When the body repairs damaged tissue, inflammation develops at the wound site. However, if this process is prolonged, excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species — chemically active molecules capable of damaging cells — accumulate in the tissues. This condition is known as oxidative stress. It is considered one of the key causes of delayed wound healing, particularly in chronic skin injuries.

To address this problem, a team from the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS developed a hydrogel system based on sodium alginate, a natural polymer derived from brown algae. Dendrimers were used to stabilize the structure and serve as molecular containers for delivering the active component. As the antioxidant agent, the researchers used a metalloporphyrin capable of mimicking the activity of the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which protects cells from excessive levels of reactive oxygen species.

The developed system combines the functions of all its components. Dendrimers ensure efficient loading of the porphyrin and protect it from premature degradation, while the hydrogel matrix provides conditions for its gradual release directly at the site of injury. The study showed that most of the antioxidant is released in a controlled manner during the first 24 hours. This mechanism is particularly important during the early stages of wound healing, when cells are most vulnerable to oxidative stress.

The researchers confirmed the stability of the system and the effective incorporation of the antioxidant component into the material. In addition, the hydrogel maintained its structural integrity over an extended period and demonstrated the properties required for use in modern medical coatings.

“Biological tests were conducted on human skin cells. The results showed that the material had no toxic effect on keratinocytes and fibroblasts, the main cells involved in the regeneration of skin tissue. Their viability remained high even after several days of contact with the hydrogel,” said Nikita Yabbarov, Associate Professor at the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS.

After confirming the material’s biocompatibility, the researchers evaluated the functional activity of the hydrogel under conditions of artificially induced oxidative stress. The experiments showed that the system significantly reduced excessive levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. This also confirms the ability of the developed formulation to protect cells from oxidative damage.

“Another important result was the material’s effect on immune cells — macrophages. They play a key role in wound healing: some types promote inflammation, while others, on the contrary, contribute to tissue repair. The developed hydrogel stimulated the transition of macrophages to a pro-regenerative state, which is associated with the formation of new tissue and the resolution of the inflammatory process,” said Darya Zinovieva, co-author of the study and a student at the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS.

Fedor Senatov, Director of the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS, said: “The results allow us to consider the new hydrogel system as a promising platform for developing advanced biocompatible wound-healing coatings. In the future, the technology could form the basis for materials designed to restore skin and mucous membranes where it is necessary to simultaneously control inflammation, protect cells from oxidative damage, and stimulate natural regenerative processes. It is particularly important to note that this undergraduate thesis was carried out at the level of a serious scientific study. The research topic and its relevance were driven by the partners of our university within the Health Engineering consortium, established at the initiative of MISIS as part of the Priority 2030 program.”

Infrared detectors are used in industrial monitoring, medicine, environmental science, night-vision systems, and space technology. Typically, such devices operate according to one of two principles: either photoelectric sensors directly convert photons into an electrical signal, or thermal sensors detect changes in material properties caused by heating under radiation.

To address this limitation, the scientists developed an innovative infrared sensor based on lead telluride single crystals. For the first time, the device combines two radiation-detection mechanisms — photoelectric and thermal — thereby improving the efficiency of object detection.

“We have shown that a single semiconductor element can detect infrared radiation through two different physical mechanisms. At the same time, the mechanisms have virtually no effect on each other. When exposed to mid-wave infrared radiation with wavelengths of 2–5 μm, the device operates as a conventional photodiode: photons generate an electrical signal through the creation of electron-hole pairs. At longer wavelengths, starting from 10.6 μm, a different mechanism is activated — the barrier pyroelectric effect,” said Danil Kobtsev, Research Assistant at the Laboratory of Photonic Gas Sensors at NUST MISIS.

Lead telluride is widely used in mid-wave infrared photodetectors due to its high sensitivity to this type of radiation. At the same time, the occurrence of the pyroelectric effect on its surface had previously been considered impossible, since according to classical physics, this phenomenon can only be observed in materials without a center of symmetry, such as barium titanate and lithium tantalate. When the temperature of such crystals changes, an electric charge develops on their surface, which can be used to detect infrared radiation.

“Lead telluride is a material with a center of symmetry and cannot exhibit the pyroelectric effect under normal conditions. We introduced an indium impurity into the material and formed a p—n junction, which created an internal electric field inside the crystal. This field broke the local symmetry by shifting the ion sublattices relative to each other. As a result, due to the strong temperature dependence of the dielectric permittivity of lead telluride, we obtained a large electrical signal that can be used to detect radiation with an energy below the bandgap. At the same time, the material retained all of its conventional photoelectric properties, making it possible to combine two infrared radiation detection mechanisms in a single device,” explained Vadim Kovalyuk, Head of the Laboratory of Photonic Gases at NUST MISIS.

