. The product is obtained using the fungus "aspergillus niger" and "molasses" - corn syrup.

It is also reported that a biological method is being developed for cleaning the soil from oil products and creating a drug to fight diseases of conifers.

In January 2019, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a Resolution according to which funding from the state budget of the Academy of Sciences will be terminated within three years. However, in February last year, the head of state again demanded urgently to develop a plan for transferring ANT to self-financing in three years.

In April, it became known that from the 2021-2022 academic year, two universities will be transferred to self-sufficiency - the International University for the Humanities and Development, as well as the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics.

Then, in June, the head of state instructed the Minister of Education to take more effective measures to transfer universities to self-financing "in accordance with the requirements of the time." At the same time, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov announced the transfer of some areas of study at the Institute of International Relations on a paid basis, and in subsequent years the transfer of the Institute to self-financing.

Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan