Business-Science Cooperation: Investment in the Future of Biotechnology in Lithuania

Biotechnology today has a significant impact on the quality of our lives: from more precise disease diagnostics to cleaner industrial production and more sustainable agricultural solutions. Current trends in IT and biotechnology development are also facilitating the rapid growth of the biotechnology industry and research sector in Lithuania: as annual growth of the field exceeds 20 percent, there is a strong demand for qualified specialists.

According to Ugnė Gabrytė, an MA student of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Analysis at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), the opportunity to apply the acquired first-year knowledge while conducting research in modern labs – along with the interdisciplinarity of studies and work with highly qualified teachers – not only improves understanding but also fosters the independence of young researchers.

“This study program is multi-dimensional: it encompasses areas of technologies as well as life and natural sciences. Students have especially wide career opportunities in companies and enterprises involved in biomedicine, food, agriculture, and environmental biotechnologies. Higher education graduates not only from Lithuania, but also from abroad, choose to deepen their knowledge through this master’s degree program”, explains Prof. Habil. Dr. Audrius Sigitas Maruška, the chair of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Analysis study program committee.

Studies are driven by lab research

VMU student Ugnė recalls that in high school, she was deeply impressed by chemistry lessons, which inspired her desire to explore the living world and biotechnology.

“At the moment, biotechnology is developing very rapidly and holds great potential in the sectors of health, environmental protection, and the food industry. I also chose these studies because I was intrigued by how biotechnologists contribute to solving global challenges”, notes the student, who is currently deepening her scientific research and knowledge in the MA study program of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Analysis.

The main subjects that interest Ugnė the most include phytotherapy, application of medicinal plants or other natural products in medicine and in the development of medicinal products, or, more broadly, in the improvement of the quality of human life and health. The student is particularly glad that the program devotes a lot of attention to the assessment of the quality and biological properties of natural products.

“The program’s subjects are taught by scientists whose research is generally related not just to the development of analysis methods but also to the search for plants that possess antimicrobial, antioxidant or anticarcinogenic characteristics”, points out Ugnė, who is also conducting her own research in this field.

According to her, the most prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutical proteins or other preparations utilising methods of genetic engineering. 

“In this way, biotechnology plays an important role in human health and is changing medicine: in that field, it provides an opportunity to create personalized treatment strategies based on each patient’s characteristics, while pharmaceutical biotechnology makes it possible to create pharmaceutical products such as antibiotics, vaccines, or monoclonal antibodies, which are dedicated to research and treatment of diseases”, Ugnė explains.

The first-year student of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Analysis claims that biotechnology is also important in environmental protection: biotechnological tools help in the development of more sustainable crops and the optimization of natural resources. “This also includes the use of microorganisms and their enzymes in the restoring of polluted ecosystems by applying processes of bioremediation (the use of living organisms to break down pollutants – Author’s Note)”, she describes.

Biotechnologies contribute to solving global challenges

VMU student argues that biotechnologies also play a major role in addressing global issues such as climate change and the rising antibiotic resilience of bacteria.

“Green biotechnology is one of the main tools that help analyse the causes of climate change and deal with its consequences, as well as explore how to ensure better provision of food to people, increase food security, or reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by making it more sustainable. The products made using biotechnological methods can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, one of the best-known biotechnological solutions for food security is genetically modified organisms. While most of the public still finds them untrustworthy, the plants are genetically modified to ensure that they have such characteristics as resistance against pests, diseases, or environmental factors”, Ugnė shares some scientific facts and underlines that this increases crops, reduces the use of harmful chemical pesticides, and improves the production quality.

Another solution to this problem, she notes, is the increase of the crops’ nutrients. “With the help of biotechnologies, the well-known “golden rice” was created with an increased amount of beta carotene, from which our body synthesises vitamin A. It is an example of how the problem of nutrient shortage was solved”, Ugnė says.

She also adds that application of biotechnologies helps in the implementation of the principles of circular economy, which encompasses recycling of materials and products or their re-use for as long as possible, thus prolonging their lifecycle. “This makes it possible to make products out of biological waste such as biofuel, feed, or enzymes, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources”, the student clarifies.

