Daria Nishchenko is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Biology with a focus on Molecular Biology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She is also a dedicated scientific researcher in the Department of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics NAS of Ukraine.
Nishchenko’s passion for science and research began during high school when she participated in the All-Ukrainian Tournament of Young Biologists for several years as the team captain for the Poltava region. Her leadership role led to the creation of UkrTeenScience, a youth organization that aims to popularize science and engage young people in scientific activities. This role allows her to give back to her community. “I serve as a scientific mentor, assisting schoolchildren from various parts of Ukraine in putting their scientific research into action,” she says.
In her current research, Nishchenko studies molecular biology and structural bioinformatics methods in the Department of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics NAS of Ukraine.
Nishchenko conducts research at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics NAS of Ukraine’s Department of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics, where she studies molecular biology and structural bioinformatics methods. She focuses on understanding the molecular behavior and formation of the α-helical structure in the multifunctional protein AIMP1/p43, a component of the multi-tRNA synthetase complex and has been linked to various cellular processes, including protein synthesis, immune response, and apoptosis. “We hope to better understand AIMP1/p43 and obtain a more accurate molecular model of the protein’s structure,” she says.
Her dedication to her research is remarkable, especially given the difficult conditions under which she works. “I had to organize my life and work according to blackout schedules due to damage to the country’s energy system caused by Russian missile attacks.”