Kossalbayev Bekzhan

Professional experience

Since 09.2021	Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Satbayev University.
Since 09.2016	Research appointments at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University: Junior Researcher from September 2016; Researcher from July 2020.
09.2020–08.2021	Senior Lecturer, Satbayev University.
2017–2018; 2020–2021	Head of Laboratory, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (09.2017–08.2018; 09.2020–08.2021).
2017–2020	Lecturer (09.2017–05.2018) and Senior Lecturer (09.2018–05.2019; 09.2019–05.2020), Department of Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
09.2011–08.2015	Laboratory Assistant, Research Institute of Biology and Biotechnology Problems, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

Education

2023–2025	Postdoctoral research, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB, CAS), China. Certificate No. 313380.
2017–2020	PhD in Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Diploma AFU No. 0000197.
2015–2017	Master of Science in Biology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Diploma No. 0111098.
2011–2015	Bachelor of Science in Biology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Diploma No. 0083785.

Professional development and research placements

2022–2023	Bolashak research fellowship, Professor Tatsuya Tomo’s laboratory, Tokyo University of Science, Japan (15 July 2022–29 May 2023).
2019	International Training Course on Synthetic Biology, TIB, CAS, Tianjin, China (14 October–2 November 2019).
2019	Research placement in Professor Tatsuya Tomo’s laboratory, Tokyo University of Science, Japan (7 January–2 March 2019).
2016–2017	Research placement, Department of Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan Campus, Republic of Korea.
2016	Research placement, Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia (6–21 May 2016).

Scientific and editorial service

Editorial team member, Satbayev Conference.

Guest Editor, Processes, Special Issue “Biodegradation, Bioremediation, and Sustainable Bioprocesses for Environmental Protection and Circular Bioeconomy”.

Topic Editor, Frontiers in Microbiology, Research Topic “Advances in Microbial-Based Solutions: Food Coloring, Flavoring and Fragrance”.

Research and teaching

Research focuses on cyanobacterial and microalgal biohydrogen and biofuels; genetic modification of cyanobacteria; synthetic microbial communities; ACC deaminase-producing bacteria; plant growth promotion, microbial biofertilizers and biological wastewater treatment.

Teaching experience includes General Biology, Biochemistry, Microbial Biotechnology and Technical Microbiology.

English proficiency: Upper-Intermediate.

Awards and scholarships

2022	Bolashak International Scholarship; research placement at Tokyo University of Science.
2021	Best University Teacher award, Republic of Kazakhstan.
2021	State Scientific Scholarship for Young Scientists.
2021	Best Young Scientist of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

Research projects as Principal Investigator

2025–2027	AP26193911 “Scientific substantiation, development and testing of synthetic microbiomes composed of ACC deaminase-producing bacteria to reduce ethylene stress in plants.” Grant-funded project.
2022–2024	AP14869048 “Construction of cyanobacterial hup mutants and development of cultivation technology to improve hydrogen production efficiency.” Grant-funded project.
2022–2024	AP13067574 “Enhancement of hydrogen production by cyanobacterial strains using genetic engineering.”

Participation in research projects

2021–2023	AP09260077 “Investigation of the biotechnological potential of a domestic microalgal collection for liquid biofuel production: biobutanol.” Researcher.
2020–2022	AP08052481 “Development of biodiesel production technology using productive microalgal strains.” Researcher.
2020–2022	AP08052402 “Development of biofertilizer production technology using nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria.” Researcher.
2018–2020	AP05131218 “Development of a zero-waste technology for cyanobacterial wastewater bioremediation and carbon dioxide utilization for potential biodiesel production.” Junior Researcher.
2018–2020	AP05131743 “Development of scientific and methodological foundations for biomonitoring and prediction of polluted aquatic ecosystem conditions using phototrophic microorganisms.” Junior Researcher.

Patents

Co-inventor of Republic of Kazakhstan utility model patent No. 4566, “Photobioreactor for cultivation and screening of phototrophic microorganisms.” Inventors: B.K. Zayadan, A.K. Sadvakasova, A.A. Usserbayeva, B.D. Kossalbayev, K. Bolatkhan and D.M. Kozhan.

Conference participation

2020	11th European Workshop on the Biology of Cyanobacteria, 7–9 September, Portugal.
2019	Photosynthesis and Hydrogen Energy Research for Sustainability, 23–28 June, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2019	4th International Conference on Bioscience and Biotechnology (BioTech 2019), 21–22 February, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2018	Pushchino International School-Conference of Young Scientists “Biology: Science of the 21st Century”, 23–27 April, Pushchino, Russia.
2018	Farabi World International Conference of Students and Young Scientists, 10–11 April, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Publication record

Author and co-author of research articles in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Journal of Biotechnology, Cells and other international journals.

h-index: 22; citations: 1,318.

Scopus Author ID: 57205673698 Web of Science ResearcherID: Q-6587-2017

Selected publications

1. Kossalbayev B.D., Wei M., Wang J., et al. (2025). Growth promotion of synthetic microbial communities influenced by the function, diversity and interactions of their constituent strains and soil types. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 41, 181. doi: 10.1007/s11274-025-04403-w

2. Kossalbayev B.D., Kakimova A.B., Bolatkhan K., et al. (2022). Biohydrogen production by novel cyanobacterial strains isolated from rice paddies in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47(37), 16440–16453. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.03.126

3. Allakhverdiev E.S., Khabatova V.V., Kossalbayev B.D., et al. (2022). Raman Spectroscopy and Its Modifications Applied to Biological and Medical Research. Cells, 11(3), 386. doi: 10.3390/cells11030386

4. Sadvakasova A.K., Kossalbayev B.D., Token A.I., et al. (2022). Influence of Mo and Fe on Photosynthetic and Nitrogenase Activities of Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria under Nitrogen Starvation. Cells, 11(5), 904. doi: 10.3390/cells11050904

5. Kossalbayev B.D., Tomo T., Zayadan B.K., et al. (2020). Determination of the potential of cyanobacterial strains for hydrogen production. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45, 2627–2639. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.11.164

6. Sadvakasova A.K., Kossalbayev B.D., Zayadan B.K., et al. (2020). Bioprocesses of hydrogen production by cyanobacteria cells and possible ways to increase their productivity. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 133, 110054. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110054

International research collaboration

Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China): postdoctoral research and joint studies of synthetic microbial communities; co-authors include Jingjing Wang and Zhiyong Huang.

Tokyo University of Science (Japan), Tatsuya Tomo’s laboratory: research placements and joint publications on cyanobacterial biohydrogen production.

Research placements at Dankook University (Republic of Korea) and Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia).

Satbayev University professional profile