Summer school on molecular and theoretical biology. More advanced prosthetics
From August 1 to August 18, 2017, the Summer Biological School “Pilgrim” was held in the Kaluga region for the third time. The participants were schoolchildren and teachers from all over Russia and neighboring countries (the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan).
Children took part in workshops on microbiology, biochemistry, plant physiology, botany and zoology, attended lectures and seminars on virology, molecular biology, cytology, genetics, chemistry, paleontology and many other natural science and near-biological disciplines, learned to understand English-language scientific articles and write scientifically. popular articles in Russian, listened to lectures by guest lecturers - leading scientists from famous scientific organizations in Russia and the world - from Moscow State University to Cambridge.
The Evolution Foundation supported the School with travel grants - the organizers used them to partially pay for the participation of schoolchildren from Veliky Novgorod, Minsk, Obninsk and other cities.
Participants, teachers and organizers talk about how the school is going:
“I learned about the BioSchool thanks to the Internet and decided to try my hand at selection,” says Yulia Surganova from Alapaevsk, who received a grant for free participation in 2017. I thought that even if I didn’t go any further, I would still try to solve these problems and have an intellectual rest during the holidays.
BioSchool gave me a lot: I not only gained a lot of new knowledge, but also made new friends with similar interests. Studying at school allowed me to confirm that biology is mine, and gave me a powerful incentive to continue studying further! I want to try myself in the Olympiad movement, and as for future prospects, I want to enter the medical academy.”
Vera Emelianenko, teacher, 3rd year student of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University, silver medalist of the International Biological Olympiad:
“In general, classes at Pilgrim are very interesting. Each pair lasts an hour and a half with one five-minute break; two couples after breakfast and one after lunch. In theory, there should be a break of half an hour between pairs. In fact, it is almost always eaten up within ten to fifteen minutes due to projectors that didn’t start on time, a delayed breakfast, half-cut plants, and untold stories. The groups are almost all small, up to nine to ten people, and more than half of the guys choose the course they will take from several alternatives. Therefore, when you try to tell something, you are often bombarded with questions. One evening after class, my DNA-2s asked me to explain the modern taxonomy of eukaryotes and the life cycles of algae again. We sat down and started discussing all this, and after fifteen minutes I was surprised to notice that for some reason I was drawing on the board the principle of how a choanocyte works. And I really like it, because it means that a person doesn’t just want to pass a test, but actually learn something new.”
Guest lecturer Daria Ilyicheva:
“On August 11, our senior instructor Daria Ilyicheva went to the Kaluga region, where the Pilgrim summer bioschool was held this year. What kind of school is this? Every year, a selection is carried out among gifted children in biology; they undergo an interview to come to the bioschool. Lectures are given daily and workshops are held in various branches of biology, from botany and virology to biochemistry and biophysics. Everyone chooses activities that are most interesting to him. Lectures are given by the best teachers and popularizers from Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious universities. Children gain new knowledge, are in a very interesting scientific environment, and make new acquaintances. In the evening, they watch movies, sing songs with a guitar, read poems, and play team games, which really brings Pilgrim students together.
It was an honor for us to take part in the work of the school and give a lecture on “Genetics of Dog Colors.” Thank you for the invaluable experience, warm welcome and great time.”
Ekaterina Mishchenko, school co-organizer, scientific journalist:
Biology is one of the most rapidly developing sciences, and many extremely interesting events took place in this area last year. Sergei Kolenov, a columnist for the Hi-Tech online magazine, chose the 10 main discoveries of 2017 in the field of biology and medicine that will significantly affect our future.“We really want every motivated child to have access to knowledge. But equipment, food, and accommodation cost money, and although we do not make our project commercial (for example, teachers do not receive salaries), not every family has money for participation and travel. This is why grants are important for us - to show that the path to science for young Lomonosovs should be open and accessible, to allow them to believe in themselves, to understand what is more interesting and important for them - fundamental science or pharmacy, biotechnology for Agriculture or taxonomy of amphibians. This can help him not only win some kind of Olympics, but also make a fateful (at least for the first time) choice of himself. We want to break the barrier of teaching arrogance so that a student is not afraid to come to us with the “stupidest” question, but at the same time not lose in the quality of education, so most of the teaching team is young people and students, although we also have real scientists.
This, of course, takes a lot of time and effort, but then it’s just wonderful to see how the “striated” muscles finally become striated, and how everything falls into place in the heads of many children.”