The researchers confirmed the performance of the experimental samples within the temperature range typical of high-precision detectors, from −233 to −83 °C. Tests demonstrated high sensitivity in the photoelectric mode, a stable thermal response, and stable performance during prolonged operation. The details of the study have been published in the Journal of Applied Physics (Q2).

“The proposed semiconductor architecture provides a foundation for developing universal, compact, and precise array sensors that can be used in thermal imaging, surveillance systems, industrial diagnostics, and scientific research,” said Grigory Goltsman, Chief Research Scientist at the Laboratory of the Quantum Communications Competence Center of NTI at NUST MISIS.

The project was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 23-79-00056) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Project No. FSME-2025-0002).

Microtia, a congenital abnormality of the external ear, occurs in approximately one in 10,000 newborns on average. However, current methods of reconstructing this organ still have several limitations. Autologous cartilage transplantation, in which material for the implant is taken from the patient’s own body, is associated with surgical risks such as bleeding and tissue damage, while synthetic implants made of porous polyethylene are often rejected by the body and can become a source of infection.

Biopolymer constructs printed using a 3D bioprinter avoid these drawbacks, but after implantation they often become deformed under the pressure of contracting skin. To improve implant integration after surgery, specialists from NUST MISIS, together with colleagues from the National Clinical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, the E. I. Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, the N. N. Priorov National Medical Research Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics, the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology, the biotechnology company Imtek, and 3D Bioprinting Solutions developed a hybrid 3D printing method.

“We combined two different groups of materials in a single hybrid 3D bioprinting process: a porous and elastic polymer framework that provided the required biomechanics, and a soft collagen material with chondrocytes that enabled vascular network formation and rapid integration of the implant into the body. We tested two versions of the bioprosthesis framework — one with polylactide ribs and one without them. The conventional implant collapsed under load and lost half of its shape. The ribs increased the structure’s resistance to deformation by 44%,” Fedor Senatov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Director of College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS.

The researchers filled the pores of the framework with a collagen hydrogel containing living chondrocytes — cells that eventually form the body’s own cartilage tissue, which is not rejected by the immune system as a foreign material. The collagen hydrogel also supports active vascular network development, which is essential because implants without blood vessels remain vulnerable to infections due to the lack of immune cell access.

Details of the study are available in the journal International Journal of Bioprinting (Q1).

“We observed connective tissue and small blood vessels growing throughout the entire volume of the implant. In constructs containing chondrocytes, clusters of mature cartilage cells formed, which, if successful, will give rise to new cartilage tissue inside the pores of this improved bioprosthesis. Three-month in vivo tests showed that the artificial ears successfully integrated, caused no inflammation or rejection, and retained their anatomical shape,” Sergey Zhirnov, the lead author of the study and an engineer on a research project at the Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at NUST MISIS.

The work was supported financially by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (FSME-2026-0018). The researchers’ next step is to conduct clinical trials of the improved implant.

According to Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS, university researchers have been conducting biomedical studies for several years within the university’s strategic technology project “Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials,” implemented under the national “Priority 2030” program. Their developments help improve people’s quality of life significantly.

What does a smart materials developer do?

A smart materials developer (also known as a smart materials designer) is a career for people who want not only to study materials and their properties but also to create materials tailored to specific applications. New materials are needed in biomedicine, electronics, energy, transportation, aerospace, and high-tech instrumentation. These can include biomedical materials for diagnostics and drug delivery, materials for sensors, and composites and alloys for construction in extreme environments. It is important to understand how a material’s properties change at every stage of its life cycle, from development and use to recycling. That is why the profession calls for more than standardized solutions: specialists need to be able to research, compare, model, and select the best option from several possible solutions.

What challenges does a smart materials developer solve?

A materials designer develops the composition and structure of a material so that it performs a specific task: being stronger, more environmentally friendly, cheaper to produce and use, safer for people, or better at conducting heat and electricity. They synthesize materials, test them under different conditions, compare their properties, and identify the optimal solution. This is what distinguishes the profession from that of a traditional materials scientist, who more often focuses on studying the properties and behavior of materials. A developer takes the next step by creating a new solution with predetermined characteristics. Compared with a process engineer, a smart materials developer takes a broader research-based approach: they not only launch production but also design the material itself and determine the best technology for manufacturing it.

Who is a career in smart materials development right for?

This career is a good fit for ambitious young people who want to develop advanced materials and study how they perform in real-world conditions. A strong interest in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering is especially valuable, along with a willingness to work carefully, thoughtfully, and analytically. By choosing this career, you can study not just theory, but how to create technologies that can be applied in industry and science.

What skills does a smart materials developer need?

