Research
Optical computing, though at the cutting edge of science, is hardly a nebulous concept at this point. However, challenges remain – and scientists are working hard to overcome them. Recently, researchers from ITMO’s Faculty of Physics made yet another breakthrough by demonstrating the viability of halide perovskites as materials for optical components. The advantage? Perovskites are able to function at room temperature, which makes them stand out among other materials currently used for this purpose.
Read more: ITMO Researchers Create New Material for Ultrafast Optical Chips and Transistors
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Proteins are the foundation of all living organisms and that includes not just the good, but the bad parts, too. Just as they help us grow and function, they can also cause various diseases, including cancer. Identifying these proteins and analyzing them in order to develop treatments can be a tricky process requiring much time and resources; part of it has to do with the difficulty in keeping proteins intact outside of living cells. But researchers from ITMO’s Infochemistry Scientific Center have a solution: using polyelectrolytes, they’ve reproduced the necessary conditions on the microscale. Now, samples of cancer-causing proteins can be analyzed more quickly and easily – meaning less time spent on developing better treatments.
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Over the decades, pop culture has shown us countless takes on what “food of the future” will look like: from the somewhat viable to the completely improbable. So, what’s the real-world scenario? Is there no room for improvement or are we about to witness a revolution in nutrition? Anastasia Antonova, a researcher at ITMO’s Faculty of Biotechnologies, recently delivered a lecture on the future of food – and ITMO.NEWS was there to get the rundown.
Read more: Test Tube Meat, 3D-Printed Food: What We’ll Be Eating in 20 Years
University
And while we’re on the subject of food: sometimes, knowing “how the sausage is made” isn’t all that bad. For a team of students from ITMO’s Faculty of Biotechnologies, this was key to their victory at the latest VDHAKATON. Working in partnership with a food additives manufacturer over the course of six months, the winners succeeded in developing a food-safe analog of transglutaminase – a substance that helps sausages maintain shape and texture. Other winning projects included a new type of sore throat relief and a “magic magnet” for dust.
Read more: VDHAKATON Finals at ITMO: Winners Receive 1 Million Rubles for Transglutaminase Analog
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Every year, ITMO hosts PI School: Rising Stars – an intensive course that aims to make young scientists equally proficient at team management as they are at research. This year’s installment was heavily influenced by the university’s ongoing transformation and expanding network of corporate partners. The participants not only got to learn from the best and brightest in both academia and industry; they also had the chance to develop projects that may be integrated into ITMO’s development strategy.
Read more: PI School: Training Young Science and Education Leaders at ITMO
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