The Organizing Committee of the 10th Annual Science & Society Conference has announced the results of the scientific forum held in February 2025. According to the results, Oleksandr Mushii, Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Tumor Process Monitoring and Therapy Design and a PhD student, was named the winner in the “TOP Poster Awards” category.

The award was given for his poster presentation titled “The relationship between a-SMA expression and the clinical status of patients and features of the breast cancer collagen matrix.” You can view the poster at the following link: www.beyondsciences.org

We sincerely congratulate Oleksandr on this well-deserved recognition and wish him continued scientific achievements and professional growth!

We would also like to remind you that the annual Science & Society Conference is organized as part of the activities of the Beyond Sciences Initiative (BSI) — a non-profit international consortium established to promote intercultural dialogue, mentorship, and scientific collaboration among young researchers from around the world.

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has announced the results of its competition for research projects by young scientists, aimed at supporting the initiatives of promising researchers working within the Academy’s institutions.

Among the winners is the project titled “The role of meprins in modulating the stromal microenvironment of prostate cancer,” led by Taras Zadvornyi, PhD in Biology and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Cytomorphology and Molecular-Biological Markers of Tumor Growth. The project team also includes Tetiana Burda, Engineer at the same department, and Oleksandr Mushii, Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Tumor Process Monitoring and Therapy Design and PhD student.

The research focuses on studying the expression features of meprins in prostate cancer tissue. Meprins are multidomain endopeptidases belonging to the astacin family of zinc metalloproteinases that play an important role in remodeling the extracellular matrix. In particular, they stimulate the assembly and deposition of collagen fibers by cleaving the N- and C-terminal prodomains of fibrillar collagens type I and III. Despite their known functional potential, the role of these proteins in the development and progression of prostate cancer remains insufficiently studied.

The awarded grant will enable the team of young scientists to deepen the understanding of the tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer.

We sincerely congratulate the project team on winning the competition and wish them success in implementing their research plans!

On May 29, 2025, as part of the Career Counseling Program «Your Successful Career Start Begins with Us», implemented by the Educational and Scientific Center (ESC) «Institute of Biology and Medicine» of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the twelfth advisory meeting for students took place. The event was organized with the participation of the Department of General and Medical Genetics and held as an open online meeting with representatives from scientific institutions, private businesses, and government organizations.

Tetiana Borikun, PhD, Senior Researcher at the Department of Tumor Process Monitoring and Therapy Design of the RE Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, was invited to take part in the meeting.

During her presentation, she shared her personal experience working in academia, discussed the specifics of research activities in experimental oncology, the opportunities for internships at the Institute, participation in grant programs, and pursuing postgraduate studies.

The involvement of specialists from the Institute in such initiatives plays an important role in fostering meaningful dialogue between the educational and scientific sectors. These meetings help increase students’ awareness of current trends in biomedical research, provide realistic insights into scientific careers, and enhance young people’s interest in research activities.

In this way, the Institute, as a scientific institution of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, actively supports collaboration with educational institutions, laying the foundation for the development of the next generation of Ukrainian scientists.

Senior Researcher of the Department of Cytomorphology and Molecular Biological Markers of Tumor Growth, Taras Zadvornyi, has taken first place in the scientific image competition organized by the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI).

The submitted photo illustrates a histochemical method for determining the maturity of fibrillar collagen in prostate cancer tissue using picrosirius red stain. With this staining technique, mature collagen fibers appear red or orange under polarized light, while immature fibers are seen as green and yellow.

We congratulate Taras on this achievement and wish him continued success!

The Council of Young Scientists of the Institute

Throughout April 2025, young researchers and students undergoing internships at the Institute actively participated in two international scientific conferences, where they presented and discussed the results of their research.

In particular, during the XXII International Conference of Students and Young Scientists «Shevchenko Spring: Advances in Life Sciences», which was held online from April 23–25, 2025, students interning at the Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Transformation delivered presentations. Based on the results of the sectional meetings, the program committee awarded the following participants for the best oral presentations:

• Serhii Mosnytskyi — 2nd Degree Diploma for the presentation “Differential expression of KLF-4, KLF-6 and their association with MRPS18-2 in medulloblastoma samples” in the Cytology, Histology, Embryology and Human Physiology section.
• Sofiia Lytvyn — 3rd Degree Diploma for the presentation “Detection of transcription factors PU1, SPIB, and EBF1 in malignantly transformed B-lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia” in the Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering section.
• Vladyslav Khreshcheniuk — 3rd Degree Diploma for the presentation “mRNA stability and decay kinetics for the MRPS18 gene family (MRPS18-1-3) in breast cancer cells” in the Cytology, Histology, Embryology and Human Physiology section.

Equally active was the participation of the Institute’s young scientists in the 5th International Scientific Conference “Microbiology and Immunology – Development Prospects in the 21st Century,” held on April 29–30, 2025. Oral and poster presentations were delivered by representatives from the Department of Tumor Process Monitoring and Therapy Design, the Department of Cytomorphology and Molecular-Biological Markers of Tumor Growth, as well as students undertaking internships at the Institute.

Based on the conference results, the following young scientists were awarded diplomas:

• Maria Yeshchenko — 1st place in the Best Poster Presentation Award (Student category) for the presentation “Infiltration and functional activity of mast cells in the tissue of benign and malignant breast neoplasms.”
• Sofiia Suslova — 1st place in the Best Poster Presentation Award (Student category) for the presentation “Characteristics of CD68+ macrophage infiltration in prostate cancer tissue.”
• Oleksandr Mushii — 1st place in the Best Poster Presentation Award (Postgraduate category) for the presentation “Relationships of macrophage infiltration with the tumor matricellular composition and cytokine profile in breast cancer.”
• Tetiana Burda — 2nd place in the Best Poster Presentation Award (PhD student category) for the presentation “Regulation of Gelatinases Expression in Breast Cancer Cells with Different Degrees of Malignancy.”
• Anna Pavlova — 3rd place in the Best Poster Presentation Award (PhD student category) for the presentation “Tumor-associated macrophages as a prognostic factor for the breast cancer course.”
• Taras Zadvornyi — 1st place in the Best Oral Presentation Award (PhD student category) for the presentation “The tumor microenvironment of prostate cancer as a driver of metastatic progression.”

It is worth noting that such conferences are an invaluable platform for young people seeking to take their first steps in science. They provide opportunities to engage in research, find like-minded peers, and exchange ideas and perspectives. At the same time, these events play a key role in strengthening the professional community, fostering interdisciplinary connections, and promoting modern science both in Ukraine and internationally.