Skoltech is an international graduate research-focused university that was founded by the group of world-renowned scientists in 2011. Skoltech's curriculum focuses on technology and innovation, offering Master's programs in 11 technological disciplines. Students receive rigorous theoretical and practical training, design their own research projects, participate in internships and gain entrepreneurial skills in English. The faculty is comprised of current researchers with international accreditation and achievements.

Tag Archives: Skoltech

6 Reasons to be Optimistic about the Future of Russian Innovation: SIP Winners announced

07/05/2014

Skoltech Innovation Program 2014 – Winners Announced

Skoltech has selected six research teams for the Skoltech Innovation Program 2014. The winning projects were selected from among more than 30 submissions based on technical feasibility, potential for commercialization, and the actual need for support from Skoltech. These brainchildren of students from all over Russia could have a real impact on society and industry. They give us good reasons to believe that Russian innovation is up to the mission of solving real problems in the world. That is why the winners will be invited to conclude legal agreements with Skoltech to receive support for their projects for one year.

The international review panel was impressed with the high quality of all the proposals. The decision-making process was difficult, with many worthy candidate projects vying for a limited number of spots.

The successful applicants are:

A Platform approach to develop new antibiotic leads based on microcins (Skoltech, St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University)

Nanopipette electrochemical biosensors (Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry)

Superhydrophobisation of synthetic fabrics by deposition of ultrathin fluoropolymer films from solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide (Moscow State University, Department of Physics)

Perspective graphene-based materials with high absorption index in visible and near IR range (Moscow State University, Department of Physics)

Multisensor Device for Instrumental Toxicity Assessment (National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, St. Petersburg Technical University)

Superplastic aluminum sheets (National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”)

photo courtesy www.jisc.ac.uk/

More detailed information about the projects:

1. A platform approach to the development of new antibiotic leads based on microcins

Research Area: Gene- and nano-medicine, Translational medicine

Project Summary:The rapid global spread of bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics and the dearth of development of new antibiotics leads to a significant societal problem that will become even more serious if no action is taken in the near future (it also happens to be the subject of our May 12 seminar with Nobel laureate professor Sidney Altman). This proposal aims to try to help solve this problem by developing and evaluating antibacterial agents based on microcins – ribosomally-encoded antibacterial peptides. Unlike most antibiotics, which are synthesized by complex enzymes, microcin peptide precursors are encoded by genes. Therefore, the power of molecular genetics can be brought to create large libraries of microcin derivatives among which molecules with desired properties can be sought for further development.

Nanopipette electrochemical biosensors

Research Area:Gene- and nano-medicine

Project Summary:Project is focused on development of modification methods for electrodes integrated in nanopipette. The research team has already obtained preliminary results on application of modified nanopipette for intracellular biosensing. Tools based on double barrel nanopipettes with integrated sensitive electrodes have a great potential to be implemented in pharmaceutical companies for drug discovering. Equipment based on “Smart” nanopipette technology will enable 35000 times faster screening and a 5000 times reduction in the number of cells required.

3. Superhydrophobisation of synthetic fabrics by deposition of ultrathin fluoropolymer films from solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide

Research Area: Advanced materials

Project Summary:We propose a new promising technique of imparting superhydrophobic properties to synthetic fabrics by depositing ultrathin fluoropolymer films from the solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2). This technology has a wide range of applications. It will allow to create self-cleaning breathable waterproof fabrics for production of clothes and outdoor equipment. While participating in the Program the team plans to develop prototypes of fabrics with stable superhydrophobic properties.

4. Perspective graphene-based materials with high absorption index in visible and near IR range

Research Area: Quantum physics/technology; Advanced materials

Project Summary:The project implies the development of the fabrication technology and studies of optical characteristics of Carbon Nanowalls (CNWs) in a wide wavelength range from 300 nm up to 200 μm. The main idea is to optimize the CNWs fabrication technology in order to compose highly absorptive and nonreflective nanocoatings.

5. Multisensor Device for Instrumental Toxicity Assessment

Research Area: Machine learning and artificial intelligence; Advanced materials

Project Summary:This project aims to develop and advance the multisensor device and software for instrumental toxicity assessment in environmental monitoring. Recently we accomplished the proof of concept for a new approach to toxicity evaluation. This new concept is based on instrumental measurements in samples with a specially developed electrochemical multisensor system and multivariate processing of the obtained data. This combination of sensor array and chemometric techniques allows for toxicity determination in terms of bioassay without immediate involvement of living creatures (besides on a calibration stage); measurements are fast and simple; the results are in toxicity units of corresponding biotest method. Such kinds of experiments are unique and were never reported in scientific periodicals before and we see a very attractive business opportunity in their advancement towards the environmental monitoring market.

