We are delighted to announce that the first organic chemistry seminar-meeting of the upcoming 2026 academic year will take place this September, aiming to bring the field’s community together! The exact date of the first meeting will be announced soon.
In July, Pranciškus Brazdžiūnas, a PhD student at the VU FCHG Institute of Geosciences, took part in the ICAR2026 (International Conference on Aeolian Research) held in Swakopmund, Namibia. This conference, organized every three years in a different part of the world, is hosted by the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR) together with the University of Oxford. It brings together scientists studying wind-blown sand, related processes, and landform development.
How did the Baltic Sea coast respond to the most powerful storms of the 20th century, and what can the traces they left behind reveal about future threats? Scientists from the United States , together with Donatas Pupienis, a professor at Vilnius University's Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, are seeking answers to these questions. In mid-July this year, they carried out detailed geophysical, geological, and morphometric surveys along the stretch of Baltic coast between Šventoji and the Latvian settlement of Nida to determine whether traces of 20th-century hurricane-force storms remain in the coastal sediments. The research team included Philip Reeder a professor at Duquesne University , Harry Jol, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire , geospatial technology coordinator Martin Goettl, students Brock Johnson, Gracie Sime, Megan Doles, Grace Schmidt, and Gavin Comiskey, and professor D. Pupienis.
Funding from the Vilnius University (VU) Science Promotion Fund has been awarded to three research projects being carried out by researchers at the VU Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG). Each project has been allocated 18,000 euros.
Dr Maab Abdulsamad Ahmed Elsheikh. Photo by Ugnius Bagdonavičius.
Implants and bone substitutes without the risk of infection – this is the goal pursued by Dr. Maab Abdulsamad Ahmed Elsheikh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG) of Vilnius University (VU). The researcher is developing biomaterials that combine calcium hydroxyapatite – a natural mineral that makes up the majority of bones and tooth enamel – with naturally occurring antibacterial compounds: propolis, clove oil, bee pollen and eugenol. The two-year postdoctoral fellowship at VU FCHG has opened the way for research that could become the foundation for future bone and dental implants.
From Botswana to the laboratories of Vilnius University, Leungo Kushatha Mbaiwa’s academic journey has spanned across continents. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering in China, she brought her passion for chemistry to Lithuania, where she recently defended her master’s thesis. In this interview, Leungo shares her experiences adapting to a new culture, navigating the challenges of biosensor research, and the impact of finding a supportive community far from home.
From June 28 to July 1, the international conference "Balticum Organicum Syntheticum 2026" (BOS 2026) was held in Tallinn, Estonia. There, Martyna Paulauskaitė and Urtė Milerytė, students of Vilnius University's (VU) Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG), won two awards for their poster presentations.
At the ceremonial Vilnius University (VU) event "Finis Anni Academici," community members who have contributed to the university's activities and development were honored. We are delighted that members of the VU Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences community were also recognized.
Bone implantation often marks not only the beginning of healing, but also a battle against infection. As the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to rise, scientists around the world are searching for ways to integrate infection protection directly into implants themselves. Dr. Gabrielė Meižytė, a postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG) at Vilnius university (VU), is developing a bioceramics material that could one day not only help restore damaged bone tissue, but also actively inhibit the spread of bacteria.
On June 15, 2026, the graduation ceremony of the Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences took place. Graduation diplomas were awarded to Bachelor's and Master's graduates.
During the ceremony, the Gražina Romualda Klimavičius nominal scholarship certificate for the 2024–2025 academic year was also presented. The scholarship was awarded to Dinas Tverijonas, a fourth-year undergraduate student of the Biochemistry study program at the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University.
