Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is launching a course of seven online lectures on Sirius’s YouTube channel. Skoltech scientists will present exciting topics running the gamut from doping detection and disease visualization to effects of zero gravity on astronauts and life on Mars.
Course outline and timetable:
November 17, 4 p.m. Why do scientists weigh molecules and what is a mass spectrometer?
What is molecular mass? How to find the composition of (bio)chemical mixtures used in pharma, metallurgy, oil and gas, nuclear industry, foods, and cosmetology?
Speaker: Professor Evgeny Nikolaev
November 19, 4 p.m. Catch me if you can: detecting doping and toxic agents.
How do scientists search for doping? What is anti-doping research about? What are the general principles and methods of drug screening? How do you prove the presence of doping or toxic agents?
Speaker: Assistant Professor Yury Kostyukevich
November 24, 4 p.m. Advance molecular visualization of a health problem.
How does modern technology help diagnose diseases and identify brain tumors from molecular prints? How do scientists create 2D molecular images of biological tissue and visualize the distribution of drugs in tissues and organs in 3D mode?
Speaker: Professor Evgeny Nikolaev
November 26, 4 p.m. What happens in the astronaut’s body under zero gravity?
Meet proteomics, a science that studies proteins and their interactions in the body. How does advanced health monitoring help predict the onset or progression of diseases based on changes in protein content? How does zero gravity affect the human body?
Speaker: Senior Research Scientist Alexey Kononikhin
December 1, 4 p.m. Molecular ecology: is there life on Mars?
How does mass spectrometry help study organic properties of soil and water? Where does oil come from? What extraterrestrial organic molecules are found in meteorites and lunar soil? Is there life on Mars?
Speaker: Research Scientist Alexander Zherebker
December 3, 4 p.m. What were dinosaurs like? Mass spectrometry for non-techies.
How is modern DNA research technology used in archeology, paleontology, and museums? Why do scientists study molecular composition of archaeological artifacts and how can they use it to prove a historical hypothesis? What is ancient oil? What were ancient dyes and embalming fluids for Egyptian mummies made of? What were dinosaurs like?
Speaker: Assistant Professor Yury Kostyukevich
December 8, 4 p.m. How does metabolism influence our life?
What does a physiological process look like at molecular level? What effects does food have on us? What is metabolism in terms of phases and products and associated markers of diseases?
Speaker: PhD student Sergey Osipenko
