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On 25 November, the Laboratory of Biodeterioration Research of the Nature Research Centre accepted employees of UAB GVT LT (Director Spartakas Petrovas). The head of the laboratory, Dr. Algimantas Paškevičius, shared the newest achievements of laboratory researchers and pointed out that because of a great variety of synthesized metabolites microorganisms are distributed in different ecosystems, play a significant role in metabolism, produce biologically active substances, and are able to deteriorate both natural organic waste and synthetic substances and different pollutants. 

With the pandemic retreating, global research and higher education institutions resume organising multiple scientific conferences, seminars and meetings. The Nature Research Centre is not an exception – on 10–15 September, the researchers of the Laboratory of Quaternary Research in collaboration with the University of Latvia, Lithuanian Geological Service, Latvian Association of Quaternary Research, and the Geological Society of Lithuania organised an international field symposium "Quaternary of the Eastern Baltic Region" in western Lithuania and Latvia. Researchers from seven European and American countries delivered 38 presentations on Scandinavian ice sheet glaciation dynamics, Baltic Sea development, history of landscape changes and population, and climate change. The participants of the conference were invited to scientific field excursions: to visit interesting fieldwork objects, share the newest research...

On 19–22 September, Chefchaouen, Morocco, hosted the 9th International Simuliidae Symposium after a break of four years. This is an event occurring every two years and joining researchers of Simuliidae from all over the world (in 2008 it was arranged in Vilnius).

The four-day event was participated by researchers from 10 countries from three continents. Researchers delivered presentations on the taxonomy, ecology and pathogens of  Simuliidae, as well as on problems these insects cause to tourism and agriculture and on the regulation of the abundance of Simuliidae.

Nature Research Centre's entomologist, Dr Rasa Bernotienė, participated in the scientific and organisational committee of the symposium and made a presentation on the results of investigations conducted in Lithuania.

 

On 5–8 September, Bielefeld University (Bielefeld, Germany) after a break of four years hosted the 5th International Conference on Malaria and Related Haemosporidian Parasites in Wildlife. The four-day event was participated by researchers from 19 countries. Researchers delivered presentations on blood parasites of wild animals in the areas of ecology, evolutionary biology, genomic investigations, etc.

Nature Research Centre's researchers from P. B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology and the Laboratory of Entomology participated in the conference. Oral presentations of Chief Researchers Dr habil. Gediminas Valkiūnas and Dr Vaidas Palinauskas were delivered at the conference. Dr Mikas Ilgūnas, Dr Dovilė Bukauskaitė, Dr Rita Žiegytė, Dr Tatjana Ježova, Dr Carolina Chagas, doctoral student Melanie Duc and doctoral student Justė Aželytė from P. B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology, as well as Dr Rasa Bernotienė and doctoral student Kristina Valavičiūtė-Pocienė from the Laboratory of Entomology shared their research results in poster presentations.

Doctoral student Justė Aželytė was awarded the prize for the best poster presentation "Can gut microbiota enhance immunity against avian malaria?". The purpose of the poster is to enhance knowledge about possible interaction between blood parasites and microbiota, the diversity of microbiota in different avian species and future investigations of microbiota, seeking to create a protective barrier for the transmission of diseases by blood-sucking insects.