Olympiad Diary
Day 6
Day 6
The project round is the main event of the sixth day of the Open International Biology Olympiad (OIBO). The teams had to solve one of five biological problems. Developed by Sirius' industrial partners, all of the tasks are based on contemporary biological challenges of the real world. The partners include the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), the Marine Research Center (MRC MSU) and the Botanical Garden of Lomonosov Moscow State University, as well as BIOCAD and Generium companies.
The project round consisted of several stages: sample collection, material processing in laboratories, and finding a common solution. Each task had its own specific focus and direction.
The project round consisted of several stages: sample collection, material processing in laboratories, and finding a common solution. Each task had its own specific focus and direction.
The project from the MSU Botanical Garden introduced students to modern approaches to studying biological organization at different levels, from hybridization research to field observations, morphological description, and anatomy analysis. VNIRO’s project was dedicated to determining the sex of rainbow trout by means of genetic analysis. MSU MRC challenged the Olympiad participants to conduct field collection and laboratory analysis of zooplankton in the vicinity of the Sirius Federal Territory. BIOCAD, a leading Russian biotech and pharmaceutical company, let the participants delve into the gene therapy product development cycle based on CRISPR-Cas technology — from guide RNA selection and plasmid vector construction to cell culture techniques and validation of edited cells. This project offered a unique opportunity to engage with the real process of the cutting-edge therapy development.
‘During the project round, my team worked with the CRISPR-Cas system from the Russian BIOCAD company. We needed skills in using bioinformatic programs and websites, as well as the competence to use a microscope to count cells in a Goryaev chamber. Besides, we performed electrophoresis and PCR — two basic laboratory methods that are always used in research labs. It was very important to distribute functions properly so that everyone focused on what they were good at while also managing to finish within the allotted time. The OIBO is my first international olympiad. There are so many participants from different countries, and it gives you a sense of genuine international collaboration. I’ve managed to meet people from Armenia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. I hope we will keep in touch after the Olympiad. Maybe, we’ll come up with something together in the future, unite for a common research project,’ says Ulyana Shurlakova from Russia.
‘For the project round itself, we had to go to the Black Sea front to collect zooplankton, which are basically tiny microorganisms that live in the sea. They are very important for the environment and the whole ecosystem. Having collected zooplankton, we put it in a petri dish to analyze and identify what species those microorganisms were. The most difficult part was that they were almost impossible to identify, as they look alike. In fact, that made my team and me struggle a lot at first. The project really enlightened me about how significant all those microorganisms are for our planet. One of the most important things about the OIBO is the connections I have made here. I met people from many different nations and cultures, and I saw how diverse our world is. This experience is wonderful because I’ve never had such international exposure before,’ notes Derickson Lie from Indonesia.
After the intense project round, the Olympiad competitors spent their time in different ways. Some discussed the past rounds, while others deliberately avoided talking about the tasks and simply enjoyed every moment spent in the Sirius Federal Territory.
‘During the project round, my team worked with the CRISPR-Cas system from the Russian BIOCAD company. We needed skills in using bioinformatic programs and websites, as well as the competence to use a microscope to count cells in a Goryaev chamber. Besides, we performed electrophoresis and PCR — two basic laboratory methods that are always used in research labs. It was very important to distribute functions properly so that everyone focused on what they were good at while also managing to finish within the allotted time. The OIBO is my first international olympiad. There are so many participants from different countries, and it gives you a sense of genuine international collaboration. I’ve managed to meet people from Armenia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. I hope we will keep in touch after the Olympiad. Maybe, we’ll come up with something together in the future, unite for a common research project,’ says Ulyana Shurlakova from Russia.
‘For the project round itself, we had to go to the Black Sea front to collect zooplankton, which are basically tiny microorganisms that live in the sea. They are very important for the environment and the whole ecosystem. Having collected zooplankton, we put it in a petri dish to analyze and identify what species those microorganisms were. The most difficult part was that they were almost impossible to identify, as they look alike. In fact, that made my team and me struggle a lot at first. The project really enlightened me about how significant all those microorganisms are for our planet. One of the most important things about the OIBO is the connections I have made here. I met people from many different nations and cultures, and I saw how diverse our world is. This experience is wonderful because I’ve never had such international exposure before,’ notes Derickson Lie from Indonesia.
After the intense project round, the Olympiad competitors spent their time in different ways. Some discussed the past rounds, while others deliberately avoided talking about the tasks and simply enjoyed every moment spent in the Sirius Federal Territory.
