Welcome to choose MSc and PhD studies at Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (LSC), a partner of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. This partnership in the field of gene-editing technologies is a unique opportunity for YOU. The LSC's open-access infrastructure will support your studies and can serve as a stepping stone to a successful career!
SCIENCE IS A JOURNEY. DISCOVER YOUR CAREER AT VU LSC!
WHY CHOOSE VU LSC?
The main reasons to study at the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University (VU LSC):
VU LSC is a key player in the field of life sciences due to its modern infrastructure, highly qualified and prominent scientists in biotechnology, biochemistry, and biosciences, and its cooperation with recognized international research institutions and business partners.
Our studies are based on: theory and practical assignments at modern scientific laboratories, the possibility to carry out final projects at scientific institutes, and scholarships by the world-leading scientific company Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltic.
Close relations with the life science industry ensure the possibility of gaining practical experience in the industry during your studies.
VU LSC ensures mentoring by field-leading scientists, teaching and mentoring by professionals in your field of interest, and receiving personalized support from academic tutors.
We are committed to providing all students with an exceptional learning experience!
PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE AND STUDY
VU LSC is located in Antakalnis, which is one of the most beautiful and green areas of the town. In addition, Vilnius, as the capital of Lithuania, will make anyone wonder because it’s a cosy, safe, green European city.
Our healthcare, housing, and social life quality are all of a high standard.
SCIENTISTS' ACHIEVEMENTS
The staff of VU LSC – top-level researchers and teachers! Our scientists are awarded:
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| L'Oréal-UNESCO Award For Women in Science International Rising Talents |  |
| L'Oréal-UNESCO Baltic Award For Women in Science Fellowship Programme | |
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| Somerfeld-Ziskind Research Award |  |
| The Novozymes Prize |  |
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BIOINFORMATICS FROM VU LSC IS AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD The team of bioinformaticians from VU Life Sciences Center - Dr. Česlovas Venclovas, Dr. Justas Dapkūnas, and Dr. Kliment Olechnovič – excelled the other teams in the Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) competition in 2018. According to the independent CASP assessment, the Life Sciences Center team achieved the best results in modelling protein complexes. In addition, their method for estimating model accuracy (VoroMQA) was among the best-performing at CASP. Our bioinformaticians ranked second at CASP in 2020.
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VU LSC Professor Virginijus Šikšnys is the first Lithuanian scientist invited to join the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) as an associate member. He was elected an EMBO Associate Member in 2016. A year later, EMBO announced that VU LSC Professor Saulius Klimašauskas was elected a member, bringing the number of Lithuanian representatives in this prestigious organization to two.
On 8 September 2020, Director General of the elite European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Prof. Edith Heard signed an agreement with Vilnius University (VU) on the establishment of a Partnership Institute in the Life Sciences Center (LSC) of VU. This is an extraordinary achievement in the history of Lithuanian science. |
STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS
“Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM” team
The Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM team, which has been participating in this prestigious competition for 6 years, won the grand prize in 2020 and became the best iGEM team in the world.
Vilnius University (VU) students (most of them from the VU Life Sciences Center) outdid more than 250 of the world’s strongest university teams, including teams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, as well as William & Mary University. In addition to the competition's grand prize, VU students won gold medals. They were nominated in eight additional prize categories, including winners in two, the Best Project in the Field of Environmental Protection among them.
In this year’s competition, Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM team presented the FlavoFlow project dedicated to the topic of exogenous fish infections. It is estimated that diseases caused by Flavobacterium bacteria can kill about 70% of fish in fish farms in just 72 hours. For this reason, it is essential to identify the pathogen as accurately and quickly as possible.
To solve this problem, the team developed a rapid-detection tool for early disease diagnosis in fish farms. At the same time, seeking to lay the foundations for solutions to the problem, the Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM team focused on developing platforms for the treatment and prevention of exogenous fish infections.
Such a high evaluation of the project is a massive achievement for Lithuania. Since 2013, when the number of participants in the competition topped 200, no team has won it twice. However, this year, by winning the grand prize for the second time, the Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM team went down not only in the history of Lithuania’s life sciences, but also in the history of the iGEM competition. The team hopes that this achievement will not only promote greater societal involvement in the life sciences but also encourage foreign companies to invest in the field in Lithuania.
The VU student team owes its success to the modern biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific, which supplies the team with the necessary reagents for experiments conducted in Vilnius. This company's financial support also helps to fund other team projects dedicated to public education.
Lithuanian representatives have been participating in the iGEM competition since 2015. Already in its first year of participation, the VU student team won gold medals and was nominated for one of the five best projects in the field of scientific progress. In 2017, the Lithuanian team won the grand prize of the competition; in 2019, a gold medal and a nomination among the best teams in as many as four categories.
Video about Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM team
The COINS conference
COINS is an international conference of life sciences, organised by VU LSC Students' Representation. The event gathers students, scholars, companies, and scientists from all over the world to discuss, learn, share their scientific experience, find new partners, meet key experts, and enjoy an exciting programme.
The COINS keynote speakers: Prof. Aaron Ciechanover (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2004), Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2004), Prof. John O'Keefe (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Prof. Ada Yonath (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009), etc.
STUDENT LIFE
Vilnius University can offer unforgettable moments of student life. If you study here, you will receive great activities at the student unions, annual events, extracurricular activities, and the University Centre of Culture
Join us!