Kazakh Scientist Discovers New Species of Bacteria
Jerusalem, 17 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Kazakh scientist Serik Bakiyev and a team of researchers have discovered a new species of bacteria, Aeromonas oralensis, Kazinform reports, citing the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The discovery was made in 2025 as part of scientific research in the field of microbiology and ecology of aquatic ecosystems.
Bakiev is the head of the educational programs in biology, chemical sciences, and the environment at M. Utemisov West Kazakhstan University. His research focuses on the conservation of aquatic ecosystem biodiversity, aquaculture, bacterial antibiotic resistance, and molecular genetics.
During his doctoral studies at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, he studied methods for disinfecting bacterial pathogens of sturgeon fish using bacteriophage endolysins. Based on his research, he was awarded a PhD.
It is noted that the results of his scientific work have been implemented in production and are used in the field of aquaculture in Uralsk.
Bakiev is also active in research and teaching, teaching courses in genetics, ecology, and bioindication, and participating in grant and program-targeted projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other government agencies.
The scientist has 59 scientific publications to his credit, including articles in journals indexed in the international databases Web of Science and Scopus. His research also contributes to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the area of water conservation.
Bakiyev is the recipient of several awards, including the 2017 Leader of the Year award and the 2022 Best Young Scientist award in the CIS.
Meanwhile, Kazakhsan is strengthening its support for young scientists. For the 2025–2026 academic year, 2,919 educational grants have been allocated for doctoral training. An additional 110 grants are provided through the Industrial PhD mechanism for training specialists in priority economic areas.
