XVIII Science Conference of the School of Science
The conference will take place on November 19, 2026, starting at 10:00 in the TalTech Student House (Ehitajate tee 5).
In addition, researchers from the School of Science will give presentations, and the day will conclude with flash presentations by the doctoral students of the School of Science.
This year’s guest speakers are:
- Velle Toll, Associate Professor of Climate Physics and laureate of the Estonian National Research Award. He leads the Clouds & Climate Lab at the University of Tartu, where his team studies aerosol–cloud interactions. His research helps produce more reliable climate projections, providing a scientific basis for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Professor Alar Konist, Director of the Department of Energy Technology at Tallinn University of Technology, a Tenured Full Professor and Head of the Research Group of Sustainable Energy and Fuels. His research focuses on areas including oil shale and biomass valorisation, carbon capture and utilisation technologies, and the development of sustainable energy systems. A substantial part of his work in recent years has addressed sustainable energy supply and energy security.
The presentations will be held in English, and a live stream will be available.
PROGRAM
Part One
10:00–10:10 Opening words - Professor Andrus Salupere, Dean of the School of Science
10:10–10:55 Professor Alar Konist, Director of the Department of Energy Technology at Tallinn University of Technology, a Tenured Full Professor and Head of the Research Group of Sustainable Energy and Fuels
Title to be confirmed
10:55-11:40 Associate Professor in Climate Physics Velle Toll, Laureate of the Estonian National Research Award in Natural Sciences and Head of the Clouds & Climate Lab at the University of Tartu
Acceleration of global warming
11:40-12:10 Researcher Juan David Solano Acosta, Department of Geology
Unravelling the 3D architecture, petrogenesis, and magmatic evolution of Estonian rapakivi intrusions through integrated geophysical and geochemical investigations
12:10-13:00 Break (no sessions)
Part Two
13:00-13:10 Welcome Speech –Tiit Land, Rector of Tallinn University of Technology
13:10-13:40 Researcher Stella-Theres Luik, Department of Marine Systems
Recognizing recovery: eutrophication in a changing Baltic Sea
13.40-14.10 Senior Researcher Kaarel Adamberg, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
How diet shapes the gut microbiota
14.10-14.40 Leading Researcher Ago Samoson, Department of Cybernetics
NMR of MegaDaltons
14:40–15:00 Coffee Break
Part Three
15:00–15:20 School of Science Awards Ceremony
15.20-15.50 Presentation by the Young Natural Scientist of the Year
Short presentations by Doctoral Students
15:50–15:57 Tarmo All, Department of Geology
Gravityand deep crustal structure of Estonia. Geological interpretation constrained by the seismic Moho
15:57–16:04 Thibaud Cyril Olivier Lieffroy, Department of Geology
The use of conodonts as Ordovician palaeoclimatic proxy
16:04–16:11 Rauno Reitalu, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
Predicting host-guest binding Gibbs free energy
16:11–16:18 Henrique Sepúlveda Del Rio Hamacek, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
Using yeast exopolysaccharides to make better biomaterials
16:18–16:25 Katariina Johanna Saretok, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
Uncovering transcriptomic responses of human granulosa cells to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
16:25–16:32 Päivo Simson, Department of Cybernetics
A compact Hamiltonian model for weakly three-dimensional deep-water waves
16:32–16:39 Hany Hilal Yewakiem Gerges, Department of Cybernetics
Inverse problems for fractional superdiffusion equations with time-dependent observation data
16:39–16:46 Yee Chun Tsoi, Department of Marine Systems
Understanding precipitation variability with Tweedie distributions: insights from Estonian radars and rain gauges
16:46–16:53 Javid Aslani, Department of Marine Systems
Interpreting wind, current, sea-level and ice controls on significant wave height in a semi-enclosed marginal sea using explainable AI
16:53–17:00 Jüri Laanoja, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics
In vitro biocompatibility of chitosan-copper oxide nanocomposites
17.00 Evening reception
Science Conference of the School of Science
The annual Science Conference of the School of Science brings together students and researchers. Traditionally, the conference starts with two plenary lectures given by eminent persons (academicians, national research awards laureates, honorary doctors of TalTech), followed by shorter presentations by researchers of the School.
The aim of the conference is to introduce the research topics of the School to a wider audience. Everyone interested in science is welcome.
The Science Conference has been held since 2008.
