site.btaBulgarian Scientists Study Antarctic Yeasts for Cancer Therapies

Bulgarian scientists are working on projects to research Antarctic yeasts for new cancer therapies, Prof. Christo Pimpirev, Director of the National Centre for Polar Research, head of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and of all Antarctic expeditions of Bulgaria, told bTV here on Saturday.

Antarctica occupies one tenth of the Earth's surface and is the largest open-air laboratory in the world, said Pimpirev. Bulgarian researchers will work on 11 scientific projects there, related to the study of glaciers, their movement and melting caused by climate change, which is felt sharply in Antarctica. "We have a lot of biology projects, we study the DNA of Antarctic bacteria that are resistant to human antibiotics. We have Antarctic yeasts from which new cancer therapies have been developed by Chilean researchers, and we are working on this with scientists from Plovdiv," said Prof. Pimpirev.

"This is an extreme science that yields great results for Bulgaria and for humanity, we already have publications in many scientific publications," he said.

A documentary about the Bulgarian antarctic expeditin participants will be filmed by an Austrian producer during the 33rd Bulgarian Antarctic expedition, Prof. Christo Pimpirev.  "With this film we will go on the world stage. Let the world see how we work in Antarctica, how all the scientists of the world come to us to help them there, how the artists come there to tell the world what we do there," said Prof. Pimpirev. 

He stressed that in Antarctica Bulgaria is among the leading European countries, one of the eleven EU countries that have bases there. "You see what a battle is going on for Greenland, Antarctica is rich in minerals, and Bulgaria is very respected in Antarctic research, we are there. None of our neighbours have a ship for Antarctic research," the researcher pointed out.

He added that with the help of the 33rd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, three nations are sending scientists to Antarctica for the first time - Montenegro, Greece and the UAE. 'We are the only ones in the whole region who have a polar base and a research ship,' said Prof. Pimpirev.

He thanked the caretaker government and the media, thanks to which at the end of last year "politicians understood how important funding is for the lives and work of people who are on a mission on the other side of the world. In addition to the budget, Antarctic missions rely on European funding," he said.

Pimpirev pointed out that thanks to the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions are on the world map of oceanic research, which will be the focus of global initiatives and research in the next 10 years, according to a UN decision. "In cooperation with France, we are now also a maritime nation globally," said Prof. Pimpirev

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) departed from Varna for its third Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2024, and arrived at Livingston Island on December 28.

BTA has a national press club on the vessel and at the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski. This is the third consecutive year that BTA has sent a correspondent to Antarctica, after Konstantin Karagyozov embarked on RSV 421's maiden voyage to the icy continent and back. This year's BTA correspondent is Milena Ostrovska, who arrived at the the St Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island base on Livingston Island on January 17. Emil Granicharov was BTA's special correspondent to Antarctica during last year's expedition.