For outstanding academic achievements and relevant research combining the fields of microbiology and environmental protection, one-time Prof. Karolis Jankevičius scholarships have been awarded to Indrė Čepaitė, a third-year student of the Bachelor's Degree Program in Microbiology, and to Modestas Katauskis, a first-year student of the Master's Degree Program in Microbiology. The scholarship was established by UAB "GVT LT".
Modestas Katauskis' research project "Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on microplastic particles under different conditions" (supervisor Prof. Dr. Eglė Lastauskienė) actively contributes to the understanding of the interactions between microplastics and microorganisms and the impact they may have on human welfare.
Microplastic pollution is increasing in line with the growing production of plastics, and is found in water, air and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as in the macro-organisms that live there, including humans. It can also contribute to the biofilms formed by micro-organisms, as a surface to which they attach themselves and can form their own communities.
The physical barrier provided by the biofilm, the increased intercellular communication and the increased cellularity of the cells within its structure, leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the immune response, a worsening of infectious diseases, and an increase in the resistance of micro-organisms to antimicrobial agents. Although the number of studies on bacterial biofilm formation on microplastics is increasing, this is a relatively new area of research and requires extensive additional studies to gain a broader understanding of the potential risks.
"Receiving this scholarship makes me even more confident that I am on the right track, that my research is relevant to today's issues, and that my work has been noticed and appreciated. I feel even more motivated to continue my experiments and to pursue my goals in science," says Modestas Katauskis.
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Indrė Čepaitė, who is working on her final bachelor's thesis on "Cyanobacteria pigments and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity" (supervisor Dr. Jūratė Karosienė, Nature Research Centre, Laboratory of Algal and Microorganism Ecology), is also delighted. "This scholarship is a wonderful recognition of my efforts and motivation to continue my research in this field."
Cyanobacteria, a group of photosynthetic, water-flowering prokaryotic organisms, synthesise a wide range of pigments and bioactive components with antioxidant activity. Bioactive compounds isolated from the biomass of Cyanobacteria are an excellent alternative to synthetic compounds, which can be adapted for use in various biotechnology industries. The results obtained during the project show the potential of natural cyanobacterial biomass to be a valuable source for the extraction of bioactive compounds, and the optimised methods will be used in further studies.
The Prof. Karolis Jankevičius Scholarship was established in 2011 to encourage talented students of Vilnius University Life Sciences Center to pursue better study results and careers in microbiology and biotechnology. Each year in the spring semester two one-time scholarships are awarded to students of Microbiology study programs: to a student of the 1st cycle of Bachelor's studies in the 6th semester, and to a student of the 2nd cycle of Master's studies in the 2nd semester for the best study and scientific results.
Prof. Karolis Jankevičius, former Director of the Botanical Institute for many years, has dedicated his life to science and environmental protection. The joint work of the Public Enterprise "Grunto Cleaning Technologies" (GVT LT) and Prof. Jankevičius has resulted in a total of 18 patents on environmental, biotechnological and biomedical issues. His work has been presented in the Lithuanian Product of the Year competition and awarded gold medals. In addition, he and his co-authors have prepared and published the monograph "Biological treatment of the environment" (2003), "Dictionary of environmental terms" (2000), "Explanatory dictionary of ecological terms" (2008), "Biodegradation of oil and other polluting substances. Theory and Practice", articles on biotechnology published in foreign scientific journals. In 2007, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists conferred on Prof. K. Jankevičius the honorary title of Knight of the Profession. The scholarship is currently awarded by UAB "GVT LT".