1. The end of the antibiotic era
2017 showed that the era of antibiotics, which lasted almost a century, has come to an end. Bacteria have learned to develop resistance to known drugs, but there is neither time nor sufficient funds to develop new ones. Doctors and scientists are drawing grim predictions: if nothing is done, microorganisms will kill humanity much sooner than climate change. However, this threat is still not taken seriously. The reason for the appearance of superbugs is the rate of reproduction of microorganisms and their ability to exchange genetic information. The only bacterium that has acquired a drug resistance gene will share it with its relatives. To allow humanity to survive, researchers are looking for replacements for conventional drugs. To combat superbugs, it is proposed to use CRISPR, nanoparticles and new, more powerful antibiotics. The development of these and other methods is only possible through research into the molecular mechanisms of resistance.
2. The time of the appearance of life has been clarified
The question of how life appeared on Earth is one of the most important in biology. The exact dates and conditions for the origin of life remain a matter of debate. Last year, researchers from Australia studied rocks 3.48 billion years old and identified traces of microorganisms in them. This means that primitive life forms could have appeared even earlier - about 4 billion years ago. It is interesting that the studied rocks belong to land deposits - which means that the cradle of life could not have been the ocean, but hot springs on land. Also in the past year, scientists studied the molecular mechanisms that accompanied the early stages of the emergence of living organisms. In particular, the popular hypothesis of the RNA world was called into question: according to new research, RNA and proteins took equal part in the emergence of life.
3. The emergence of a new bird species
Typically, evolution is a very long process, almost invisible to the human eye. It takes hundreds and thousands of years for a trait to become established in a population. Therefore, scientists are forced to deal with evidence of evolution captured in fossils and DNA, and ordinary people doubt the reality of evolution. The transformation of one species into another happens even less often, and observing this is a real success, which sheds light on many mysteries of evolution. This past year, researchers announced that they were able to see the birth of a new species of bird.
The discovery was made in a place that is iconic for all biologists - the Galapagos Islands, which inspired Charles Darwin to create his theory. Ornithologists at Princeton University, Rosemary and Peter Grant, have spent forty years studying Darwin's finches here. While working on the islet of Daphne, they discovered that the local finch species had been joined by an alien from the remote island of Hispaniola, a male of the species Geospiza conirostris, nicknamed Big Bird. Due to the lack of females of his species, he mated with local birds. The descendants of these unions are so different from other finches in song and appearance that they can be recognized as a new species.
4. Evolution is recognized as endless
In 2017, one of the longest experiments in the history of biology celebrated its anniversary. Researchers led by microbiologist Richard Lenski have been monitoring the development of Escherichia coli bacteria for 30 years. During this time, 67,000 generations managed to change, which corresponds to a million years of human evolution. Despite its venerable age, the experiment continues and brings new discoveries. An analysis of its results, carried out last year, refuted one of the popular modern biology ideas. According to many experts, there is a limit to adaptation: once a species has perfectly adapted to a stable habitat, its evolution will stop. However, decades of observations of microorganisms have proven that evolution will continue even in this case, and there is no limit to adaptability. This is more consistent with the views of Charles Darwin than with the ideas of modern specialists.
5. New signs of a biodiversity crisis
Many researchers are inclined to believe that we are living in the era of the Sixth Mass Extinction - the largest since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The rate of extinction of species is now much higher than at any time in the last millions of years - a process already called “biological annihilation”, and humans are to blame for it, destroying animals, plants and their habitats. One of the most alarming facts that has become known to science in the past year, was the result of a study by Dutch ecologists who studied the number of flying insects in Germany. They found that in just 28 years it fell by 76%, with the figure reaching 82% for the summer months.
Scientists around the world have previously suspected that insects are becoming fewer in number, but this is the first time such a strict and frightening assessment has been made. It is especially unpleasant that the study was conducted on the territory of nature reserves, where human intervention in nature is limited. The authors found that insect extinction could not be explained by either weather conditions or landscape features. Climate change or pesticide use may be to blame. The disappearance of insects is a very alarming signal, because they serve as food for many other species and are important pollinators, without which not only wild plants, but also agriculture will die.
6. Scientists have learned to selectively erase memories
Neuroscience is advancing faster than any other branch of biology. In 2017, many amazing discoveries were made about how the brain works: scientists found out what effect smartphones have on it, discovered a self-cleaning system in it, and learned that humans, like AI, are capable of deep learning. Among these news it is difficult to single out the main one, but perhaps it should be called new step to memory management. By experimenting with the sea mollusk Aplysia, a classic model object for studying memory, scientists have learned to turn off the memories recorded in neurons. To do this, it was necessary to block the enzyme protein kinase M in the desired cells. In the future, the research may help people suffering from painful memories. This technique can be especially effective in the fight against post-traumatic syndrome.
