Research

Antibiotic resistance isn’t an issue merely when such medicine is consumed directly; their use in the animal industry means that consumers must also be protected from high levels of these substances in products such as milk. However, current methods aren’t too effective – or precise, for that matter.

Thankfully, a new study by a team from ITMO’s Infochemistry Scientific Center (ISC) offers a new solution: using machine learning, the team has devised a way to test products for antibiotics quickly and with great accuracy. What’s more, the team is looking into adapting the technology for a variety of other substances – from coffee to fuel.

Read more: ITMO Chemists' New Technology Detects Antibiotics in Milk

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Another bit of recent news from ISC concerns the launch of a new digital chemistry lab. Here, students and their mentors will combine chemistry with technology to model various complex processes (including the functions of the human brain) to understand the true nature of thought. And in more practical goals, their research will also help develop new medicine, electronics, and more.

Read more: ITMO Researchers To Model New Medications and Microelectronics

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It’s been a lively couple of weeks for ISC – in yet another update from the center, a new coworking space will provide school students with a place to experiment, learn, and try out advanced scientific equipment, including the recently-introduced mobile lab for cell culture cultivation, a plant farm, and an optical table.

University students from ITMO, meanwhile, will act as mentors, guiding them not only in research, but also in grasping the basics of academic writing.

Read more: ITMO’s Infochemistry Center Opens Lab Coworking for School Students

People

Meriç Biçakçioğlu delivers a lecture at ITMO. Photo by Dmitry Grigoryev / ITMO.NEWS

Meriç Biçakçioğlu delivers a lecture at ITMO. Photo by Dmitry Grigoryev / ITMO.NEWS

How do you bridge the gap between science and business? Meriç Biçakçioğlu, an entrepreneur-turned-educator, has dedicated his career to enlightening young scientists on the right ways to share their breakthroughs with the public while building a business.

In a recent conversation with ITMO.NEWS, he discussed the intricacies of his teaching subject, the opportunities offered by soft skills courses, and how science-based businesses can balance profit-making with social action.

Read more: Putting Scientific Ideas Into Business Suits: Lecturer Meriç Biçakçioğlu On Turning Research Into Business Projects

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Even in the face of numerous awareness campaigns and countless research, breast cancer remains a major health risk for millions. Could AI be a helping hand in combating this disease? We spoke to Olga Puchkova, a radiologist who partnered up with an ITMO research team to study and develop new diagnostics methods, about this and other pressing questions.

Read more: Radiologist Olga Puchkova Talks About Medical Issues To Be Solved With AI

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At ITMO, one student and his team are making major headway on an entire ecosystem of apps for people with disabilities. One app warns the hard-of-hearing about potential dangers; the other helps them contact emergency services with ease; and the third assists visually impaired people in learning to type better.

ITMO.NEWS chatted with developer Dmitry Vasilyev about his projects, current successes, and future aspirations – including an all-in-one app to tackle every kind of accessibility need.

Read more: ITMO Student Dmitry Vasilyev on Developing Apps for People With Disabilities

Title image courtesy of Freepik