Public events @ S3 2024

Official events

Official opening
July 28, 2024, 19:00 - 19:30 CEST
Student Dorm Novi Zagreb
Većeslav Holjevac Avenue 3, 10000 Zagreb
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Final presentations and closing ceremony
August 7, 2024, 20:00 - 23:00 CEST
Student Dorm Novi Zagreb
Većeslav Holjevac Avenue 3, 10000 Zagreb
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Open day

Come and take a look 👀
August 4, 2024, 16:30 - 19:30 CEST
On the eighth day of the camp, at any time between 16:30 and 19:30 you can visit us and take a look at what our participants are doing during their project work. Each group will guide you through their projects and show you what they had been working on during the week.
School of Surveying, Zagreb
Većeslav Holjevac Avenue 15, 10000 Zagreb
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Lectures

Dr. Anđelo Beletić, Genos Ltd, Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia | July 29, 2024 @ 14:00 CEST

Biochemistry islands in the Biomedicine archipelago: a tour guided by personal research pearls
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Biomedicine, artistically described, looks like a magical archipelago offering perennial sources for challenging discoveries. The only way to discern and carve them into safe and efficient tools is the hopping between vivid, intertwined, and medley scientific islands. Many of them belong to the biochemistry group. The lecturer, a medical biochemist, will take you for a short tour of some of the biochemistry islands he recognizes as the personal research pearls.  At every tour stop, the lecturer/guide will share a personal collaborating experience with peers from the neighboring scientific islands. The first tour point will show you the biochemical contribution in the management of a hereditary condition predisposing to lung and liver diseases, α1-antitrypsin deficiency. Here, our peers from the neighboring scientific islands will be physicians and molecular biologists. After that, we will arrive at the veterinary medicine setting to glimpse into the biochemical aspects of canine vector-borne diseases. Our next destination will be again human laboratory diagnostics, but this time to acquaint a new approach to measuring antithyroglobulin antibodies developed in synergy with chemists. The tour will finish in the exclusive province of researching glycans, complex oligosaccharides structurally and functionally “decorating” proteins, lipids, and RNAs. Here we will intersect with peers from the comprehensive net of research islands such as chemistry, molecular biology, data science, medicine, and biotechnology. Instead of an official farewell, the tour will end with tips for those interested in navigating their tours through the Biomedicine archipelago.

Dr. Anđelo Beletić

Genos Ltd, Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia

Anđelo Beletić holds a Master of Pharmacy-Medical Biochemist degree (2002) from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Serbia. He obtained his Specialist in Medical Biochemistry title (2012) and a PhD in Medical Sciences-Pharmacy (2014) from the same institution. He is employed as a Researcher in Genos Ltd, Glycoscience Research Laboratory (Zagreb, Croatia), one of the international leaders in high-throughput glycomics. Before joining Genos, his positions were at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Serbia, the University Clinical Center of Serbia, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia. His professional and scientific expertise covers the fields of Human and Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, proteomic research, and canine vector-borne diseases. He serves as an Assistant Editor of Biochemia Medica, the official journal of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Martina Manenica, mag. chem., doctoral student, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia | July 30, 2024 @ 16:30 CEST

How to see molecules and their interactions? - Synergy between lab experiments and supercomputers
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It is common knowledge that the water molecule is V-shaped, we see the DNA helix so many times on TV, some people even have a caffeine molecule as a tattoo... But how do we know what these molecules look like if they are impossible to see with the naked eye or even a microscope? What techniques do scientists use to find out this information and why is it important to know? We can learn so much about chemical interactions once we know the structure of molecules; we can understand why water is so essential for life on Earth, find out how a living cell works or what drugs do to heal a patient. Our knowledge is currently so great and computers so powerful that we can even do research without beakers and laboratories, just by modelling systems computationally. Bioinformatics and molecular modeling, supported with AI and machine learning, are very powerful tools. They implement prior knowledge with which we can find unknown genes in DNA, predict the 3D structure of proteins knowing only their amino acid sequence, and understand whether a potential drug will work just by simulating its interaction with the target. In this lecture, you will learn what experimental techniques we use to determine the structure of molecules and how we later use this data to understand molecular systems at the smallest levels of intermolecular interaction. We will go through an example of a DNA binding protein which only has its crystal structure known. We will find gene sequence that protein binds, build the DNA molecule in 3D, dissolve both protein and DNA in water and let them interact. And all of that without even putting on a lab coat, only with a little help of a (super)computer.