7. Diet can cure diabetes
The spread of diabetes has become an epidemic: according to some forecasts, up to a third of US residents will suffer from it by the middle of the century. The main increase is type 2 diabetes, which is associated with excess weight and poor diet. On early stages Doctors recommend controlling it with diet. However, as a study by scientists from Yale University has shown, severe dietary restrictions can even completely cure type 2 diabetes.
Evidence of this has appeared before, but this is the first time a thorough study has been carried out. As it turned out, the diet made the liver more responsive to insulin by reducing the amount of fat and inhibited the production of glucose from other substances. In an experiment with rodents, positive changes began just 3 days after the introduction of dietary restrictions. These findings are confirmed by the work of scientists from the University of Glasgow. A study of 300 patients found that reducing daily calorie intake to 800 for 3 to 5 months could reverse diabetes without medication.
8. An effective male contraceptive has been developed
Scientists have long tried to create an effective and convenient contraceptive for men, similar to women's birth control pills. Condoms, a common solution today, seem to many to be uncomfortable and reduce the quality of sex, and a vasectomy is too radical. As a result, in most couples the burden of protection falls on the woman's shoulders, or unreliable methods such as coitus interruptus are used. In 2017, it seems that a breakthrough was achieved in this area.
The team of scientists used a gel for contraception, which is injected into the vas deferens and blocks them, as a result of which the sperm remains in the body and is absorbed. Two-year trials on macaque monkeys showed 100 percent effectiveness of the drug, as well as the absence of side effects like inflammation. The effect of the gel is reversible: “plugs” can be removed by applying ultrasound to them. An alternative solution uses hormones, as in female contraceptives. A gel containing progestin and testosterone must be rubbed into the shoulders, as a result of which the sperm count drops to levels at which pregnancy is impossible. Large-scale trials of the drug will begin in 2018. Researchers hope that, unlike previous hormonal male contraceptives, their development will not cause mood swings and other unpleasant consequences.
9. More advanced prosthetics
The creation of complex modern prosthetics is an area where medicine and biology meet artificial intelligence And high technology. Developers of artificial limbs are no longer satisfied with creating comfortable and lightweight prosthetics; their goal is now to make prosthetics as functional and dexterous as real human hands. In 2017, scientists and engineers managed to get closer to solving this problem. The robotic hand, created by employees of the Georgia Institute of Technology, allows the owner to move each finger individually. This capability is achieved through the interaction between the prosthesis and the muscles in the rest of the arm. An ultrasonic probe embedded in the hand determines which ones are moving and, using a special algorithm, translates this information into finger movements. The device is advanced enough that you can use it to play the piano.
10. Search for life in space
Interest in space last years is growing steadily, and the question “Are we alone in the Universe?” flared up with new strength. Every NASA press conference in 2017 was accompanied by expectations that we were about to be announced about the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Alas, this did not happen this past year. However, scientists have improved ways to search for signs of life in space using biomarkers and have developed new designs for missions to potentially habitable worlds, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus.
One of the main hopes of the year was the discovery of seven Earth-like planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, of which six are in the potentially habitable “Goldilocks zone” (another was later discovered, around the red dwarf Ross 128). However, some researchers believe that life is impossible there: the degree of UV radiation from the star is too high and leaves no possibility for the existence of an atmosphere and carbon-based life. Another disappointment was the discovery of Scottish scientists who proved that the surface of Mars is toxic to bacterial life. However, astronomers and biologists believe that extraterrestrial life will be discovered within 10-15 years.
We attended a production of my favorite cartoon, “The Lion King”! The production itself was gorgeous! And the antelopes were running, and the rhinoceroses were jumping... Then I went to the musical again! On Aladdin! He's probably my favorite. The atmosphere of the East was conveyed so elegantly that I myself wanted to fly on the carpet and rub the lamp. The scenery, music, everything was on the level!!! I really liked this musical.
(Masha, 12 years old)
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Great program! Each lesson began with a presentation and explanation of the topic of the lesson, and the rest of the time was devoted to working on projects. I managed to meet different types animations: 3D, stop-motion, plasticine, puppet, made from coins... Depending on the complexity of the projects, we worked both individually and in groups. The most difficult project was the final 2D film, which we worked on as a team, where everyone had their own role.