This is a multidisciplinary profession requiring a broad range of knowledge. Specialists need a strong understanding of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and other fields depending on their area of specialization. They must be able to analyze data, interpret experimental results, draw conclusions based on research, and build models using IT tools. Systems thinking, attention to detail, scientific curiosity, and the ability to work with technical documentation and laboratory methods are key qualities. It is also important to see not just an individual experiment but the entire process, from an initial idea to incorporating a material into a real product or technology.

Where do smart materials developers work?

These specialists are in demand at leading high-tech companies, research centers and organizations, as well as in medtech, microelectronics, the chemical and metallurgical industries, aerospace, and the nuclear sector. They are particularly valuable wherever existing materials need to be improved or new solutions developed for systems operating under high loads.

Why is a career in smart materials development promising?

Industry is increasingly moving away from one-size-fits-all materials toward solutions tailored to specific applications: lighter, stronger, safer, more precise, and more durable. As a result, demand is growing for specialists who can apply and improve existing technologies, develop new materials, and bring them into production.

How much do smart materials developers earn?

At the entry level, salaries are generally comparable to those of junior design engineers and research engineers, ranging from RUB 100,000 to 130,000 per month. Experienced specialists typically earn RUB 130,000 to 200,000. Lead engineers and specialists with a strong portfolio and development experience can earn RUB 200,000 or more. At large companies and in management positions, the upper end of the salary range is higher.

Which program at NUST MISIS can prepare you for a career in smart materials development?

At NUST MISIS, you can prepare for this career through one of the tracks within the Materials Science and Materials Technology program, such as Innovative Materials for Nanoelectronics or Innovative Structural Materials. Students learn to develop manufacturing technologies for new materials and bring them into production while conducting research using state-of-the-art equipment. Admission requires Unified State Exam (EGE) results in mathematics, Russian language, and one additional subject of the applicant’s choice: physics, chemistry, or computer science.

You can also pursue a career in smart materials development through the Advanced Composite Materials track within the Chemical Engineering program. In this case, the required EGE subjects are chemistry and Russian language, with mathematics, computer science, and physics available as elective subjects.

Every year, up to 90% of drugs that show promising results in vitro and in animal studies later prove ineffective in humans. One reason for this discrepancy is species differences, as well as limitations of existing preclinical models, which do not reliably predict how the human body will respond. Unreliable preclinical models account for up to 75% of all spending on new drug development.

Permeability is the ability of a barrier to allow substances to pass through it. In the intestine, permeability determines how drugs and nutrients move from the intestinal lumen into the bloodstream. To measure it, a marker substance is passed through a membrane, and researchers record how much of it reaches the other side and how long the process takes. The closer this value is to that of actual human tissue, the more reliable the model is considered to be.

“The standard for studying the intestinal barrier in vitro remains Caco-2 cells cultured on Transwell inserts. This system consists of a flat monolayer that lacks the characteristic ‘villus-crypt’ relief of the intestinal mucosa. The resulting barrier is also three times denser than human intestinal tissue, which significantly reduces its permeability to soluble substances,” Elizaveta Kudan, DSc in Biology and professor at the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS.

To address this issue, researchers at NUST MISIS developed a method for producing membranes from polycaprolactone, a biocompatible polymer already used in medicine. The scientists demonstrated that the permeability of the new membrane is two orders of magnitude closer to that of actual human tissue than the standard laboratory model.

“We were able to create a membrane with a stable microrelief that does not flatten out. It is precisely the combination of its structure and carefully selected porosity that allows us to grow intestinal epithelial cells on its surface. These cells form a living barrier that can mimic both healthy intestinal mucosa and disease models. To ensure that the cells were distributed evenly across the complex surface, we additionally treated it with chitosan and polyglutamic acid,” Valentina Kostenko, a co-author of the study and graduate of the iPhD Biomaterials Science program at NUST MISIS.

According to NUST MISIS Rector Alevtina Chernikova, researchers at the university have been conducting biomedical research for several years as part of the strategic technology project “Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials,” implemented under the national Priority 2030 program. Their work is aimed at developing technologies that can significantly improve people’s quality of life.

A patent application has already been filed for the method of producing the biomimetic membrane.

“Targeted drug delivery systems like this represent one of the most promising directions in modern oncology. Nearly 20 million new cancer cases are diagnosed worldwide every year, and chemotherapy remains the primary treatment for a large proportion of patients. Our goal is to develop technologies that make this treatment safer,” said Elena Nikolskaya, PhD in Chemistry and Associate Professor at the College of Biomedical Engineering at NUST MISIS.

Dactinomycin is an anticancer antibiotic used to treat several types of cancer, including melanoma. However, its clinical use is limited by severe side effects, including systemic toxicity, suppression of blood cell production, and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, physicians often have to reduce the dosage or replace it with less toxic — though sometimes less effective — alternatives. To address this challenge, the researchers proposed delivering the drug using nanoparticles that reduce the exposure of healthy tissues to the highly toxic active compound while enabling its selective accumulation and sustained release within tumors.