6. Superplastic aluminum sheets

Research Area: Advanced materials; Composite materials, structure, and construction

Project Summary:Superplasticity is the specific state in which solid crystalline material can be deformed well beyond its usual breaking point: usually more than 200 % during tensile deformation. This project is direct to the optimization of the alloys composition and laboratory technology of superplastic aluminum sheets producing. The main purposes of the project include developing of the new materials, and producing the thickened sheets for commercial introduction. The new materials offers opportunities to reduce part count by forming components in a single piece, increase structural integrity of the part and assembly, reduce part weight, and speed up final assembly.

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advance scientific knowledge, and foster new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

Seminar May 12: Nobel Laureate takes on “Superbugs”

05/05/2014

Prof Sidney Altman has years’ worth of experience fighting “super-bugs”,

or antibiotic-resistant bacteria. On May 12 the Nobel laureate will come to Skoltech and share his insights into humanity’s biological nemesis – and how to stop it.

The seminar, titled «ANTIBIOTICS: PRESENT AND FUTURE», will present the need for new antibiotics which make use of an enzyme found in all cells that have a catalytic RNA sub-unit.
We’re honored to host this esteemed researcher from Yale University.

Registration required – please write by May 11 to: abaimova@skolkovotech.ru

The talk will be given in English

May 12, 2014

14.30 – 16.00
Beijing-1 Auditorium, China cluster
Skolkovo School of Management

SEMINAR ABSTRACT:

There is an immediate need for new antibiotics as the prevalence of resistance to drugs is increasing worldwide and is a major cause of deaths among infected individuals. A new antibiotic, useful against bacterial infections and malaria, makes use of an enzyme found in all cells that has a catalytic RNA subunit. The new antibiotic is much larger than those currently used and it can be a powerful therapy. Consequently, the pharmaceutical industry should change its view of making new drugs.

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION:

Prof Sidney Altman got the Nobel Prize jointly with Thomas R. Chech in Chemistry in 1989 for their discovery of catalytic properties of RNA.

He was born in Montreal, Canada, 1939.

His education includes: B.S. MIT 1960, Physics; Ph.D. University of Colorado 1967, Biophysics; Postdoctoral fellow with M. Meselson

Professor Sidney Altman. Photo credit: Russian Academy of Sciences

, Harvard University and S. Brenner and F. Crick, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.

From 1985 till 1989 Professor Altman worked as Dean of Yale College. Since 1971 he has be working in Yale University.

The main research interests of Prof Altman include: Molecular genetics of tRNA biosynthesis and the study of a catalytic RNA in both bacteria and human cells in tissue culture.

http://www.alhimikov.net/laureat/Altman.html

http://www.physchem.chimfak.rsu.ru/Source/History/Persones/Altman.html

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%EB%F2%EC%E5%ED,_%D1%E8%E4%ED%E5%E9

Seminar May 5: Cracking the Cracks in Crystalline Materials

29/04/2014

They say that those ‘perfect’ diamonds are forever.

‘Flawless’ snowflakes are endlessly changing. And a pinch of table salt can turn your dreary sandwich into an ideal snack. But crystals are imperfect. Ask Dr. Alexander Shapeev from the UNiversity of Minnesota who devotes his research to computing minuscule faults in grand crystals.

Monday, May 5, 2014 13.30 – 15.00

Beijing-1 Auditorium, China cluster

Skolkovo School of Management

Title: «COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR CRYSTALLINE DEFECTS: CONSTRUCTION, ANALYSIS, AND BENCHMARKING»

SEMINAR ABSTRACT: Defects, defined as irregularities in the periodic arrangement of atoms, determine various important properties of crystalline materials. Such crucial features are plasticity or failure.

Computing defects such as dislocations or cracks is often challenging, because the spatial and temporal scales accessible for direct molecular simulations are limited. Dr. Shapeev’s talk will be devoted to efficient methods for computing crystalline defects. He will focus on atomistic-to-continuum (AtC) coupling, a popular approach utilizing atomistic resolution near the defect core while using the continuum model to resolve the elastic far-field.

Nobody is perfect. Not even crystals

In his talk Dr. Alexander Shapeev will

Give a brief introduction to crystalline defects and AtC coupling.
Report one of the recent developments in construction of a consistent energy-based AtC coupling method.
Present a mathematical theory of how to optimize and compare the performance of existing methods.

The first part of the talk will be devoted to his past research on computing static properties of defects, such as atomistic configuration or formation energy. In the second part, Alexander will speak about the present research and future plans on dynamics of defects and finite temperature.

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION:

Dr. Alexander Shapeev

Alexander Shapeev is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Mathematics in the University of Minnesota. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Novosibirsk State University and his PhD degree in mathematics from the National University of Singapore.

His research interests lie in applying computational mathematics to materials science and related fields. His current research is devoted to developing a mathematical theory and new computational methods for materials defects (such as dislocations or cracks). Alexander is an author of 11 peer-reviewed papers, one of which has been awarded the 2013 SIAM Outstanding Paper Prize.