A new study by the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) and an international team of researchers, published in the peer-reviewed journal Virus Evolution, has revealed that the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic spread undetected for an extended period in Lithuania’s mink farms. The findings show that the virus was transmitted at least four times from mink to humans and 14 times from humans to mink in Lithuania. The results highlight the importance of monitoring viruses circulating in animal farms for public health and expose significant gaps in this area in Lithuania.

Art often seems like a self-evident part of human activity – it accompanies us in museums, cities, and on screens. Yet we rarely pause to ask: what is art, really, and why does it exist at all? On 30 April, the Vilnius University (VU) Discussion Club will host a conversation about art, approaching it as a cultural phenomenon, a form of thinking, and an experience that takes place in the brain.

Two projects by researchers from the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) received the highest evaluation scores in the Research Council of Lithuania’s call for Technology Development Projects. Both focus on practical applications and address pressing public health challenges: developing solutions that make it easier and faster to assess the body’s condition, and using artificial intelligence to improve drug production technologies for greater efficiency.

From 12 to 19 July this year, Vilnius will host the 37th International Biology Olympiad, bringing together young biology enthusiasts from around the world. An event of this scale – expected to welcome up to 600 participants from 82 countries – is being organised in Lithuania for the first time in history.

In Lithuania, endometrial (uterine lining) cancer is diagnosed more often than in many other European countries. Based on incidence rates, the country ranks among the highest in the region, while neighbouring countries show significantly lower figures. What explains this difference?

A team of scientists from the Institute of Biochemistry, Bioanalysis Department, at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, led by Dr. Dalius Ratautas, has secured funding through one of the most competitive Lithuania–Japan bilateral research programmes [1]. Their project, Development of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Biosensor Based on DNA Nanotweezers, focuses on creating next-generation biosensors. The aim is to establish a fundamentally new principle for detecting genetic mutations, converting extremely small differences in DNA into a clearly measurable electrochemical signal.

On 2 April, the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) hosted its annual community meeting, bringing together scientists, students, and partners to review the achievements of the past year and discuss future directions. This year, the event also held symbolic significance, marking the Center’s 10th anniversary.

Scientists at the Proteomics Center of the Institute of Biochemistry at Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, led by Dr. Mindaugas Valius, are working together with clinicians from Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos to tackle one of the most complex challenges in modern medicine – pancreatic cancer. This interdisciplinary collaboration aims to combine advanced molecular research with clinical practice to develop more effective, patient-tailored treatment solutions.

A PhD student at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC), Džiugas Sabonis, has been awarded the Prof. Virginijus Šikšnys Scholarship in recognition of internationally acknowledged scientific achievements in the life sciences.

Marking the 447th anniversary of Vilnius University, the science communication competition Mokslo sprintas competition was held for the fifth time. First place was awarded to members of the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center team “Neuron Translators” – doctoral student Igoris Nagula and fourth-year undergraduate student Gabija Valentaitė – who presented their talk “What Does the Electrical Language of Neurons Reveal About the Development of Brain Networks?” in just three minutes. The winning team received a €1,000 prize from the competition partner, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

On 31 March, the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center welcomed Dr. Leonard Foster, Director of the Life Sciences Institute at the University of British Columbia.

The exhibition Forest Blossoms presents a creative perspective by Viktorija Kralikienė, an employee of the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, on what lies right beside us – in the forest, in the plants that grow there, and in their forms and colours. The artist turns to pine cones, branches, and plant fragments, transforming them into a visual, tactile artistic language.

Jurij Danilov has defended his thesis entitled "Biosystematic studies of the aphid (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae) tribe Eulachnini Baker, 1920 in Lithuania" for the degree of Doctor of Science in Biology.