“We coated the nanoparticles with membranes derived from melanoma cells. This approach offers two major advantages. First, the immune system is less likely to recognize and eliminate these particles before they reach the tumor. Second, cancer cells preferentially absorb particles with surface characteristics similar to their own, allowing the drug to accumulate precisely where it is needed. The more selectively a nanoparticle targets the tumor, the less toxic drug circulates throughout the body and reaches healthy organs. This reduces both the risk of side effects and the likelihood of treatment resistance,” explained Maxim Vershinin, co-author of the study and a graduate of the Engineering Biotechnology track at NUST MISIS.

The researchers optimized the synthesis conditions to maximize the drug loading capacity of the nanoparticles while ensuring gradual drug release followed by safe biodegradation. In vitro experiments showed that the developed nanoparticles entered tumor cells more efficiently than the conventional formulation and were more than twice as effective at killing melanoma cells.

The project received the award for Best Presentation at BIOTECH FORUM 2025 in Almetyevsk and was also awarded second-degree diplomas at both the Lomonosov 2025 International Conference and the Biochemical Physics 2025 conference.

The research was carried out as part of the Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials strategic project at NUST MISIS under Russia’s Priority 2030 academic leadership program.

Nerve cells are sensitive not only to chemical and electrical signals but also to mechanical forces arising from injuries and various diseases. However, the mechanisms by which cells detect and process such signals remain poorly understood.

“For several years, a research team at NUST MISIS led by Alexander Erofeev has been developing innovative technologies for medicine. The scientists have created a new approach for studying brain cells based on scanning ion conductance microscopy. Using an ultrafine glass nanopipette, researchers can apply mechanical stimulation to specific regions of a cell with extremely high precision, down to tens of nanometers. The technique does not damage the cell and simultaneously measures changes in its properties in real time. This technology opens up new opportunities for investigating the mechanisms of nervous system function and, in the future, could be used to study the consequences of traumatic brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, and the regeneration of nervous tissue after damage,” said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.

The researchers conducted experiments on hippocampal neurons, which is a region of the brain responsible for learning and memory, as well as on astrocytes, the cells that support and protect neurons. They applied localized mechanical stimulation to different parts of the cells and monitored their responses.

“We found that different types of nervous system cells respond to mechanical stimulation in distinct ways. When the cell body of a neuron was stimulated, it became stiffer. This response was associated with the reorganization of the cell’s internal scaffold, or cytoskeleton. In contrast, stimulating neuronal processes produced no such effect. Astrocytes displayed even more complex behavior. Stimulating the central part of the cell caused temporary softening, whereas stimulation of their processes increased stiffness. This suggests that different nervous system cells are able to ‘filter’ physical signals: the metabolic center of neurons is well protected from incidental mechanical disturbances, while the thin processes of astrocytes are highly sensitive to localized mechanical cues, which is critical for sensing external stimuli,” said Alexander Erofeev, Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics, Head of the Research Laboratory of Biophysics at NUST MISIS.

To determine the cause of these changes, the researchers temporarily blocked the activity of the actin cytoskeleton, one of the key structural components of the cell. After this intervention, the mechanical responses almost completely disappeared. The findings confirmed that cytoskeletal reorganization plays a central role in the cellular response to mechanical stimulation. The results have been published in the journal ChemBioChem (Q1).

“The proposed method not only enables the application of precisely controlled mechanical forces to individual regions of a living cell but also allows researchers to monitor changes in its properties in real time,” said Vasily Kolmogorov, Engineer at the Research Laboratory of Biophysics at NUST MISIS.

The study was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 25-14-00295).

Neutral atoms are among the most promising platforms for implementing qubits, and interest in this technology continues to grow. Recently, Google Quantum AI also launched research in this area. To enable interactions between qubits, atoms are temporarily excited into highly excited Rydberg states, which dramatically enhance the interaction strength. But only over short distances. Two distant qubits cannot interact directly, so operations between them must be performed through a chain of intermediate atoms. Since each additional operation introduces a certain probability of error, and the chain length increases proportionally with processor size, the overall computational accuracy decreases. As a result, the probability of successfully executing a logical operation drops exponentially as the number of qubits grows.

“Existing neutral-atom quantum processors resemble a city where you can only talk to your nearest neighbor. To send a message across town, it has to be passed from person to person, with the meaning becoming slightly distorted each time. We have proposed a scheme in which the number of operations is fixed and does not depend on the size of the system. In other words, the information bypasses unnecessary intermediaries and reaches its destination without degradation,” said Ivan Dudinets, Research Fellow at the Russian Quantum Center.