Ugnė calls attention to another global problem: the rising resistance of bacteria to antibiotics because of irresponsible and indiscriminate use of the latter. “Since existing antibiotics are no longer effective against bacteria, it becomes difficult to treat infectious diseases. With the help of biotechnological methods, new antibiotics are created: applying the principles of bioinformatics, new classes of antibiotics are introduced that effectively suppress the spread of bacterial diseases. In this case, the use of artificial intelligence is inevitable: it is employed to design the structures of compounds with antimicrobial properties”, notes Ugnė.

Plants hold the key to treatment of many diseases

At the university, Ugnė is not just a student but also a researcher: applying methods of microbiological and instrumental analysis, together with Dr. Rūta Mickienė and other scientists, she is continuing research on the biological characteristics of ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria L.) which she started during her bachelor’s studies.

“My research is related to the active substances found in the plant and to the antimicrobial effect of its extracts and essential oils. As I mentioned, resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a globally relevant problem today which has stimulated the search for plants that synthesise compounds with antimicrobial properties. We hope that the conducted research will contribute at least a little to the solving of this problem”, the young researcher says.

In this area, the student is most fascinated by and interested in the therapeutic potential of plants and their compounds as well as their ability to treat diseases or relieve their symptoms. “In my opinion, people often overlook the plants that are in their environment and consider them to be weeds, without appreciating the compounds with useful properties that are found in such plants. I think that every plant has the potential to treat certain diseases or play a preventative role in the emergence of diseases. Thus, I’d like to broaden the horizons of the public, introduce them to natural products, and prove that even the weeds found in yards can have therapeutic qualities. My goal is to aid in the development of products that are scientifically validated, effective, and natural”, Ugnė shares her future plans.

Business support in the development of modern research facilities

Discussing the practical side of her studies, Ugnė singles out the experience of working in a laboratory, which allows better planning of research and experiments, serves as an introduction to lab equipment, and makes it possible to promptly apply theoretical knowledge in practice. She says that she is most thankful to the head of the study program, Prof. Habil. Dr. Audrius Sigitas Maruška, for the provided opportunities to conduct her scientific research in the laboratories of the VMU Open Access Centre for Instrumental Analysis.

“Another exceptional feature of the studies is their interdisciplinarity: we are studying various methods of instrumental analysis, microbiology, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and even various quality standards as well as the connections between all sciences. It’s nice that we can apply the knowledge acquired during the lectures in our daily life as well. For instance, while learning about the standards of pharmaceutical preparations or food quality, we learn to more thoroughly examine the ingredients of food products or to understand what kinds of chemical substances can be found in things that we use every day – this is how we develop critical thinking during our studies”, Ugnė claims, adding that the ability to apply the knowledge gained while studying not just in the lab but also in one’s everyday life is what makes these studies particularly meaningful and interesting.

The university’s social partners also lend a hand in the development of the program’s students’ practical skills. Moreover, the program’s teachers include experts from biotechnological research and industry institutions. 

“In order to maintain high quality of the studies, it is vital to give special focus to the development of practical skills. For this purpose, it is necessary for a university to have modern facilities for scientific research. All over the world, socially responsible businesses are actively supporting universities by participating in the education of the young generation of specialists and expanding the modern research infrastructure of academic institutions. As part of this kind of cooperation, VMU Open Access Centre for Instrumental Analysis has received support in the form of equipment and lab infrastructure from a variety of globally recognized companies such as Hewlett Packard/Agilent Technologies, AstraZeneca, and MERCK. Last year, significant support for modern research infrastructure was received from the international company ESCO Medical Technologies. Currently, on the initiative of Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics, work is currently underway towards opening Upstream and Downstream Biotechnology labs at VMU”, Prof. Maruška notes, highlighting the importance of cooperation between science and business.

According to the professor, this will be another significant step forward in the development of biotechnology research and studies at the university. The equipment donated to VMU by Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics includes spectrophotometers, flow cytometers, protein and DNA electrophoresis equipment, as well as gel scanning and documentation systems for electrophoresis. In the near future, training sessions organized by the company’s employees are planned for university staff, aimed at utilizing the donated equipment for scientific research in the field of biotechnology. Professor Audrius Sigitas Maruška emphasises that both students and university staff are pleased with this kind of cooperation between business and higher education, as well as the support and care shown for Lithuania’s young generation of biotechnology specialists.

Student Ugnė agrees, stating that such collaboration is highly beneficial in preparing highly qualified professionals. “A talented specialist must know how to operate advanced research instruments. These kinds of company investments enhance the quality of studies and motivate us to delve deeper into the field of biotechnology,” the student says, describing the business contribution to the education of young scientists.