Strengthening TNMU’s Research Infrastructure Through Ministry of Education and Science Funding
Following the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) assessment of its research performance, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University was awarded the highest Category A status. As a result, in 2026, the University received UAH 23,722,600 in baseline funding to support its research activities. Of this amount, 20.7% (UAH 4,898,500) was allocated to the development of research infrastructure.
As part of strengthening TNMU’s research laboratories and enhancing the quality of scientific investigations, the University purchased an AST500 Semi-Automatic Cryostat Microtome, manufactured by the Australian company AMOS Scientific, through a public procurement procedure funded by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The instrument has become an important addition to the Laboratory of Histological and Immunohistochemical Research, a structural unit of the Interdepartmental Educational and Research Laboratory Center, the University’s shared scientific equipment facility.
AST500 Semi-Automatic Cryostat Microtome (AMOS Scientific, Australia)
The cryostat microtome is an essential piece of equipment in a modern histology laboratory. It is used to prepare thin sections of fresh and frozen tissues at low temperatures, enabling rapid tissue analysis without lengthy paraffin-embedding procedures while preserving enzymes, lipids, antigens, and other temperature-sensitive tissue components.
Cryostat sections are widely used in histochemical, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence studies, as well as in the examination of experimental and biopsy specimens. The new equipment significantly expands the range of research that can be conducted, shortens specimen preparation time, and improves the quality of morphological diagnostics.
In clinical practice, cryostat microtomes are used for intraoperative frozen-section analysis, enabling pathologists to obtain rapid preliminary morphological diagnoses, assess the nature of pathological processes and surgical resection margins, and support timely clinical decision-making during surgery.
The first test histological sections have already been successfully prepared using the AST500 Cryostat Microtome. Initial testing confirmed the high quality of the tissue sections produced and demonstrated that the equipment is fully ready for use in both scientific research and educational activities.
The staff of the Department of Histology and Embryology and the Laboratory of Histological and Immunohistochemical Research expresses their sincere gratitude to the administration of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for their continued support in developing the University’s laboratory infrastructure and expanding its research capabilities.