The researchers divide qubits into two categories. Computational qubits remain fixed in a static array of optical tweezers throughout the computation. Messenger qubits, which are special mobile atoms, transport quantum information between any two computational qubits. A messenger atom approaches the first qubit, acquires its quantum state, moves to the second qubit, and performs the required quantum operation. The messenger can then either be discarded or reused.

The proposed concept includes five different architectures, distinguished by the way messenger atoms are transported. These include conveyor-belt schemes using moving optical traps, a free-flight approach in which atoms travel ballistically before being recaptured, and hybrid architectures combining routing strategies with quantum teleportation. The full results have been published in the leading international journal Physical Review A.

“All five architectures solve the same fundamental problem. The difference lies in how the messenger qubit is transported. In conveyor architectures, the atom travels inside a moving optical trap. In free-flight schemes, it is launched like a projectile and interacts with qubits while in motion. Hybrid architectures employing quantum teleportation reduce the number of operations by measuring the qubit directly during computation. At present, the bidirectional conveyor architecture appears to be the most experimentally feasible, since all of its essential components have already been demonstrated. However, it also requires the largest number of operations and is therefore the most sensitive to the fidelity of physical gates. We see strong potential for its experimental implementation,” said Alexey Fedorov, PhD, Head of the College of Physics and Quantum Engineering at NUST MISIS.

The research was supported by Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation under the Quantum Computing Roadmap (Agreement No. 868-1.3-15/15-2021, dated October 5, 2021). The work carried out at NUST MISIS was conducted within the framework of the strategic technological project “Quantum Internet” under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s Priority 2030 program.

Early detection of plant diseases is one of the key challenges in agriculture. In practice, leaf photographs are often taken directly in the field, where image quality is affected by lighting, weather conditions, and the surrounding environment. As a result, even state-of-the-art computer vision systems can produce inaccurate results. Researchers at NUST MISIS have proposed a new approach to improve the reliability of these systems. Their solution is based on the HiP²-Net neural network architecture, which enables the algorithm to account for the specific characteristics of individual crop species.

“At NUST MISIS, we embrace the global trend toward the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence across diverse sectors of the economy. Under the leadership of Evgeny Korzhov, PhD in Engineering and Head of the Department of Computer-Aided Design, our researchers have developed a new neural network—based algorithm that analyzes leaf images while simultaneously identifying the plant species, detecting disease symptoms, and determining the type of disease. Looking ahead, this technology could serve as the foundation for mobile applications and digital services for the agricultural sector, enabling faster detection of crop diseases and helping reduce yield losses,” said rector of NUST MISIS Alevtina Chernikova.

To train the system, the researchers employed data augmentation, applying additional image transformations, including the simulation of small disease lesions on leaves. This approach enables the algorithm to recognize subtle and early-stage disease symptoms that are often difficult to detect in the initial phases of infection.

“The algorithm also incorporates information about the image’s ’greenness,’ allowing it to better distinguish leaf tissue while minimizing the effects of shadows, glare, and distracting background elements. This is particularly important for adapting such systems to real-world imaging conditions,” Ali Salem Muthana, postgraduate researcher at the Department of Computer-Aided Design at NUST MISIS.

The newly developed model achieved higher accuracy than the baseline neural network model: the proportion of correctly identified cases increased from 87.5% to more than 93% on the experimental dataset. The system was better at detecting mild disease symptoms, proved less sensitive to variations in background and lighting, and interpretation maps showed that the model focused on biologically meaningful features such as leaf veins, spots, and damaged tissue. The full results have been published in the scientific journal Discrete and Continuous Models and Applied Computational Science.

“When making predictions, the model focuses on the characteristic features of plant diseases—such as leaf veins, spots, and damaged areas—rather than on incidental elements in the image. In the future, this technology could be integrated into mobile applications for farmers, cloud-based crop monitoring platforms, and digital agriculture systems,” Elena Lyapuntsova, EngD, professor in the Department of Computer-Aided Design at NUST MISIS.

The research team plans to expand the database of crop species and diseases and further adapt the technology to work with photographs captured directly in field conditions, including natural lighting, complex backgrounds, and varying image quality.

“NUST MISIS has been cooperating with Kenya since 2014. During this time, students from Kenyatta University, Multimedia University of Kenya, and the Technical University of Mombasa have completed master’s degree programs in Russia. This new agreement expands the university’s partnership network across Africa. The meeting also supports the objectives of NUST MISIS under the Priority 2030 program, which promotes international academic mobility for students and academic staff to enhance professional development, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and implement best practices in education and research,” said Masamba Kah.