Martina Manenica, mag. chem., doctoral student

Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Martina Manenica got an MSc Diploma in Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. She did her Master thesis research at the Ruđer Bošković Institute, in the Biophysics of Cell Division Laboratory. She continued her professional path in a completely different direction; she got a job in R&D, Xellia d.o.o. She is also a PhD student at the Faculty of Science, investigating interactions of DNA binding proteins and DNA by molecular dynamics simulations. The science popularization is one of the things Martina  always enjoyed, as she actively participated in the "Znanstvene Čarolije", voluntary project at the Faculty of Science. She has also been the TV presenter and author of science talk-show "Treći Element" at Croatian national television HRT.

Dr. Dajana Barišić, Selvita Ltd. | July 31, 2024 @ 14:00 CEST

Green chemistry without solvents – myth or the future?
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Chemical reactions in solution are the traditional approach to synthesizing numerous chemical compounds. Solvents make up as much as 80-90% of the mass of material used in the preparation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), but the same is true for other types of chemical industry. The development of new synthesis methods that would reduce the use of often harmful and dangerous solvents is of great importance both for scientific research and for industrial processes. As a greener alternative to solvent-based reactions, chemical transformations in the solid-state have drawn increasing attention among chemists due to the unique benefits that the solid-state methods provide in terms of sustainability, reaction times, yields, solubility, selectivity, and chemical reactivity. Mechanochemistry, i.e., the performance of chemical reactions induced by direct absorption of mechanical energy, has proven to be a more environmentally friendly, solvent-free approach used for synthesizing existing or new chemicals. In this lecture, we will discuss the main points of green chemistry with a focus on mechanochemistry and try to conclude whether the chemistry without the solvents is a realistic future or just a myth.

Dr. Dajana Barišić

Selvita Ltd.

Dajana Barišić is a Senior Scientist, Medicinal Chemist at Selvita, one of the largest preclinical contract research organizations in Europe. Following her graduation from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, Department of Chemistry, she worked as an assistant in the Laboratory for solid-state synthesis and catalysis at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. During this period, she completed her PhD thesis, successfully defending it at the Faculty of Science in 2022. Motivated by the desire to put her knowledge and skills into practical use, she joined Selvita and is currently focused on medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. She is an author of numerous scientific publications, a winner of several awards, and passionate about the popularization of science.

Ena Šelendić, Telegram Media Grupa, Croatia | July 31, 2024 @ 21:00 CEST

Thrive and Shine: Master Communication, Make Awesome Friends, and Balance Life Like a Pro
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Join us for an engaging and empowering presentation where you'll uncover the secret sauce to thriving in every aspect of your life. Speak Up and Shine - Master the art of assertive communication with professors, parents, and peers to achieve your goals. X Factor Unleashed - Discover the secret sauce to making amazing friends and effortlessly talking to your crush. Mastering the Balance - Learn how to conquer lack of motivation, burnout, and parental pressure while still enjoying your passions. Get ready to unlock your potential, build incredible relationships, and balance life like a pro!

Ena Šelendić

Telegram Media Grupa, Croatia

Ena Šelendić is a marketing and media expert. As a digital analyst in the media industry, she's a master at understanding online behaviour, emotions, and motivations—plus, she knows exactly what makes headlines irresistible and drives tons of clicks to websites. Ena also worked as an analyst in the global beauty industry, where she analyzed influencers from over 80 countries, gaining extensive insights into personal branding and the keys to achieving charisma and success in today's competitive landscape. Academically, Ena has earned a master's degree in marketing and a bachelor's degree in business economics. She's not just book smart—she's got the skills for career development, goal setting, and navigating any professional challenge that comes her way. Beyond her professional achievements, Ena is a passionate advocate for human rights, actively contributing as a social media manager for LGBT organizations. Her journey also includes completing peace studies, where she mastered assertive communication - a skill crucial for fostering meaningful connections and navigating diverse environments. Besides form work, she is passionate about politics, feminism, TikTok, skincare and pilates classes.