A choice of topics from previous years:
"Supramolecular self-organisation" Riina Aav (2023)
"Molecularly imprinted polymers: towards development of chemosensors for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring" Vitali Sõritski (2023)
“Trapping Fire and Making Knots and Cubes, The Power of Molecular Self Assembly” Professor Kari Rissanen (2022)
„Lessons from the past - palaeoecology as a tool” Professor Siim Veski (2022)
"Optical spectroscopy of new 2D and 3D semiconductors" Professor Maarja Grossberg and Professor Jüri Krustok (2021)
"Mechanisms of neuronal activity-regulated gene expression” Professor Tõnis Timmusk (2021)
"Graphene augmented ceramic nanofibers and their applications" Professor Irina Hussainova (2019)
"Saving Science and Society" Professor Erkki Karo (2019)
"Oxidative Chemical Degradation of Oil Shale" Professor Margus Lopp (2019)
"Intermittency and scale invariance in nature and in society" Professor Jaan Kalda (2019)
"Mineral Carbonation of Post Industrial Materials: Engineering a natural process for operational optimization and CO2 management" Professor Michael Hitch (2019)
"The bacteria who tolerate antibiotic treatment" Professor Tanel Tenson (2018)
"What Have We Built? Architecture in Estonia Since 1991" Academician Mart Kalm (2018)
"Droplet microfluidics for chemical and biotechnological research" Professor Ott Scheler (2018)
"Lessons from the future past: Land cover and land use changes as a driver for Earth system changes" Senior Researcher Anneli Poska (2018)
"De novo genomics and the study of silver birch genome" Professor Olli-Pekka Smolander (2018)
“’Safe-by-design’ and ’toxic-by-design’ – two strategies for creating novel nanomaterials“ Professor Anne Kahru (2017)
“From natural science to technology. And back again” Professor Maarja Kruusmaa (2017)
“Deciphering the biochemistry of lignin deconstruction“ Senior Researcher Tiit Lukk (2017)
"Deciphering Earth history 444 million years ago" Professor Olle Hints (2017)
„Atmospheric regional climate modelling“ Senior Lecturer Aarne Männik (2017)
“Bayesian Inference and bootstrap methods on random variables characteristics estimation“ Senior Researcher Margus Pihlak (2017)
"Noncovalent Interactions in Asymmetric Catalysis" Professor Tõnis Kanger (2016)
"Economic evaluation of Non-Market Nature Values: Case of Jägala Waterfall" Professor Üllas Ehrlich (2016)
"Hypercomplex Numbers" Docent Alar Leibak (2016)
"Why Go Organic: A Chemist's Perspective" Researcher Pavel Starkov (2016)
"Pathogen-induced Liver Damages: Novel Aspects of Helicobacter pylori Infection" Researcher Pirjo Spuul (2016)
"Chemistry meets biology: postsynthetic modification of proteins and RNA" Professor Jaanus Remme (2015)
"Three examples of inverse problems" Professor Lasse Päivärinta (2015)
"Green Chemistry: Can we desing safer and environmentally friendly chemicals?" Professor Nicholas Gathergood (2015)
"Digital Microfluidics- a versatile chemical computer" Jelena Gorbatšova (2015)
"Single Cell Model assisted Bioprocess Modellling and Cell Design" Andrus Seiman (2015)
"Where did the immune system come from?" Jaanus Suurväli (2015)
"Tracing photons and molecules: What can we learn from recording noise in the heart cell?" (2013)
"Capture of Carbon Dioxide By Porous Metal-Organic Framework Materials" TalTech Professor Honoris Causa Martin Schröder (2012)
"Organic Synthesis: Quo vadis?" TalTech Professor Honoris Causa Victor Snickus (2012)
"Studies toward elaboration of a new approach to chiral organometallic reagents" Oleg Kulinkovich (2011)
"CAPILARY ELECTROPHORESIS – a small tool for large accomplishments in point of care analysis" Petr Kuban (2011)
"TUT Crystal Structure Service" Franz Werner (2011)
"Fast clustering method for DNA sequences, using locality sensitive hashing" Jaak Simm (2011)
"New neurotrophic factors: structure, biology and therapeutic potential" Professor Mart Saarma (2009)
"Vortex ring models and their applications" Senior Researcher Felix Kaplanski (2009)
"RNA silencing" Docent Cecilia Sarmiento (2009)
"Numerical simulation of gas-solid particle flow" Senior Researcher Aleksander Kartušinski (2008)