During the meeting, the parties discussed mechanisms for academic mobility, the adaptation of educational programs, and support for students from African countries. They also agreed to launch a multilateral workforce development program for Kenya’s industrial enterprises. The program will cover several key areas:

• Mining Engineering
• Metallurgy
• Materials Science
• Solar Energy
• Information Technology
• Industrial Economics

“Partnership with NUST MISIS is of strategic importance to us. The Russian university’s strong integration with industry aligns with the priorities facing Kenya and the African region as a whole: transitioning from a resource-based economy to a manufacturing economy and increasing domestic value creation,” said Professor Kiplagat Kotut.

The parties will continue discussions on the implementation of joint projects at the Russia—Africa Summit, which is scheduled to take place in October 2026.

The NCUT delegation included President Zhang Lifeng, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Han Fei, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering Ji Yingbo, and Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges Xu Mei.

The guests were welcomed by Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Mikhail Filonov: “The continuous expansion of cooperation with China’s leading universities is aligned with the objectives of MISIS under the Priority 2030 program, which focuses on developing international academic mobility for students, researchers, and faculty members in order to enhance qualifications, exchange experience, and implement best educational and research practices. I am confident that this agreement will open up new opportunities for both sides.”

Vladimir Pirozhkov, Director of the Engineering Center of High-Complexity Prototyping “Kinetica” at MISIS, presented the center’s key projects and spoke about its capabilities in industrial design, digital engineering, and the development of high-tech products.

At the Laboratory of Hybrid Nanostructured Materials, the Chinese colleagues were introduced to the university’s promising developments in advanced materials and additive manufacturing.

Alexander Komissarov, Director of the College of Materials Science, Additive and Scalable Technologies, presented modern educational programs and approaches to training engineering professionals for high-tech industries.

The discussion on future cooperation was attended by Dmitry Vasilyev, Director for International Affairs; Andrey Travyanov, Director of the College of Technologies; Konstantin Grigorovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Professor of the Department of Steel Metallurgy, New Production Technologies and Metal Protection; Evgeny Levashov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Powder Metallurgy and Functional Coatings, and Director of the MISIS—ISMAN Scientific and Educational Center for Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS); Natalia Korotchenko, Director of the Information and Marketing Center; and Yury Rishko, Head of the Academic Affairs Office.

The parties discussed the development of joint research projects in areas of mutual interest and explored opportunities for representatives of both universities to participate in joint seminars, scientific conferences, and other academic events.

The signed memorandum supports the objectives of the Russia—China Cross Years of Education initiative, aimed at promoting academic mobility, developing joint educational projects, and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Rector Alevtina Chernikova commented: “NUST MISIS is Russia’s leading research and educational center in the development, implementation, and application of advanced technologies and materials. Its history encompasses key milestones of industrialization, the development of nuclear and space programs, and the establishment of world-class scientific schools. MISIS was among the first Russian universities selected, in accordance with a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, to participate in the pilot project aimed at improving the higher education system. We view participation in this pilot project as the next stage in the development of the university’s educational model, which is based on the integration of education and research, personalized learning, a practice-oriented approach, and the strengthening of employers’ role in education.”

Employer-sponsored education remains one of the most in-demand training formats. After enrollment, students may sign an agreement with a sponsoring company and receive guaranteed opportunities for internships and subsequent employment. The mandatory employment period under such agreements ranges from three to five years.

Applicants can also gain additional admission advantages through individual achievements. NUST MISIS regularly expands the list of achievements eligible for bonus points, such as winning or placing in academic competitions, contests, research and practical conferences, case championships, and other events.

Additional opportunities are provided through named scholarships and grant programs supported by the MISIS Endowment Fund. These programs are open to both state-funded and tuition-paying students. Each year, the university holds its “Student of the Year” competition, with winners receiving cash awards ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 rubles.

The university continues to develop its multi-track educational model, enabling students to build individualized learning pathways aligned with their professional interests and labor market demands. A comfortable learning environment remains one of the key advantages of NUST MISIS. Students have access to modern laboratories, multimedia classrooms, libraries, coworking spaces, and collaborative work areas.

All student residences are located close to the university’s main campus. The dormitories provide conditions conducive to both study and recreation, featuring computer labs, high-speed internet access, cafés, shops, and laundry facilities. The Metallurg residence hall also includes its own sports complex with a swimming pool.

Detailed information on admissions regulations, academic programs, and application deadlines is available on the university website.

UESTC is a participant in China’s national Double First Class initiative aimed at developing the country’s leading universities.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will receive a Master’s degree from NUST MISIS. Students will also have the opportunity to obtain a degree from the Chinese partner university.

The project has received support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The program is the result of extensive collaboration between the two universities and marks an important step in strengthening educational cooperation between the two countries. The new Master’s program will expand opportunities for training highly qualified specialists in materials science and create additional conditions for international academic exchange.