Dr. Vaibhav Pai, Tufts University, USA | August 4, 2024 @ 15:00 CEST

Endogenous Bioelectric Control of Shape (Morphogenesis) and Regeneration
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Dr. Vaibhav Pai

Tufts University, USA

Vaibhav Pai, PhD is a Research Scientist at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University. His main research interest is in understanding biophysical control of morphogenesis (shape formation in nature). You can find out more on his website or on Google Scholar.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Fichtner, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland | August 6, 2024 @ 14:00 CEST

Fiber-optic seismology
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Fibre-optic deformation sensing provides new opportunities for seismic data acquisition with high spatio-temporal resolution. The relative ease of deploying fibre-optic cables, or the possibility to piggyback on existing telecom infrastructure make this technology particularly attractive for environments where large numbers of conventional seismic instruments may be difficult to install. These include active volcanoes, glaciers or densely populated urban centres. In the first, more observational part of this talk, we will present a series of case studies where Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) greatly improved the location of glacial icequakes and our knowledge of ice sheet structure, enabled the observation of previously unknown volcanic tremor and resonance phenomena, and increased the number of detected seismic events by two orders of magnitude – all relative to data from existing seismometer networks. In the second, more theoretical part, we will report on the development of two novel fibre-optic sensing systems based on the transmission of laser pulses that enable interrogation distances of thousands of kilometres. While the first system exploits microwave-frequency signals, the second system co-uses the active noise cancellation in metrological frequency dissemination. For these kinds of transmission systems, we show that different segments of the fibre can have different sensitivities for deformation sensing, largely depending on fibre curvature. Data from a large-scale experiment support this theory and demonstrate that transmission-based systems can constrain earthquake source mechanisms using only a single time series.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Fichtner

Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Andreas is Full Professor for Seismology and Wave Physics at ETH Zurich. In 2010, he received his PhD from the University of Munich for his work on Full Seismic Waveform Inversion for Structural and Source Parameters. To image the deep interior of the Earth, his team develops novel techniques for numerical wave propagation and uncertainty quantification. They deploy fibre-optic cables of several kilometres length in densely populated cities, and on volcanoes and glaciers. Using laser interferometry, these cables become seismic sensors that provide information about Earth structure and seismicity with unprecedented resolution. In addition to that, Andreas works on high-performance computing, medical ultrasound imaging, effective media and metamaterial design, and non-destructive testing. He is also a co-founder of the ETH Spin-Off Mondaic that provides solutions for full-waveform modelling and inversion. For his work, he received the 2011 Keiiti Aki Award from the American Geophysical Union, the 2015 Early Career Scientist Award from the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, and the 2018 Hoffmann Prize from the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

Workshops

Science of bias: Can prejudice be avoided?
July 30, 2024 @ 14:00 CEST

The participants will have the chance to learn more about the psychology of forming biases and how they affect our everyday lives. The workshop will contain a presentation of a theoretical framework, practical exercises and an open discussion at the end that will enable students to share their opinions in a safe environment thus stimulating critical thinking. Considering the lecture will contain a psychological “experiment”, it is not possible to provide further information on the workshop.

Iva Marketanović

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Iva Marketanović is a graduate student of psychology at University of Zagreb. During her student years, she has been volunteering as an emotional support provider for victims of criminal acts, as well as people who live with rare medical disorders. Her fields of special interest include health psychology and human sexuality. She is also one of the founders of a non-government organisation Safe Spaces that deals with the issue of street harassment and gender-based injustice in general. In her free time, she enjoys going to trivia nights or spending quality time with her friends.