From 6 to 10 July, Barcelona was hosting FENS Forum 2026, Europe's largest international neuroscience conference, bringing together scientists, researchers, clinicians, and students from around the world. The forum provides an outstanding platform to showcase the latest advances in neuroscience, discuss emerging scientific trends, and establish new international collaborations.

On a hot summer day, you instinctively swat away a pesky fruit fly hovering around your fruit or soft drink. Chances are you have also shooed away one of its most common companions—an RNA virus named Galbūt, the Lithuanian word for "Maybe."  Despite its unusual name, this virus has been officially recorded in international genetic sequence databases, alongside others bearing distinctly Baltic-inspired names such as Ūsinis, Barstukas, Pikulas, and Patulas. These names were coined by Dr Gytis Dudas, a virologist at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center. 

Throughout this article, virus names are presented in their original Baltic spelling, as they appear in international genetic sequence databases.

For the second consecutive year, Vilnius University's Internationalisation Initiative, aimed at strengthening practical botanical education and international collaboration, has been successfully implemented. This year, the initiative expanded beyond Lithuania and Latvia, welcoming the University of Tartu as a new partner.

At the beginning of June, students from the Lithuanian American Community arrived in Lithuania to take part in month-long internships through the Lithuanian Diaspora Student Internship Programme (LISS). Following a competitive selection process, 33 students of Lithuanian heritage came to Lithuania not only to gain professional experience but also to reconnect with the country of their parents or grandparents.

Audrius Zakšauskas has defended his thesis entitled "Design and Synthesis of Isozyme-Selective Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors" for the degree of Doctor of Science in Chemical Engineering.

An article by Vilnius University Life Sciences Center researcher Dr. Dalius Ratautas and his team, published in the journal ACS Sensors, has been recognized as “ACS Editors’ Choice”. This is an initiative of the American Chemical Society (ACS), in which, based on editors’ recommendations, one article is selected each day from across the entire ACS publications portfolio for its broad public interest and significance. The ACS portfolio includes more than 70 scientific journals, making this recognition an important international acknowledgement not only of this particular work, but also of the bioanalysis and biosensor research direction at VU LSC.

Vilnius University (VU) has ceremonially concluded another academic year. During the traditional Finis anni academici celebration held at St John's Church, awards were presented for outstanding research achievements, patron titles were conferred, and symbolic commemorative diplomas were awarded to former members of the University community who suffered under totalitarian regimes and were expelled from VU.

This week, the Vilnius University Life Sciences Centre is hosting a group of students from University of Wrocław as part of the international Arqus European University Alliance Twinning initiative. The programme aims to promote academic and cultural exchange, strengthen international collaboration, and foster closer ties between Arqus partner universities.

On 25 June, journalist Marion Kate Smith from South Africa, who writes for Mail & Guardian and Embassy Direct magazines and online publications, visited the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center. During the visit, she was accompanied by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.

On 23 June, the first meeting of the newly elected Senate of Vilnius University took place. During the meeting, Prof. Eglė Lastauskienė was unanimously re-elected by secret ballot as Chair of the Senate for another four-year term.

Ruslan Bikmurzin has defended his thesis entitled "Structural Studies of Yeast β-Glucans and In Silico Analysis of Their Molecular Interactions with Dectin-1 Receptor" for the degree of Doctor of Science in Biology.

Justina Žvirblytė defended her thesis entitled "Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Healthy and Diseased Human Tissues" for the degree of Doctor of Science in Biochemistry.

On 17 June, a graduation ceremony for graduates of the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) took place at St. Johns’ Church. During the celebration, Bachelor’s and Master’s diplomas were awarded to nearly 300 young life sciences specialists.