The launch of the program aligns with the objectives of the Russia—China Years of Education, which aim to promote academic mobility, develop joint educational initiatives, and strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

Nickel—titanium alloy is notoriously difficult to machine, and manufacturing components from it typically requires numerous additional processing steps. As a result, increasing attention is being paid to additive manufacturing technologies, particularly laser-based 3D printing using metal powders.

Researchers from NUST MISIS and the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences investigated how laser-printing parameters affect the properties of nickel—titanium alloy. To do this, they produced thin-walled specimens using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process, in which a laser selectively melts metal powder layer by layer. The team varied laser power and scanning speed to determine how these parameters influence the material’s structure and functional behavior.

“For several decades, NUST MISIS has been advancing research in shape memory alloys. The materials and technologies developed by our scientists are now widely used across various sectors of Russian industry and have been successfully implemented in production. In this study, NUST MISIS researchers examined how 3D-printing parameters affect the properties of a nickel—titanium-based alloy. Owing to its unique combination of strength, flexibility, and ability to return to its original shape, this material is widely used in medicine, aerospace engineering, robotics, and microelectronics. It is the alloy used, for example, in vascular stents, orthodontic archwires, and certain types of implants. The results of this research pave the way for the development of improved medical devices, miniature actuators, and components for 4D printing,” said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.

The study also showed that under less intensive printing conditions the alloy retains high superelasticity, which is the ability to undergo deformation and fully recover without damage. Under more intense laser exposure, the material exhibits a stronger shape memory effect.

This approach is particularly important for 4D printing, an emerging field in which printed objects can change their shape or properties over time in response to temperature, mechanical load, or other external stimuli. The ability to predetermine material behavior opens the door to a new generation of smart structures.

“The key outcome of this work is the confirmation that the alloy’s properties can be tuned directly during the printing process, without additional heat treatment. We found that changing the printing parameters can shift the phase transformation temperature by nearly 45°C. In other words, we gained the ability to control the point at which the material begins to recover its shape or display superelasticity,” said PhD Stanislav Chernyshikhin, Head of the Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing at NUST MISIS.

The findings may prove valuable for the production of personalized medical implants, miniature mechanisms, flexible joints, and robotic devices. In addition, the study could serve as a foundation for developing industrial printing protocols for nickel—titanium alloys with predefined characteristics tailored to specific applications and operating conditions.

The research findings were published in the scientific journal Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing (Q1). The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 25-29-00954).

“CASE-IN is a format where students face not academic exercises, but real industry challenges. For companies, it is an opportunity to see young professionals in action, while for participants it is a chance to test themselves in conditions as close as possible to a real professional environment. As a participant in the pilot project for improving the higher education system, NUST MISIS designs its academic programs in close cooperation with business partners, based on one of its key principles — practice-oriented education,” Elena Shaforostova, Director of the Career and Practical Training Center at NUST MISIS.

Results:

Metallurgy. RUSAL Case Study: Environmental Modernization of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant (KrAZ): Transition to the Innovative RA-550 Technology — Reducing Fluoride Emissions by 70%, Completely Eliminating Benzopyrene, and Achieving Target Energy Efficiency Indicators by 2030.

Second place and the special award for “Most Creative Video Presentation” got the students from College of Materials Science, Additive and Scalable Technologies and College of New Materials: Yulia Sadykova, Ruslan Gizatulin, Egor Ivanov, and Anna Kamerilova.

Mining Engineering. ALROSA Case Study: Eliminating Ore and Rock Hang-Ups in the Mined-Out Areas of the Udachny Mine — Innovative Solutions for Improving Safety and Reducing Production Losses

Third place was awarded to the “Underground” team from College of Mining, consisting of Kirill Pigolkin, Natalia Zhukova, Irina Koreshkova, and Nikolai Fyodorov.

Electric Power Engineering. FSK Rosseti Case Study: Comprehensive Protection of Power Grid Infrastructure Against Cyber and Information Threats — Technological and Organizational Measures for a 330 kV Substation Serving Category I Reliability Consumers

Third place was won by students from College of Mining, team “Council Without a Market”: Mikhail Lobanov, Vladimir Karabaktsiev, Polina Ovcharenko, and Fyodor Ovcharenko.

The winners and prize winners received preferential admission terms for master’s and doctoral programs at 36 partner universities, as well as opportunities to undertake paid internships with energy-sector companies, with prospects for future employment.

The International Engineering Championship CASE-IN is one of the largest intellectual competitions for students and young professionals in the energy and mining sectors. Since 2013, the championship has been held with the support of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the country’s leading industrial companies. Its mission is to revive and develop the Russian engineering school as a foundation for the country’s technological sovereignty. The championship is organized by the Reliable Shift Foundation, the Youth Forum of Mining Industry Leaders, Astralogika, and the presidential platform “Russia — Land of Opportunity.” The competition is held as part of the “Science to Win” initiative and the Russian Decade of Science and Technology program.

