Olympiad Diary
Day 3
Day 3
This year the practical round of the Open International Biology Olympiad (OIBO) stands out for its balanced approach: the organizers made an effort to equally represent all key areas of the science — from traditional biology of plants and animals to bioinformatics and genetics. The main idea was to move away from a simplified ‘computer-only' format and create a dynamic, multifaceted hands-on experience.
On the one hand, the participants have to work with real living specimens: algae cultures in the botany lab, fly larvae, and Drosophila fruit flies in the zoology lab. On the other hand, they tackle cutting‑edge bioinformatics problems: constructing phylogenetic trees, analyzing sequences, and doing statistical and genetic calculations.
On the one hand, the participants have to work with real living specimens: algae cultures in the botany lab, fly larvae, and Drosophila fruit flies in the zoology lab. On the other hand, they tackle cutting‑edge bioinformatics problems: constructing phylogenetic trees, analyzing sequences, and doing statistical and genetic calculations.
Compared to the previous year, that is not only the balance of disciplines that has changed, but also the content of the tasks. This season, classical branches are represented more broadly, and the specimens were deliberately chosen to be less typical. For example, algae as a study object in botany could surprise the competitors, but that is precisely the challenge of the olympiad. The biology lab also featured Drosophila — an important model organism that school students rarely encounter in a regular classroom.
The technical setup of the round included both computers for systematic work and phylogenetic tree construction, and traditional binocular microscopes. The participants had to perform dissections using scalpels and razor blades, and also to master the Goryaev chamber — a specialized device for counting microscopic objects (cells, spores, bacteria). By means of such chamber, the students did a new calculation task — monitoring a culture and determining cell population density at different stages.
Mohammad Taseen, a school student from Bangladesh, has come to Sirius for the second time. Last year, he came for the International Olympiad on Climate Change and Environmental Issues (IOCE). Back then, Mohammad won gold in the individual competition.
"It felt like I was not working on an ordinary olympiad problem, but on a real scientific investigation. We had real data on different plants and animals, and we had to explore them, uncover and explain all the details. So, it was a practical experiment in the form of an exam. I am sure that the experience from this Olympiad will help me in the future. I have been interested in biology since childhood, and I have taken part in various competitions in my country. However, OIBO is my first experience at an international biology olympiad. I am very happy to be back in Sirius, where I met like‑minded people. In the future, I would like to research energy sources. To solve tasks here is a unique opportunity to learn more about different biological species, their habitats, and to work with real research equipment," says Mohammad Taseen.
The practical round passed rather smoothly for Aaron Karimov from Tajikistan. The main challenge, according to him, was learning to manage time properly.
"In the animal biology task, unfortunately, I did not finish working with the fly larvae completely. But I managed to count the number of rosette‑feeding mites and determine the genetic difference," Aaron explains. "It was in the practical round of OIBO that I used the Goryaev chamber for accurate cell counting for the first time in my life. I succeeded straight away because the instructions were very detailed. Last year, I was a prize‑winner of OIBO. This year, I will try not to lower the bar. Right now, the most important things for me are university admission and how I build my future. I plan to apply to Lomonosov Moscow State University, to the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine."
The technical setup of the round included both computers for systematic work and phylogenetic tree construction, and traditional binocular microscopes. The participants had to perform dissections using scalpels and razor blades, and also to master the Goryaev chamber — a specialized device for counting microscopic objects (cells, spores, bacteria). By means of such chamber, the students did a new calculation task — monitoring a culture and determining cell population density at different stages.
Mohammad Taseen, a school student from Bangladesh, has come to Sirius for the second time. Last year, he came for the International Olympiad on Climate Change and Environmental Issues (IOCE). Back then, Mohammad won gold in the individual competition.
"It felt like I was not working on an ordinary olympiad problem, but on a real scientific investigation. We had real data on different plants and animals, and we had to explore them, uncover and explain all the details. So, it was a practical experiment in the form of an exam. I am sure that the experience from this Olympiad will help me in the future. I have been interested in biology since childhood, and I have taken part in various competitions in my country. However, OIBO is my first experience at an international biology olympiad. I am very happy to be back in Sirius, where I met like‑minded people. In the future, I would like to research energy sources. To solve tasks here is a unique opportunity to learn more about different biological species, their habitats, and to work with real research equipment," says Mohammad Taseen.
The practical round passed rather smoothly for Aaron Karimov from Tajikistan. The main challenge, according to him, was learning to manage time properly.
"In the animal biology task, unfortunately, I did not finish working with the fly larvae completely. But I managed to count the number of rosette‑feeding mites and determine the genetic difference," Aaron explains. "It was in the practical round of OIBO that I used the Goryaev chamber for accurate cell counting for the first time in my life. I succeeded straight away because the instructions were very detailed. Last year, I was a prize‑winner of OIBO. This year, I will try not to lower the bar. Right now, the most important things for me are university admission and how I build my future. I plan to apply to Lomonosov Moscow State University, to the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine."
In the evening, the olympiad participants attended a lecture titled ‘Who Creates Medicines at Biocad?' The career guidance seminar was conducted by one of OIBO’s key partners — BIOCAD, a leading Russian biotech company in the pharmaceutical sector. During the seminar, the participants learned about modern biotech professions based on BIOCAD’s experience: what professionals in different roles do, what tasks they face, and what skills and knowledge are required for developers of innovative drugs. The participants also took a career guidance test and discovered which specialization suits them best based on their professional and scientific interests.
