Marine Biological Laboratory and Vilnius University Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Academic Exchange
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Vilnius University (VU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which was formed to develop a spirit of amity and promote academic cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two institutions.
The MoU grew out of a research collaboration between Arvydas Laurinavičius, professor at the Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology at Vilnius University, and Michael Shribak, Ph.D., associate scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory.
“Michael Shribak has invented microscopy imaging techniques that can evolve into novel applications for digital pathology and precision medicine. We foresee, that this collaboration could expand much further – Vilnius University is making fast progress in life sciences and biotechnology. This memorandum of understanding provides a framework to exchange our staff and ideas, leading to new projects and synergies”, Prof. Laurinavičius said.
Shribak and Laurinavičius will act as representatives of their respective institutions to implement the MoU. The two institutions plan to exchange academic materials and information, conduct and host educational visits by faculty and researchers, hold joint international conferences, conduct joint research projects, and engage in other activities to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.
Prof. Laurinavičius is using imaging technologies invented by Shribak to analyze tissue samples from patients with breast cancer and other types of cancer, as well as for kidney allograft pathology.
“Michael’s deep knowledge of the imaging techniques and my understanding of clinical needs and opportunities from the perspective of a pathologist, drive our experiments in the right direction. We are exploring new imaging signals that can be generated by Michael’s polychromatic polarized microscopy and used for robust representation of tissue architecture. This can further be translated into novel digital pathology assays for precision medicine, which increasingly demands quantifiable and spatial information from diseased tissues”, prof. Laurinavičius said.
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery – exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago.