The research is devoted to the development of new molecules for the treatment of tumor diseases, and one of the molecules proposed by Dmitry was included in the number of experimentally confirmed compounds.

A little over three years ago, Dmitry took part in a study aimed at creating medicines using spatial thinking and collective scientific problem solving. The results of his work were then included in the ChemRxiv preprint, and together with his supervisor Ekaterina Vorotnikova, he presented the project at the DANUI conference, where he won first place in the biochemistry section.

"To be honest, I thought that would be the end of it," Dmitry recalls. – The article was reviewed for a very long time, and it seemed that the process was just delayed. But in the end, she joined Nature Communications, and this, of course, is a great joy."

Dmitry's work is related to the Foldit project, a development by several American universities that combines science and a game format. The participants of the platform solve puzzles by modeling three-dimensional structures of proteins and creating their own molecules. Recently, Foldit introduced the Drugit module, which allows participants to design potential drug compounds in real time.

"When the opportunity arose to contribute to the creation of a compound for binding the VHL protein, I immediately decided to try," says Dmitry. "I've always loved chemistry, and the process of coming up with my own structure and seeing how it works was incredibly exciting."

Over the course of ten rounds, participants proposed thousands of variants of molecules, and the researchers evaluated them according to their physico-chemical properties and suitability for synthesis. Two of the molecules created by Dmitry were selected for further work: one was synthesized unchanged, the second was modified. Both showed outstanding results, which helped the team obtain a compound with high affinity for the target protein.

Today, Dmitry continues his studies at the Mendeleev Russian University of Chemical Technology (RHTU), developing an interest in chemistry, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical technologies.

"Now I continue to participate in new Foldit puzzles," says Dmitry. "I want to believe that this is just the beginning of the road."

The SFedU Lyceum is especially proud of the successes of its graduates, who from an early age showed a keen curiosity about science and were not afraid to look for their own solutions.

"For us, this is not just a reason for pride," says Marina Miroshnik, director of the SFedU Lyceum. "The stories of such guys inspire current lyceum students and show how far a sincere interest in knowledge can lead."

The work, which used the compounds proposed by Dmitry, was published in the journal Nature Communications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58406-0