Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Bekir YILDIZ from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at KTO Karatay University (Turkey) visited Nature Research Centre. On 8 July, he delivered a lecture “Biophotovoltaics at the Interfaces of Biology, Materials Science, and Clean Energy Technologies.” Professor presented his ongoing research in the fields of biophotovoltaics, photoelectrochemistry, biosensors, conductive polymers, nanomaterials, and hydrogen production using solar energy.

The event was attended by scientists, researchers, doctoral students and students who had an opportunity to learn about the professor’s latest research, participate in discussions, address current scientific issues, establish new professional contacts and share ideas for collaboration.

During the meeting with representatives of Centre’s administration, the opportunities for broader cooperation, participation in the “Erasmus+” programme, as well as student and researcher exchange were discussed. The meeting also addressed the possibilities of signing a bilateral cooperation agreement and preparation of joint project proposals.

The Vilnius (Smėlio) mammoth attracted significant attention from scientists around the world, who gathered for the 23rd World Congress of Paleontologists (EAVP). Just imagine – a huge group of vertebrate researchers set out from the mammoth’s discovery site at Smėlio St. 14 to search for mammoth traces on the slopes of Sapieginė Hills.

Scientists followed the same path that the mammoth took from Sapieginė heights to its last sip of water from the Neris River, which was 13,900 years ago… Interest was so high that the Antakalnis community T-shirts featuring a mammoth were bought out immediately. Finally, the scientists arrived at the National Visitor Centre, where Vida skilfully led an educational session. Impressed by the Visitor Centre and the natural beauty of Lithuania, the scientists found it hard to leave.

On 19 June 2026, an important step was taken in the Lithuanian scientific community – the Conference of Directors of Lithuanian Scientific Research Institutes (LIMIDA) was officially established. The new association brought together the leaders of 11 state scientific research institutes with a common goal of strengthening the scientific community, fostering inter-institutional cooperation, and representing the interests of Lithuania’s research institutions more efficiently.

The Nature Research Centre (NRC) together with other leading institutes of the country: Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC) and Centre for Innovative Medicine (IMC) are among the founders of LIMIDA.

This alliance marks a new stage in institutional cooperation aimed at strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and responding more effectively to the challenges in the modern world. The Nature Research Centre views this partnership as a significant boost for the country’s scientific community.

One voice in science policy

The establishment of LIMIDA opens a possibility of integrating fundamental research into decision-making in state-governance and economy. Dr. Edita Sužiedėlienė, Director of NRC, comments on the establishment of LIMIDA:

“State scientific research institutes are among the most important participants in Lithuania’s science and innovation ecosystem, generating new knowledge, technologies, and innovative solutions to meet the needs of society and the state. The establishment of the association provides an opportunity to represent the interests of the institutes more efficiently, to participate more actively in the formation of the country’s science and innovation policy, and to contribute even more significantly to the strengthening of Lithuania’s progress, competitiveness, and international visibility.”

What it means for new generation researchers

For a new generation of researchers, doctoral students and innovators, the establishment of LIMIDA signals the creation of a more dynamic, open and internationally competitive research environment. It is not merely a formal status but also a practical platform which will:

• promote networking – making it easier for young researchers to go beyond the boundaries of a single institution and to carry out joint projects at the intersection of natural sciences, physical sciences, technology, and medicine;
• enhance international visibility – joint representation of the institutes can increase Lithuania’s potential to compete for funding from “Horizon Europe” and other international foundations;
• give more weight to the voices of young scientists – unified representation gives reason to hope that the needs of young researchers will be better heard during the formation of the national science policy.

The Nature Research Centre invites the community to actively engage in the new opportunities offered by LIMIDA and to work together to develop the future of science in Lithuania.

Photos of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry

The State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre (NRC) is embarking on an important phase in its organizational development – the process of developing its 2026–2031 strategy. This is a period during which the NRC’s future trends, operational priorities, and long-term goals will be defined, reflecting both the expectations of the state, society and scientific community and the institution’s internal needs.

The strategy is being developed as an open and inclusive process, so we invite NRC community members to actively participate – to suggest ideas, raise relevant questions, set priorities, and vote for the most important proposals.  A special communication channel is being launched on the NRC intranet, where every community member will be able to contribute to the shaping of the NRC vision.

“We are developing a strategy that must be dynamic, ambitious and reflective of our community’s strengths and aspirations. The insights of every community member are important – I believe that together we will develop a strategy that will serve as a solid foundation for our continued growth, visibility and even greater impact on the scientific community, state, and society,” says Prof. Dr. Edita Sužiedėlienė, Director of Nature Research Centre.

The strategy development process will take place in several stages – from gathering ideas of the community and analyzing the current situation and data to the discussions in working groups and the formulation of final decisions. The entire process will be transparent and consistently publicized on the intranet, ensuring that the community could track progress and actively participate at every stage.