The Russian delegation at the meeting was headed by Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin. He noted that the priority areas of cooperation remain energy, transport, logistics, industry, agriculture, and digitalization.

“In accordance with the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of Government dated November 21, 2014, our university serves as the core organization for training and retraining specialists for the mining and metallurgical industry and advanced materials science. At the extended session, we presented a report on our activities and the concept for the digital transformation of the mining and metallurgical industries of the CIS member states. Together with our academic and industrial partners, NUST MISIS is focused on addressing such tasks as supporting early career guidance for school students, training and professional development of specialists, and educating highly qualified personnel,” Alevtina Chernikova.

The mining and metallurgical sector is closely interconnected through cross-border production chains and shared technological standards. Today, the industry is actively implementing digital solutions, many of which have been developed by major international companies operating in CIS markets and are used for automating, managing, and securing industrial processes.

The diversity of technologies, as well as concerns regarding their reliability, security, and economic efficiency, require unified approaches and standards. To address this, a concept has been developed that establishes requirements and evaluation criteria for digital systems, along with an implementation roadmap featuring practical industry solutions. Their adoption will enable a coordinated digital transformation of the mining and metallurgical complex, strengthen cooperation among CIS countries, and support the development of a shared digital infrastructure. The initiative also implies active exchange of expertise in digital technologies and cybersecurity, which will contribute to the development of domestic solutions within CIS member states and enhance the technological resilience of the industry.

Following the meeting, several agreements were signed, including:

• on implementing a cooperation program in geodesy, cartography, and spatial data through 2026;
• on the CIS strategy for congress and exhibition activities aimed at supporting the socio-economic and innovative development of national economies;
• on the concept for integrating the main transport corridors passing through CIS member states;
• on the Interstate Radionavigation Program for 2027–2030.

Organic dyes are among the most widespread classes of water pollutants. They enter wastewater from textile, pharmaceutical, and chemical manufacturing and are difficult to remove using conventional treatment methods. Existing magnetic nano-adsorbents typically require chemical surface treatment of the nanoparticles to effectively bind pollutants. Such coatings limit the range of substances that can be captured, complicate the operation of purification systems, and make regeneration of the sorbent more difficult.

Scientists from NUST MISIS and Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University demonstrated that surface modification of nanoparticles is not necessary. Instead, the key is in designing their internal structure correctly, since it determines which dye will be absorbed and by what mechanism.

The researchers synthesized rod-shaped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles — tiny magnetic rods permeated with two types of pores: small pores (up to 10 nm) and large pores (up to 50 nm). The ratio of pore sizes was controlled by adjusting the heating rate during calcination of the matrix from which the nanoparticles were later formed: the slower the heating, the greater the number of small pores. After water purification, the nanoparticles can be instantly removed from the water using an ordinary magnet.

To understand how the pores affect absorption, the researchers added the nanoparticles to solutions containing three dyes: methylene blue, methyl orange, and eriochrome blue.

“These three dyes were chosen deliberately — all of them are widely used in industry and regularly end up in wastewater. Methylene blue is used in medicine as well as for dyeing cotton, wool, and silk. As a byproduct of aniline production, it can heavily contaminate water resources in regions with chemical industries. Methyl orange is used in the chemical and textile industries. It is a toxic substance that is hazardous if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Eriochrome blue is used in the textile industry for fabric dyeing. What all of them have in common is that they decompose extremely slowly in the natural environment and are poorly removed by standard purification methods. That is why, once they enter water systems, they remain there for a very long time. However, our development successfully dealt with each of them,” Alexey Nikitin, Candidate of Chemical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Materials Science at NUST MISIS.

Eriochrome blue produced an unexpected result: upon contact with the nanoparticles, it clumped together into large aggregates measuring several hundred nanometers. At low concentrations, the dye was absorbed effectively, but at high concentrations the aggregates returned to the solution. Such behavior has never before been documented for this class of dyes. The detailed findings were published in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (Q1).

“This development changes the conventional view that surface chemistry is the most important feature of a sorbent. Pore architecture plays an equally important role. In the future, industries will be able to use sorbents tailored to specific pollutants, making them simpler, cheaper, and more reliable under real production conditions. In addition, dyes have different molecular structures and acquire different charges when dissolved in water, making them a convenient platform for studying adsorption processes,” Maxim Abakumov, Doctor of Chemical Sciences and Head of the “Biomedical Nanomaterials” Laboratory at NUST MISIS.

The study was carried out as part of the strategic technological project “Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials” at NUST MISIS under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s “Priority 2030” program.