Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. M. A. Aitkhozhin \\\\\\\”KN MES RK

KUNAEVA RAUZA MINLIAKHMEDOVNA (born in 1934)

Doctor of biological sciences, Professor)

Kunaeva Rauza Minliakhmedovna is a leading Kazakh scientist, a specialist in the field of plant biochemistry and enzymology of natural compounds metabolism.

Rauza Kunaeva was born on May 25, 1934 in Alma-Ata city. In 1952, after graduating high school, she entered to the biological soil faculty of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Rauza Minliakhmedovna’s professional life stages began in 1957 at the Institute of Botany of Kazakh SSR in the laboratory of biochemistry of plants, under the guidance of corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of KazSSR – Lukban Klyshev. Over here began her scientific career as a senior laboratory assistant. Then she consistently held positions from junior to senior researcher. In 1981 she organized and headed the laboratory of enzymology of exchange of natural compounds, which she managed until 2009.

The result of Rauza Kunaeva’s scientific research were defending her thesis on the “Biochemistry of maturation and storage of standard varieties of Alma-Ata fruit zone apples” (1964) and doctoral dissertation on “Hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes exchange phenolic compounds of plants” (1984). The results of the thesis defended at the Institute of biochemistry of Uzbek SSR (Tashkent), formed the basis of her monography “Hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes in the metabolism of phenolic compounds of plants” which was published in 1986. In 1992 she was named Professor.

Since the mid-1980s, the laboratory systematically expanded the range of problems in the metabolism of phenolic compounds and the establishment of their functional and applied significance. As a result, the laboratory has grown into a unique and recognized by the scientific community center for the study of the structure, properties and regulation of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes of phenolic compounds of plants in Kazakhstan. Throughout its activity, the laboratory had close correlation with well-known scientific centers: K.A. Timiryazev Institute of plant physiology of RASc, Department of chemical Enzymology of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Biochemistry of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Bet Dagan (Israel) agricultural agronomic center and others.

Since the 2000s, a new direction of the laboratory has been specific signal molecules, their interaction with cellular protein receptors, as well as the identification, biochemical characteristics of protective proteins and the establishment of their role in improving the stability of agricultural plants. In this regard, in 2009, the laboratory was renamed as the Laboratory of plant signal systems.

Recognition of the scientific school of Rauza Minliakhmedovna in the field of metabolism of phenolic compounds made possible to held the International Symposium “Prospects of Bioorganic chemistry and molecular biology” in Almaty. The results of her research were presented at seven (7) International Scientific Forums (Dresden, 1978; Edinburgh, 1981; Brussels, 1983; Moscow, 1984; Amsterdam, 1985; West Berlin, 1986; Rome, 1989), at the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBO), as well as at many all-Union, National and International conferences and forums.

Rauza Kunaeva is an author of about 400 publications, including 3 monographs. She has 8 certificates of authorship, 2 patents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 4 innovative patents of the Republic of Kazakhstan., eight (8) PhD thesis were defended under her guidance.

Rauza Kunaeva is one of the major organizer of biological science in Kazakhstan. She was the Chairman and active public figure of Kazakh branch of the all-Union biochemical society, Chairman of the special Council for PhD theses defense at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of the Kazakh SSR; Member of the special Council at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Uzbek SSR; Member of the Interdepartmental scientific and technical council on physical and chemical biology and biotechnology at the Presidium of the Kazakh SSR; Member of the expert Council on biological sciences at the Higher certifying Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Member of the Scientific and technical Council at National center of biotechnology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Deputy Chairman of the dissertation Council for doctoral theses at M. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Rauza Kunaeva’s Scientific merits were marked with silver medal of the International exhibition in Brussels (1993), diploma of the 2nd degree of Exhibitions of achievements of national economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1992), the honorary sign “Inventor of the USSR” (1989), as well as