Nature Research Centre’s scientists together with colleagues from the Public Policy and Management Institute (PPMI | Part of the Verian Group) published an article “Bacillus Species in Agriculture: Functional Traits, Biocontrol Performance, and Regulatory Safety Assessment” in the journal Agriculture, where the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the role of Bacillus bacteria species in modern agriculture. The microorganisms of the Bacillus genus have a strong functional potential: they can not only suppress pathogens and promote plant growth but also contribute to soil health and productivity. The article analyses the biocontrol mechanisms of Bacillus species (B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. velezensis, etc.), e.g., production of antimicrobial compounds, biofilm formation, rhizosphere colonization, as well as the factors determining their effectiveness in field conditions. It is important that the authors take an integrated approach to assessing not only effectiveness but also safety and regulatory aspects, reviewing the issues of environmental impact, exposure to antimicrobial substances, and potential resistance, as well as comparing risk assessment procedures in the EU, US, and other countries. This integrated analysis gives a better understanding of how Bacillus-based biocontrol agents can be safely and sustainably applied in modern agricultural practices.

📌 Key aspects:

➡️ A new review of the use of Bacillus bacteria in agriculture – from growth promotion to pathogen control.
➡️ Analysis of the complexes of Bacillus species and their functional properties and biocontrol mechanisms.
➡️ Emphasis on integration between efficacy and safety assessment – including exposure, resistance, and environmental risks.
➡️ Comparison of regulatory approaches in the EU, US, and other countries related to sustainable use of microbiological measures.

Link to the article:

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/16/4/413

 

Below please find information about training courses to be held in March. We would like to note that the organizers, Physalia Courses, are official sponsors of the CESAMIR 2026 conference, which will take place in Druskininkai.

1. GIS in R– 2–6 March
2. Multidimensional Phenotypic Evolution– 2–6 March
3. Multimodal AI for Systems Biology– 2–6 March
4. Genome Assembly and Annotation– 9–13 March
5. Spatial Transcriptomics with Bioconductor– 9–13 March
6. Machine Learning for Bio-imaging– 10–12 March
7. Metabarcoding in Microbial Ecology– 16–20 March
8. Population Genomics– 16–20 March
9. eDNA using Nanopore Data– 23–25 March
10. Deep Learning in Population Genomics & Phylogeography– 23–26 March
11. Advanced Python for Data Science and Bioinformatics– 23–26 March

All courses include practical tasks, real-life examples, and direct assistance from experts. We invite you to take advantage of these opportunities for professional development and share this information with colleagues who may find it relevant.

This summer, the 11th International Simuliidae Symposium is being organized in Vilnius, Lithuania, bringing together scientists from all over the world who study blackflies, their diversity, biology, systematics, transmitted pathogens, and the control opportunities. These symposia are organized every two years and are a great opportunity for scientists from around the world to meet, exchange information about the latest scientific discoveries, and develop cooperations. Vilnius will become a global centre for blackfly researchers for several days. The event is organized by scientists of the Nature Research Centre and Vilnius University.

Link: https://sites.google.com/view/xi-international-simuliidae-sy

On 1 March 2026, a scientific monograph Gediminas’ City and Its Hill will be presented at the Vilnius Book Fair. Dr. Jonas Satkūnas, a researcher at Nature Research Centre, contributed to the preparation of this monograph.

The monograph was prepared by highly qualified scientists and professionals in various fields, who attempted to summarize the latest scientific and engineering research data from the last decade on the Vilnius Castle site – the Gediminas Hill, the Upper Castle, and the Lower Castle. The publication examines the natural environment, geological structure, architecture, historical development, and the current condition of this historically and nationally significant site.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Kazimieras Monstvilas, a renowned engineer and geologist who spent many years investigating the geological environment of Vilnius castles.

The first chapters of the monograph provide encyclopedic data on the Gediminas Castle Hill, discuss the origin of the erosional hillocks of Vilnius castles, and analyze the major changes in the landscape of Vilnius since the 14th century based on archaeological data. The later chapters use the results of the latest research to describe in detail the geological structure of the hill, the dynamics of its slopes, present a model for predicting slope behaviour, and justify the concept of managing the structures and slopes of Gediminas Hill. The final chapter presents a vision for the restoration of the Upper Castle.

The authors of the monograph invite the general public and decision-makers to understand the significance of the restoration of the Upper Castle for Vilnius and the entire country as one of the most important symbols of Lithuania.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20334/2025-058-M

The 5th Central European Symposium for Aquatic MacroInvertebrate Research CESAMIR 2026 will take place in Druskininkai, Lithuania, from 28 June to 3 July 2026. On the initiative of the Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, this international scientific conference is being organized by the SSRI Nature Research Centre in cooperation with the Lithuanian Hydrobiological and Entomological Societies.