(Anna, 16 years old)
Summer School in Bioinformatics has been held annually since 2013 for 100 students, aspiring graduate students and young specialists in biological and technical specialties who are interested in bioinformatics and want to develop in this area.
Venue and dates
Summer school will be held from July 31 to August 5, 2017 on the basis of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Dolgoprudny, Moscow region).
Program
The main theme of this year's school is data mining. The program will include lectures and intensive classes in the core subjects necessary for successful mastery of bioinformatics and data analysis.
Classes will be held in the format of lectures, seminars and work on scientific projects. The working language is Russian.
The school program is divided into two main streams:
- computer science and mathematics
- biologists and doctors
The program consists of general lectures for all participants, as well as more specialized classes by stream.
Schedule | | Lecturers |
Level of training
The school is designed for initial level of knowledge and will be useful to undergraduate or first-year graduate students. If you have been doing bioinformatics for a long time, school will seem too easy for you.
However, understanding most lectures requires basic knowledge biology and genetics. Computer scientists can master them using the free online course “Molecular Biology and Genetics.” And for biologists and doctors to work at seminars, it is mandatory to take an introductory course in programming in R and Python.
Scientific projects
For those who want to fully immerse themselves in bioinformatics, team work will be organized on a real project on data analysis in bioinformatics. Information about the projects will be available to all selected participants. .
Giving a report
The school will host a one-day conference for those who have already begun to engage in bioinformatics projects. Abstracts must be attached to the application; a competitive selection is carried out. Theses will be published in the summer school collection. .
The terms of participation
A competitive selection is being carried out, only a total of 100 people (50 for each stream).
Participants from any country can apply, as long as your entry does not require a visa or you can apply for one yourself.
Cost (including accommodation, Three meals a day and coffee breaks, all materials, all activities within the school) is 18 thousand rubles. The authors of the best applications will receive grants from the organizers and sponsors of the school, fully covering participation, accommodation and meals at school.
The school will be held in the MIPT buildings in Dolgoprudny, Moscow region.
Transfer to/from the venue is provided by the organizers. All participants pay their own transportation costs to/from the host city. We encourage you to apply for grant support from your universities and research institutes!
How to apply
Cooperation
The Summer School is a non-profit project aimed at developing Russian bioinformatics. We strive to make the school accessible to the best undergraduate and graduate students in Russia and the CIS and will be happy to find new partners who are passionate about bioinformatics and the development of talented youth!
Your support will help make participation possible for as many students as possible. Our goal is to make participation free for all participants.
For partnership questions, please write to Natalya Mashyanova: [email protected].
Published 06/19/17 09:20Scientists blamed China for the cold summer. And the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia has its own explanation.
June 15 became the coldest summer day in 67 years of weather observations. The air in Moscow warmed up to only 10 degrees, and in the morning it was 7-9 degrees.
Now scientists have found the culprit for the abnormally cold summer of 2017. It could be the Chinese satellite Mo Tzu, which participated in experiments on quantum travel. Measurements showed that on those days when the device was operating in full mode, the weather deteriorated sharply, it rained, and the winds increased, NSN reports.
However, according to them intkbbach According to him, the concentration of particles in the atmosphere will soon normalize. Now experts intend to study the influence of processes associated with quantum communication on the weather, since before the launch of the innovative satellite carried out by Chinese scientists, such factors had not been studied.
Over the next 10 years, the climate is likely to be undulating, with frequent changes of higher and lower temperatures. The head of the Hydrometeorological Center, Roman Vilfand, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta about this.
According to him, there will be fewer normal average temperatures, but there will be more and more alternating rainy and dry periods. Also possible and anomalous warm winters, and frosts in summer. As for the immediate summer prospects for residents of Central Russia, according to the head of the Hydrometeorological Center, July still promises to please Muscovites and residents of the central regions with warm weather, which will be several degrees higher than normal. And even a full-fledged swimming season will be able to open. True, so far the water temperature in Moscow and Moscow region reservoirs does not exceed 14 degrees.
The next week, as Lyudmila Parshina, head of the laboratory of the Hydrometeorological Center, said, is expected to be moderately warm in the capital region. Daytime temperatures will fluctuate between 22-24 degrees, night temperatures -10-12 degrees. Possible rain.
As for other Russian regions, the temperature background is different everywhere - up to 40-degree heat, as in the Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo regions and Altai Territory, to night frosts, as in the Murmansk region.