2024.12.11
The staff and the guests of the Nature Research Centre are invited to enjoy the photos of underwater world, exhibited on the ground floor of the centre. The exhibition gives a possibility to have a closer look at rarely seen animals.
Dr Justas Dainys is the author of photos.
The final conference of the project “Preparatory Actions for Environmental Pollution Monitoring Using Honey Bees” (INSIGNIA) took place at the European Commission. This unique project brought together all 27 EU countries to develop new methods for monitoring environmental pollution using honey bee colonies.
Lithuania was represented by the National Coordinator, Dr Laima Blažytė-Čereškienė, Senior Researcher at NRC Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology, whose contribution to the project was extremely important.
You can view the conference here: www.insignia-bee.eu/
2024.12.10
On 6 December, the final event of the hiking expedition around the Baltic Sea “Save The Baltic Sea” took place at Litexpo. The research presented and excursions organised by the researchers of NRC Laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology attracted attention of both the public and journalists.
Researchers from the Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology presented one of the most important problems in aquatic ecosystems, i.e. eutrophication and water blooms, and discussed how to sustainably utilise the excess biomass of algae and cyanobacteria to create valuable bioproducts.
Participants of the event had an opportunity to experience the work of scientists in practice and to admire the photographs of the Baltic Sea fauna taken by Dr Justas Dainis from the Laboratory of Fish Ecology.
Researchers from the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology are conducting research in the Baltic Sea in the framework of projects “Detect2Protect” (No S-BIODIVERSA-23-1, funded by the RCL under the Biodiversa+ programme, which is co-funded by the European Commission) and “BaltWreck” (No STHB.02.02-IP.01-0009/23, funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund “Interreg” under the South Baltic Region 2021-2027 programme).
2024.12.09
Professor Stanislaw Wolkowicz (Polish Institute of Geology), a great friend of the geologists of the Nature Research Centre, gave a presentation on the history of geological mapping in Poland and Lithuania at the Congress of Geological Society of Lithuania on 29 November 2024. In his opinion, the first geological map of Poland and Lithuania was drawn up in 1764 by the French geologist Jeanʼ-Etienne Guettard (1715-1786). The map was very simple – almost all of Lithuania and Poland is sand and only southern Poland has a salt belt.
Interestingly, Jean-Etienne Guettard was not only a talented geologist, but also a spy sent by King Louis XV of France to Poland and Lithuania to explore what valuable minerals could be found in this expanding united country. He was particularly interested in silver, lead and salt mines in the Cracow area. So, the first geological map is the result of international espionage.
Geological map (Carte Mineralogique des Pologne (1764) by Jean-Etienne Guettard (1715–1786)
Professor Stanislaw Wolkowicz was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Geological Society of Lithuania. Photo by Augustas Uktveris (29.11.2024)
2024.12.04
The Save The Baltic Sea closing event will take place at Litexpo Exhibition Centre on 6 December.
All are invited to visit the stands of the Nature Research Centre’s Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology and Laboratory of Ecotoxicology.
All are invited to learn more about eutrophication and one of its most prominent consequences – algae bloom, the problems and risks it poses, and how the excess biomass of algae and cyanobacteria generated by this process could be sustainably used to create valuable bioproducts. There will be a possibility to learn about algae and cyanobacteria found in Lithuanian water bodies, examine them under a microscope, and see bio-products made from algal and cyanobacteria biomass..
You will have the opportunity to learn about the Baltic Sea fish and molluscs health indices, which are used to assess the impact of pollution on organisms. In a mini-lab, you will be able to use a microscope to observe the blood/haemolymph cells of fish and molluscs and to identify fish age from otoliths and scales. You will also learn about fish tagging methods used for monitoring, about research carried out at the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, as well as enjoy the underwater world of the Baltic Sea and participate in discussions on the impact of dumped chemical weapons and sunken ships on the biota of the Baltic Sea and the importance and integration of biological monitoring into the chemical monitoring of the Baltic Sea.
2024.12.03
On 4 and 8 November 2024, Dr Živilė Jurgelenė, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, participated in the 20th meeting of the ECHA Nanomaterials Expert Group (ECHA-NMEG-20), where the regulatory and grouping challenges of nanomaterials were discussed. Also, Dr Živilė Jurgelenė participated remotely in the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials Workshop on 26 November, where the main focus was put on the application, sustainability and safety of graphene family materials.
The knowledge gained is valuable and contributes significantly to the research carried out under the RCL-funded project “NanoBioTox” (No S-MIP-24-92).
2024.12.02
On 29 November, at the 35th Lithuanian Geological Congress held at the National Museum of Lithuania, Nature Research Centre’s scientist Dr Vaida Šeirienė was awarded the prestigious Ignotas Domeika Memorial Medal.
Sincere congratulations!
2024.11.27
13th International Conference of Young Scientists ‘The Young Scientists for the Advance of Agriculture’ AGRISCI 2024 took place on November 26, 2024, in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Main goal of the conference was to establish new links and collaborations among participants, the conference aims to bring together researchers from various Agricultural and Forestry sciences. Oral presentations were presented during the conference on topics such as agronomy, agrobiology, agroecology and agricultural engineering, horticulture, forestry, food safety, and veterinary medicine.
Four doctoral students from the Nature Research Centre also participated in this young scientists’ conference.
The presentation in the Agronomy section was made by:
Oral presentations were made in the Agrobiology, Agroecology and Agricultural Engineering section by:
The oral presentations presented by doctoral students Gabrielė Bumbulytė-Žukevičienė and Agnė Baranauskaitė were selected as the BEST PRESENTATIONS in the sections. The doctoral students were awarded with diplomas and gifts.
2024.11.25
On 21 November 2024, Nature Research Centre hosted the Lithuanian Young Scientists’ Conference “Biofuture: Perspectives of the Natural and Life Sciences“, organised by the LAS Division of Biology, Medicine and Geosciences in collaboration with the Nature Research Centre.
The following NRC researchers were awarded diplomas and prizes for the best presentations:
1st prize Margarita Kazak for her presentation “Trypanosoma and related flagellates (Trypanosomatidae) in blood-sucking bipterous insects (Culicidae, Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae) in Lithuania“.
3rd prize Agnė Bučaitė for her presentation “Effects of microplastics on fish at different developmental stages”.
Congratulations!
Photos by LAS photographer Virginija Valuckienė
22 November 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of a botanist, conservationist, doctor of biomedical sciences, Professor Karolis Jankevičius.
On this occasion, the Wroblewski Library has prepared a virtual exhibition presenting the most important areas of Karolis Jankevičius’s work – ecology and nature conservation.
More than half a century of research, science administration and public activities of the professor helped to establish the traditions of Lithuanian botanical science.
The exhibition illustrated with books and photographs covers the most important events in the scientist’s work and life. The section “From lab technician to professor” displays books and works co-authored, as well as edited and compiled by the professor. The documents from the Karolis Jankevičius Fund (F405) in the Manuscripts Department reveal events of his scientific and social activities. Photographs provide an insight into the scientist’s personal life and working environment.
The virtual exhibition is available here: Virtuali paroda „Profesorius Karolis Jankevičius – prasmingo gyvenimo pavyzdys“ – Vrublevskių biblioteka