We invite researchers, students, and enthusiasts to submit abstracts and register. Abstracts are welcome until 13 March 2026, and early registration will last until 31 March 2026.

More information: https://sites.google.com/view/cesamir2026/.

In January–February 2026, Dr. Darja Dankina, a paleontologist at Nature Research Centre, is participating in an international scientific project together with researchers from the University of Turin (Italy). During this collaboration, detailed studies of nanofossils—coccoliths—are being conducted.

Coccoliths are microscopic plates composed of calcium carbonate that cover the cells of marine golden algae. The samples collected in Sicily allow us to study these unique structures that are among the most informative paleoproxy groups used for reconstructing past environments.

These studies make it possible to determine:

• past sea surface temperatures,
• changes in the chemical composition of the oceans, and
• biological productivity during different geological periods – from the Late Triassic to the present day.

Dr. Darja Dankina plans to apply this methodology and the knowledge gained to the analysis of geological samples from Lithuania. This is a significant step, as no research of this type has yet been conducted in our country.

We wish the scientist and her entire team successful research, valuable results, and scientific publications that will contribute to our knowledge of the Earth’s climate and ocean development.

In January 2026, scientists from NRC Laboratory of Bedrock Geology participated in an international conference Nordic Geological Winter Meeting 2026 (NGWM 2026) in Turku (Finland). This biennial conference, held since 1954, brings together geologists and researchers from all fields of geology in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Dr. Gražina Skridlaitė, Head and Senior Researcher of the Laboratory of Bedrock Geology, was a keynote speaker at the 7th scientific session, where she presented the latest results of research into the evolution of the crystalline basement. She also participated in a Baltic Basement working group meeting designed to research on the crystalline basement of the Baltic region and the implementation of the EU Directive on critical and strategic raw materials. Further, she participated in a meeting organized by the Geological Survey of Finland after the conference, entitled “Building stronger ties between Nordic and Baltic surveys,” which took place at a Finnish government agency. The meeting discussed the issues of closer cooperation and implementation of the EU Directive.

The scientists from the Laboratory of Bedrock Geology delivered three poster presentations prepared in collaboration with an international team of scientists from Poland, Ukraine, Ireland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and France. The results presented attracted considerable interest from foreign colleagues and gave rise to lively scientific discussions.

The topic of the conference was “World in Transition,” which highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of geology and the importance of contemporary crystalline basement research in an international context.

NRC scientists delivered the following poster presentations (prepared in collaboration with foreign scientists) at the NGWM 2026 conference:

• Crustal evolution of the concealed Precambrian complexes of Lithuania: a perspective from Lu–Hf isotopes in zircon
  (L. Šiliauskas, B. Dhuime, G. Skridlaitė, L. Shumlyanskyy, A. Buzenchi, O. Demina)
• The complex evolution of the Precambrian Varėna Iron Ore deposit, SE Lithuania: current state of knowledge
  (G. Skridlaitė, L. Šiliauskas, B. Bagiński, E. Krzemińska)
• Coupled dissolution–reprecipitation of titanite in the Mesoproterozoic Kabeliai granites in SE Lithuania
  (O. Demina, D. Chew, T. Naeraa, G. Skridlaitė, L. Šiliauskas)

The State Research Institute Nature Research Centre (Centre), together with the Research Council of Lithuania (project implementing body) and a large consortium of science and studies institutions, is launching the implementation of the project “Strengthening the Competencies of Innovation and Technology Transfer Centres” (ITPCKS Nr. 10-031-P-0001). In addition to Nature Research Centre, the project involves Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius University, VILNIUS TECH, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Klaipėda University, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Lithuanian Social Research Centre, and Vilnius College. Thus, a national network of Innovation and Technology Transfer Centres will be established and strengthened.

The project will run from 19 December 2025 to 31 December 2028. The total eligible funding amounts to over 13 million euros. The budget of the Centre for this project is 524,106.49 euros.

The objective of this project for the Centre is to create an effective entrepreneurship system that will improve cooperation between science and business. This will be achieved by implementing an efficient framework that enables the creation of new opportunities, ensures the practical application of scientifically grounded innovations, and contributes to economic growth and social well-being.

The 2022–2030 Development Programme is managed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania. The project is implemented under the progress measure No. 12-001-01-02-01 ‘Strengthening Innovation Ecosystems in Science Centres’ and is funded by the European Union.

More information is available here.