Student Researchers Awarded at EU Contest
Young scientists showcased advancements in neural networks and assistive technology at the 37th annual competition in Kiel.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Life Sciences
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Mykhailo Bilous earned third place at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists for his development of PhagoRix, a neural network designed for antibiotic research. Fellow student Polina Yursul also participated by presenting a portable device for gesture recognition.
Why it matters
The competition serves as a long-running platform for identifying emerging scientific talent and testing the practical applications of student-led research on an international stage.
Mykhailo Bilous secured 3rd place with a prize of €3,500, a distinction determined by an international jury of 20-25 experts. The project competed against approximately 150 entries from nearly 40 countries.
The players
Mykhailo Bilous
A student researcher from Kyiv who developed the PhagoRix neural network for antibiotic design.
Polina Yursul
A student researcher who developed a portable device for gesture recognition.
Viktoriia Holovan
A teacher who collaborated with Mykhailo Bilous on his research project.
The details
Mykhailo Bilous developed PhagoRix, a neural network—a computer system modeled on the human brain that recognizes patterns—to assist in antibiotic design. Polina Yursul demonstrated a portable device for gesture recognition, a technology that translates physical hand movements into digital commands. Participants presented their research projects to an international jury of 20-25 experts who evaluated the scientific rigor and potential utility of the inventions.
Timeline
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists has run annually since 1994.
The 37th edition of the competition took place in September 2026.
The Tech Race
The competition acts as a primary international indicator for the trajectory of student-led research in fields ranging from AI to biology. This edition follows a multi-decade precedent of identifying technical talent and innovation potential within the European academic landscape.
These projects demonstrate potential improvements in antibiotic discovery and human-computer interaction, though both remain in the research stage. Implementation in commercial or medical environments will depend on future development and scaling by the creators.
The takeaway
The event highlights how neural networks are increasingly applied to complex biological challenges like antibiotic design. Future progress will depend on whether these student research prototypes undergo peer-reviewed validation or scale toward practical clinical application.
Further reading
Explore more developments in the field within our Life Sciences section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Українська правда.
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