2020
4th Vita Scientia International Life Sciences Conference
The 4th Vita Scientia conference took place at VU LSC on 3 January 2020.
Vita Scientia is an international conference that aims to facilitate the expansion of life sciences by developing international networks between Lithuanian and foreign researchers. The conference is designed to bring people from diverse international communities together and to spark international collaboration.
In 2020, the conference Vita Scientia brought together professionals from life sciences, both working in Lithuania and abroad. More than 150 professionals from 30 research and business institutions attended the event.
The COINS 2020
The COINS conference, organized by Vilnius University students since 2004, was held for the 15th time last year. In the past three years, as many as six Nobel Prize winners attended the conference, also having the opportunity to get acquainted with Lithuania's scientific perspectives. Last year, lectures were given by well-known lecturers, including Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry, Prof. Aaron Ciechanover and Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn, as well as other professionals in their fields, such as Warren Alpert Foundation Prize winner Prof. Dr. Peter Hegemann.
In addition to the topics of biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and genetics, the lectures also focused on chemistry and neuroscience. More importantly, the COINS 2020 allowed students to present their research to a large audience and to get constructive feedback during the poster and oral sessions.
For the first time, the conference provided the general public with an opportunity to participate in the public engagement programme, which offered workshops and laboratory work. The conference brought together the academic community and society, enabling them to learn about world-class research and to challenge themselves.
Science Day by Thermo Fisher Scientific
The traditional event of the year, Science Day, organized by the Life Sciences Center’s industrial partner Thermo Fisher Scientific, took place on 11–12 November 2020.
The event, taking place for the 10th time, invited researchers and students from various Lithuanian research and educational institutions to a virtual meeting. The special platform opened the possibility not only to listen to presentations and learn about new products and technologies used in life sciences, but also to ask questions or share ideas.
Conference Dedicated to the 120th Birth Anniversary of Professor Antanas Minkevičius
On 10 December 2020, a conference dedicated to the 120th birth anniversary of Professor Antanas Minkevičius was held at the Life Sciences Center (VU LSC).
Prof. Antanas Minkevičius was a Lithuanian botanist, mycologist, and phytopathologist, habilitated doctor of biomedical sciences, corresponding member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished Lithuanian scientist. He was a researcher, lecturer, and head of departments at Vytautas Magnus and Vilnius Universities, and at the Institutes of Biology and Botany of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
The professor is the author and co-author of numerous scientific and popular articles, books, and textbooks on plant and fungal diversity, biology, and ecology.
2nd Baltic Biophysics Conference – Open Lectures
On 15 October, the 2nd Baltic Biophysics Conference - Open Lectures was organized by the Lithuanian Society of Biophysicists. The event aims to encourage and further develop cooperation between scientific teams as well as joint research with partners in Lithuania and abroad. This conference attracted renowned lecturers from Lithuania and around the world: Gražvydas Lukinavičius (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany), Ago Rinken (Tartu University, Estonia), Virginijus Barzda (University of Toronto, Canada), and Rytis Prekeris (University of Colorado, USA). Two laureates of the L’Oréal Baltic programme for Women in Science 2020, Rima Budvydytė and Dominyka Dapkutė, participated in this conference.
12th Conference of the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association
On 6 November 2020, the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association (LNA) held its 12th conference virtually. It attracted over 200 registered participants from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Poland, the UK, Switzerland, Australia, and Russia. The conference consisted of two parts: 12 invited oral presentations and a poster session (35 posters).
During the poster session, a competition for the best poster was held, and winners were awarded valuable prizes provided by the sponsors, Linea Libera and Expertus Vilnensis.