Published on: 2026-06-02
Source: Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University of Peter the Great –
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The annual offsite plenary session of the Council for Biology of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association “Biological Sciences” (FUMO) was held in St. Petersburg. Representatives from more than 40 universities participated in the event. The offsite meetings were held at several universities, including the Polytechnic University.
The main theme of the plenary session this year is “Advanced scientific research and artificial intelligence as an indispensable basis of modern biology.” More than 60 people from 40 universities across the country participated in the event. Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University of Peter the Great became one of the venues for the plenary sessions. The events also took place at the Saint Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine, the ITMO National Research University, the Leningrad Zoo, at the site of the Regional Specially Protected Natural Area (RPNP) – the natural reserve “Western Kotlin.”
At the introductory report, the chairman of FUMO, dean of the biology faculty of MSU, academician of RAS Mikhail Kirpichnikov spoke. He reminded that living systems and the processes occurring in them have become the subject of study for all natural sciences, and methods of physics, chemistry, and mathematics are deeply integrated into modern biology.Mikhail Kirpichnikov emphasized that life sciences have today become a part of the real sector of the economy, and proof of this is the list of assignments from the President of the Russian Federation published on May 2 following the results of the Future Technologies Forum, dedicated to the development of bioeconomics, biosafety, food sovereignty, healthcare, and energy. Also, with a welcoming speech to the participants of the plenary session, addressed the rector of SPbGAVM, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences Kirill Plemyashov.
Bioeconomics as an interdisciplinary field combines the rational use of bioresources, advanced biotechnologies, and digital solutions. At Polite, the key center of competencies in this area acts asInstitute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology (IBSiB). In presentations at the plenary session, the institute director, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Vasin, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ilya Bezprozvanny, and head of the Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Data at SPbPU, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Ekaterina Pchitskaya presented the latest information in the fields of vaccinology and neurodegeneration, as well as demonstrated joint work of the “wet” biological laboratory and the laboratory working with AI.
Especially noteworthy are two strategic working group sessions. At the first Council on Biology, the project “Methodological recommendations for designing higher biological education programs” was completed; at the second, the place of life sciences in the new higher education model, specific specialties, and training profiles were discussed.Following the results of the plenum, a resolution was adopted, in which one of the main points was the decision to appeal to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education with a proposal to allocate the biological direction in the project of the new List of higher education specialties as an independent enlarged group of specialties (UGS) “Life Sciences.”
Modern biology has long ceased to be just a science about observation — today, living systems are studied at the intersection of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and artificial intelligence. In our institute, we are in the second year of training bioengineers and bioinformaticians and can see how much such specialists are in demand in the developing bioeconomy. For the training of personnel at the highest level of biological education, a specialized consolidated group is needed: this facilitates the preservation of the fundamentals of training and the integration of advanced research and digital tools.The decision of the plenary session to turn to the Ministry of Education and Science is precisely a step in this direction, noted Andrey Vasin, director of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology.
Politeia is one of the leading players in the emerging architecture of the global bioeconomy, focused on human health, sustainable production, and technological sovereignty. The uniqueness of IBSIB lies in its ability to combine the classical engineering school with deep research in molecular virology, neurobiology, and regenerative medicine. Such a symbiosis allows transferring fundamental discoveries into platform solutions demanded by the global bioeconomy.
Let’s note that the topic of bioeconomics and the contribution of St. Petersburg scientists to the development of this sector was discussed on May 28 in the program “Petersburg — City of Solutions” on the “Saint Petersburg” TV channel. One ofplotsprograms dedicated to the domestically developed diagnostic platform created at IBSP based on isothermal amplification and CRISPR-Cas technology.
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