VU Life Sciences Center

Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) brings together the university’s Institutes of Biosciences, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, supporting research and education across the life sciences. Located in Vilnius, the center also includes a Department of Bioinformatics, whose work combines computational method development with applications to biological questions.

The department develops tools for identifying evolutionary relationships between proteins and for analyzing, comparing, modeling, and evaluating protein and macromolecular structures. Its research emphasizes molecular interactions, including those involving proteins, nucleic acids, and ligands. The team applies machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve computational analyses, and makes its software packages and web servers openly accessible.

Research also investigates the evolution, structure, and mechanisms of proteins involved in DNA replication, repair, and mutagenesis, as well as prokaryotic defense systems. Areas of interest include DNA polymerases, CRISPR–Cas systems, antiviral signaling proteins, and prokaryotic Argonaute systems. Computational findings are often developed in collaboration with experimental laboratories. VU LSC also offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies, alongside training and lifelong-learning opportunities.