Community involvement is essential to developing the strategy that is not only ambitious but also realistic, reflecting the needs of the staff and young researchers and strengthening the NRC’s position as a modern, open, and progressive scientific institution.

All are invited to get involved, share ideas and create the future of NRC together!

From 29 June to 5 July, Vilnius is hosting the 23rd conference of the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists (EAVP). This is the first time in the association’s history that such prestigious event is taking place in Lithuania!

The Nature Research Centre in cooperation with the Lithuanian Geological Society is the host and the main organizer of this hybrid format forum. The Centre’s organizing committee team: Dr. Darja Dankina, Dr. Agnė Venckutė-Aleksienė, Dr. Ingrida Bagdanavičiūtė, Dr. Laura Gedminienė and Dr. Neringa Gastevičienė, are responsible for the smooth running of the conference.

During the conference, reports on vertebrate evolution, past climate, and ancient ecosystems are presented.

A unique PalaeoArt exhibition is open.
The event brings together scientists from all over the world.

A few more intense days lie ahead: new scientific sessions and educational tours of Lithuania for guests from abroad.

Please enjoy moments from the conference rooms and behind the scenes!

On 26-30 May 2026, the Baltic crystalline basement geological meeting and the Baltic Basement Spring School, Arbavere 2026, took place at the University of Tartu and the Arbavere Research Center (Estonia).

The event was attended by geologists from universities, geological surveys and scientific institutions of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Australia. The meeting discussed the latest research directions in the geology, petrology, geochemistry and geochronology of the crystalline basement, as well as the possibilities of further international cooperation in the Baltic region.

This was the second such meeting of Baltic crystalline basement researchers. Discussions  were about the next meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Lithuania in 2027.

The Baltic Basement Spring School programme included lectures and practical sessions led by scientists and specialists from geological services of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Nature Research Centre was represented by Dr. Gražina Skridlaitė and Dr. Laurynas Šiliauskas, who gave lectures on the geology of the Baltic basement and U-Pb geochronology of zircons and conducted practical sessions on well core description and geochemical data analysis using GCDkit software.

Doctoral student Olga Demina presented three poster presentations, which discussed the results of research on the petrology, hydrothermal processes, accessory mineral geochemistry and geochronology of Precambrian granitoids of southern Lithuania.

The programme also included a visit to the Estonian Mining Museum and the Kohtla-Nõmme slate mine, where participants learned about the region’s geological heritage and mining history.

The event became an important platform to exchange the latest research results, strengthen cooperation between geologists in the Baltic region, and plan joint future projects.

Olga Demina, doctoral student at Nature Research Centre (NRC), participated in the 16th International Conference of Young Geologists, ICYG 2026, held in Kostelec nad Černými lesy (Czech Republic).

Olga Demina presented a poster presentation on research on Mesoproterozoic granitoids and titanite alteration in southeast Lithuania. The research was also presented in the “Pico Presentation” session – a format of short presentations lasting a few minutes, which is designed to familiarize conference participants with research results and encourage further discussions around the poster presentations.

Olga Demina attended the conference after winning a Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) travel grant for young researchers.

The conference was followed by a one-day geological excursion to the Kutná Hora area, during which participants learned about the geology of the Bohemian Massif, the famous Bohemian garnet deposits, the mining history of Kutná Hora, and the Cretaceous deposits containing fossil oyster shells and shark teeth.

The Ratboř site in the Kutná Hora crystal complex was one of the most memorable sites of the trip. Participants examined garnet peridotite of mantid origin and had an opportunity to try out the search for Bohemian pyropes (garnets) by washing stream sediments.

The conference provided an excellent opportunity to present ongoing scientific research, share experience with young geologists from various countries, establish new international professional contacts, and get acquainted with the geological heritage of the Czech Republic.

A new study in Lithuania will seek to answer this question, funded by the European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA).

Dr. Carolina Chagas and her PhD student Claudio Navarrete were awarded a European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA) Small Grant for Wildlife Health Activities in Eastern Europe to develop the project Temporal trends in Leucocytozoon infection dynamics under global change scenario. The project will investigate how climate warming has influenced the diversity and transmission of blood parasites in wild birds over the past decade, using a unique archive of more than 1,200 bird blood samples collected in Lithuania between 2015 and 2025.

By combining molecular analyses, parasite identification, and statistical modelling, the research will assess long-term changes in parasite diversity, host associations, and infection dynamics in relation to rising temperatures. The project will provide valuable insights into how global environmental change is reshaping wildlife disease patterns, contributing to a better understanding of ecosystem health and the potential emergence of infectious diseases.

The EWDA Small Grants Programme supports innovative research in wildlife diseases and aims to foster collaboration and career development among early-career researchers. This award will strengthen ongoing research on avian haemosporidian parasites and highlights the importance of long-term biological sample collections for addressing contemporary questions in disease ecology and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.