Research
Human vs. evolution
As autoimmune disorders become increasingly prevalent, researchers from ITMO and their colleagues from Estonia are making strides towards identifying the causes of these illnesses. In a recent study published by Nature Communications, the scientists have used genome mapping to pinpoint the evolutionary adaptations that may inadvertently contribute to the likelihood of autoimmune disorders.
FoodTech Accelerator presents first projects
In 2022, ITMO University launched its first-ever accelerator for foodtech projects. The 22 teams that made it to the finals have recently showcased their projects to an expert board. The projects focus on a diverse range of topics: from agricultural innovations and fungi-based recycling tech to vegan treats. ITMO.NEWS spoke to some of the project teams to find out more.
University
ITMO's team at the meeting of the Priority 2030 Council. Credit: Sociocenter / vk.com/sociocentr
Onwards to 2030
In 2021, the Russian educational system saw the launch of Priority 2030, a new national program aimed at boosting the quality of Russian higher education; in the time since, ITMO has proven itself as one of the top participants. Earlier this December, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education conducted a review of the results of the program’s first year, revealing ITMO as the top member of the Research Leadership track. This success was attributed to the many scientific advances made throughout 2022 – from the launch of new laboratories to the attainment of several major research breakthroughs, and much more. To learn about the year’s successes in detail, follow the link below.
Born to win
A PhD student at the Information Technologies and Programming Faculty, Ammar Ali is a force to be reckoned with: after winning several major competitions in 2021, he went back and did it all again in 2022. This includes two victories at a machine learning contest organized by NOAA and NASA, as well as gold medals at the AI Journey Contest – where this year he dominated not one, but three out of the competition’s four tracks. We caught up with Ammar to gain some insights into his winner’s mindset.
Further reading
AI vs. writers
As text-generation algorithms become increasingly sophisticated, some question the possibility of AI being able to replace scientists, journalists, and even writers. ITMO.NEWS spoke with Andrey Getmanov, an ITMO Master’s student who had recently proved GPT-3’s ability to pass a high school exam, about the prospects of creative AI and the challenges this technology has yet to overcome.
