蜜豆视频

Manvydas Dapkevi膷ius ir Justas Lekavi膷ius. Photo from a personal archive.

Scientists from 蜜豆视频鈥檚 (VU) Physics Faculty, led by Dr Karolis Kazlauskas, have contributed to an international study published in the prestigious journal 鈥溾��. Cooperating with colleagues from Barcelona, Spain, and other countries, they demonstrated a non-invasive optical method for controlling the heart rhythms of tadpoles. The breakthrough is expected to open new possibilities in photopharmacology 鈥� a field of science that uses light to control biological processes.

Importance of Lithuanian Connections

The idea for the groundbreaking research originated with researchers at the Institute of Materials Science in Barcelona. As the project gained momentum, they needed specialists to study new photosensitizers 鈥� molecules capable of absorbing near-infrared (NIR) light, generating long-lived triplet states, and transferring the energy they accumulate to other functional molecules.

During this process, the idea was to use photosensitizers to control reversible photoisomerisation reactions. These occur in modified azobenzene organic compounds, which are known for their distinctive light response. What makes them even more special is that during photoisomerisation 鈥� when a molecule changes its structure under light exposure 鈥� they become chemically and biologically active.

As it happened, Lukas Naimovi膷ius, a student from Dr Kazlauskas鈥檚 group, was doing an internship in Barcelona at that time. He reached out to his team back in Lithuania, initiating this international collaboration.

鈥淧rior to that, we鈥檝e worked together on multiple projects and published several papers. In this particular case, we were invited to contribute our expertise by performing specific photophysical measurements to evaluate the properties of new photosensitizers and their suitability for photopharmacological applications,鈥� says master鈥檚 student Justas Lekavi膷ius, one of the article鈥檚 authors.

His colleague, doctoral student Manvydas Dapkevi膷ius, notes that the research team was highly international. Co-authors came from Japan, the USA, Spain, Turkey, and Sweden. This global scope added a special dimension to the entire process.

鈥淭he research was coordinated by colleagues from Catalonia鈥檚 Institute of Materials Science in Barcelona. Our main task was to understand the mechanism of photosensitised isomerisation. The work involved intensive collaboration 鈥� for example, we received the molecular compounds that undergo isomerisation from Japan, while Turkish scientists created one of the sensitisers we used,鈥� he recalls.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The research stood out not only for its international scope but also for its interdisciplinary nature. It brought together physicists, chemists, biologists, and bioengineers. The researchers admit that people in these disciplines often 鈥渟peak different languages,鈥� so one of the most interesting challenges was finding a common vocabulary.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain distance between us that we鈥檙e working to bridge. We primarily communicate with chemists because we require specific compounds with desired properties from them. However, we mainly care about function, while chemists also think about structure 鈥� after all, it is them who have to synthesise such molecules,鈥� says Lekavi膷ius.

Interestingly, the project evolved and expanded significantly over time, with more scientists joining. Initially, the goal was to verify whether light radiation could actually affect the compounds being studied. However, after observing successful fundamental results, colleagues in Barcelona decided to expand the research scope and demonstrate its practical applications, thereby giving the project even greater scientific and practical significance.

鈥淎t first, we didn鈥檛 even plan for the project to reach such a broad scale. But everything went well, and when biologists joined the research, they conducted experiments with tadpoles. In all, the research started two years ago, and our work took several months, during which there were many unsuccessful attempts,鈥� says Dapkevi膷ius.

The results obtained by physicists were used in the second part of the work to show that photosensitised isomerisation can modulate a living organism鈥檚 heart rhythm. This was done using a new modified azobenzene compound capable of affecting heart activity. The methodology was successfully validated in tadpole experiments.

The scientists emphasise that the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology (FNI) conducts a wide range of research. A significant portion of it isn鈥檛 related to the life sciences, so the opportunity to engage with this field through their work added a special charm and a new experience.

鈥淯sually, our research seeks to answer fundamental questions 鈥� what is a compound鈥檚 emission quantum yield, how does energy transfer occur in organic compounds, or how can light change their chemical structures. These properties are rarely studied in biological systems, so it was exciting to find a direct connection with living organisms,鈥� says Lekavi膷ius.

A Reminder to Be Ambitious

The research with Barcelona colleagues isn鈥檛 the first for FNI scientists, and it certainly won鈥檛 be the last, as international collaboration has become an integral part of modern science.

鈥淥ne of the main drivers of such collaboration is students who go abroad for internships. This research is a clear example of that. It鈥檚 very gratifying to contribute to such initiatives because working with colleagues from various fields gives you a real sense of scientific community. It鈥檚 an extraordinary opportunity to get involved in incredibly interesting topics,鈥� says Lekavi膷ius. Both he and Dapkevi膷ius are just beginning their scientific careers.

According to them, being a part of such an experience is incredibly motivating and inspiring for reaching higher goals. They also urge others not to be afraid to pursue what might seem impossible at first glance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good to know that publishing in a high-level journal isn鈥檛 such an impossible mission after all. It adds self-confidence. Foreign colleagues often note that VU scientists sometimes aim too low. We need to be more ambitious and bolder,鈥� Dapkevi膷ius is convinced.

The research was conducted as part of the Republic of Lithuania鈥檚 Ministry of Education, Science and Sports 鈥淯niversity Excellence Initiative鈥� program, under an agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania (No. S-A-UEI-23-6).