Shabarova, Zoya Alekseevna

Shabarova Z. A. was born in the family of an engineer and a nurse. Zoya Alekseevna was the eldest daughter, had two sisters. In 1941, she was evacuated with her family to Uzbekistan, where she received secondary education at a local school. Soon after this, Zoya Alekseevna returned with her family home and already in September 1943 entered the chemistry department of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, which determined her future fate. ^[2]

At Moscow State University, Zoya Alekseevna attended lecture courses in bioorganic chemistry by such teachers as M. M. Botvinnik, N. I. Gavrilov, and others. In the late 1940s. Zoya Alekseevna fell into the scientific group of the famous organic chemist M. A. Prokofiev and, under his guidance, completed and defended her thesis in 1948. Later she continued her scientific work as a graduate student.

In 1951, Z. Shabarova defended her thesis on the topic “Synthesis and properties of pyrimidyl amino acids and pyrimidyl- (puryl -) - amides of amino acids and peptides”, and in 1966 a doctoral thesis on the subject “Research in the field of phosphoamide type nucleotide peptides” ".

Zoya Alekseevna began her scientific career as part of the scientific group of Prokofiev. Her first work was to study the structure and chemical properties of nucleotide peptides found among the hydrolysis products of natural nucleic acids. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

The initial stage of this work was the study of the chemical properties of the simplest model compounds, such as aminopyrimidines, pyrimidyl amino acids, and aminoacyl derivatives of pyrimidines, after which Shabarova began studying amino acid derivatives of nucleotides (O- and N-types). ^{[2] [6]}

At this stage of the work, Z. A. Shabarova proposed a new approach to conducting this kind of biochemical studies, which assumed an accurate quantitative assessment of the results, which was characteristic of organic chemistry.

In the course of work on the study of compounds of protein and nucleotide fragments, a reaction was discovered that made it possible to determine the type of bond in natural nucleoproteins, which subsequently made it possible to establish the mechanism of action of DNA and RNA ligase.

After receiving her doctorate, Shabarova began research in the field of synthesis of oligonucleotides, DNA fragments containing a small number of links.

In the 1960s, Zoya Alekseevna paid special attention to the study of the possibility of solid-phase synthesis when a biopolymer chain is grown on the surface of a special insoluble carrier. Despite the negative reviews of senior colleagues, among whom was academician M.N. Kolosov, regarding this new scientific field, Zoya Alekseevna together with V.K. Potapov continued their work, which in the late 1970s. ended in triumph: the first domestic and one of the first in the world automatic oligonucleotide synthesizer was built, called “Victoria”. ^[7]

In parallel, in the laboratory of nucleic acid chemistry under the guidance of Z. A. Shabarova, methods were also developed for producing small single-stranded DNA fragments, which made it possible to supply domestic scientific institutes with oligonucleotides with a given sequence of links. After creating an automatic synthesizer of oligonucleotides Shabarova, chemical doping reactions involving synthetic blocks were discovered, which made it possible to synthesize DNA analogues that are resistant to enzymes. Research in this area was the basis for the creation of antiviral, antitumor and other drugs. In addition, methods for the activation of oligonucleotides in aqueous media were developed and ways to change the rate of protein synthesis in living systems by introducing specific oligonucleotides were studied. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Shabarova Z. A. also conducted research on the study of the revertase protein discovered in 1970, capable of synthesizing DNA on an RNA matrix. This work has provided insights into the life cycle of some viruses. ^[2]

In 1980-1990 Together with Shabarova Z. A., reactions occurring in DNA and RNA duplexes were investigated. These studies have had a great influence on the development of molecular biology and genetic engineering.

The total number of scientific works in the list of authors of which is Shabarova exceeds 450.

She was buried at Aksinsky cemetery .

Shabarova Z. A. conducted an active social and scientific-organizational activity. Since 1966, she was the head of the Department of Nucleic Acid Chemistry of the NIIIFKhB im. A.N. Belozersky, and since 1970 she was a professor at the Department of ChPS of the Chemical Faculty of Moscow State University. In 1966, she became deputy chairman of the specialized council for the defense of doctoral dissertations at Moscow State University. Also Shabarova Z. A. was a member of the Scientific Council of NIIIFKhB Moscow State University (1968) and IMB RAS (1980), a member of the International Scientific Society "Chemistry of Nucleic Acids" (1989) and a full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (1991). ^{[3] [1]}

Shabarova paid attention to the training of graduate students and students involved in the Department of HPS. At the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University, she gave lecture courses in the chemistry of nucleic acids and the chemical basis of genetic engineering.

She also gave a course of lectures on bioorganic chemistry in many foreign universities. In order to educate foreign students, she visited countries such as the USA, England, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and others. ^[1]

During her work, Shabarova prepared about 70 candidates of science.

• Medal “For Valiant Labor. In commemoration of the centenary of the birth of V. I. Lenin "(1970)
• USSR State Prize for the cycle of works “reverse transcriptase (revertase)” (1979)
• Anniversary sign “225 years of Moscow State University” (1980)
• Veteran of Labor Medal (1984)
• Prize of the USSR Ministry of Higher Education for work on the creation of a solid-phase method for the synthesis of gene fragments and the development of the domestic automatic gene synthesizer Victoria (1980, 1982, 1986)
• Lenin Prize for the cycle of works “Creating the Foundations for Addressed Modification of Genetic Structures” (1990)
• Honorary title "3 Emeritus Professor of Moscow State University" (1996) ^[3]

Shabarova Z. A. was interested in physical and chemical biology and bioorganic chemistry. In addition to doing science, Zoya Alekseevna loved to ski and go fishing with her family. ^[2]

• Shabarova Z. A., Bogdanov A. A. Chemistry of nucleic acids and their components. M .: Chemistry, 1978, 582 p.
• Shabarova Z. A., Bogdanov A. A., Zolotukhin A. S. Chemical fundamentals of genetic engineering. M .: Moscow State University, 1994, 224 p.

• Moscow encyclopedia. Volume 1: Faces of Moscow. Book 5: U-Z. - M .: Moscow Textbooks OJSC, 2012

• Grave of Z. A. Shabarova