The scientific director and curator of the project is Irina Kurzina, director of the Center for Materials and Technology Research at TSU.
Raden Intan University is a state Islamic university founded in 1968 to develop Islamic education in Indonesia. In 2024, a partnership agreement was signed with TSU. In early 2026, University Rector Wan Jamaluddin was named one of the top five rectors of Islamic universities in Indonesia for his successes in developing Islamic education. In particular, Raden Intan University is a national leader in the field of “Islamic economics,” one of the most dynamic areas of modern economic science.
Testing products for halal compliance, i.e., compliance with Islamic standards (e.g., absence of prohibited substances such as alcohol, pork, meat from predatory animals, and violations of the production, storage, and packaging process) is a relevant area of research. The process ensures that the product is “permitted” (halal) and meets high standards of quality and ethics. This increases consumer confidence and contributes to the competitiveness of businesses operating in the halal industry, tourism, and food production. Successful testing results in the “Halal” mark appearing on the product packaging.
“For example, there are production facilities that prepare both beef and pork. A person who professes Islam needs to be sure that the meat they consume has not come into contact with pork in any way, that is, that it does not contain non-halal DNA,” said Milica Rakina. “If the sample is clean, we can effectively say that the product is halal. And if other halal requirements, including those relating to the financial and ethical aspects of doing business, are met, it can be sold on the market and certified as halal.”
During two trips to Indonesia, a team of TSU scientists successfully developed protocols for extracting DNA from various samples related to potentially non-halal products: samples of freeze-dried soup, medicine, agar-agar powder, and gelatin chewing candy. During the visit, Milica Rakina also held joint seminars to discuss the use of sequencing in halal testing. The work has been ongoing for four months.
"Our research is developing in two directions: testing for the presence of non-halal DNA from predatory animals (pigs, dogs, cats, eagles, lions, etc.) and the presence of alcohol or spirits. During the analyses, we observed the expression, i.e., the manifestation of a specific gene, in the sample. We successfully isolated DNA from three samples: freeze-dried soup, a medicinal product, and human DNA from blood. We assume that the other products — agar-agar powder and gelatin chewing candies — underwent excessive processing, which led to DNA degradation. Then we did four PCR analyses. Of course, the sample is small, but we already have a positive result, explained Milica Rakina.
The team plans to scale up the sample size, train more specialists, and obtain laboratory certification to enter the global market.
“Collaboration with Radan Intan University is an opportunity to work with foreign scientists, enter a new field with a promising future, and bring our knowledge and scientific methods to the international market,” commented Irina Kurzina, director of the Center for Materials and Technology Research at the TSU Faculty of Chemistry. "This is a global industry that is gaining tremendous momentum in the economy.
For context:
In 2025, Tomsk State University was recognized as the leading Russian university working with Indonesia. TSU has the largest diaspora of Indonesian students in Russia — 80 people — and a total of more than 3,500 foreign students from 68 countries study at TSU.
In collaboration with Radan Intan University, a laboratory has been opened for holographic research into the condition and quality of water in Indonesian reservoirs, as well as for studying the effects of biocidal materials in tropical conditions. In addition, hospitals in Lampung, Indonesia, are testing antimicrobial bandages and paints manufactured at the world-class Scientific Center for New Special-Purpose Materials, which is operated by TSU.
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The Center had previously been operating successfully at the Institute and providing comprehensive support to foreign students, but it has only now acquired its own space.
