Training for schoolchildren was held at the Institute of Biophysics

Students of Secondary School No. 242 located in Nizami district participated in practical training sessions organized at the Institute of Biophysics. The training was conducted by Aysel Aliyeva, a junior researcher at the Integrative Biology Laboratory, and was specifically designed for 11th-grade student Mahal Aliyev. The training covered modern tools and methods in the field of bioinformatics and included their practical application.

During the training, topics such as downloading data in FASTA format from NCBI, using the BLAST tool to compare nucleotide and amino acid sequences, and identifying similarities and differences in genetic sequences were taught. Protein 3D structures were predicted using AlphaFold2, and the results were compared with AlphaFold3. The use of these tools, which provide accurate results for more complex proteins, was explained in detail. The visualization of protein 3D structures using PyMol and the interactive exploration of structures with Py3Dmol, as well as the comparison of different protein structures, were demonstrated practically.

In addition, Python programming language was used on the Google Colab platform to apply DeepMind algorithms, conduct structural analyses of proteins using AlphaFold2 and AlphaFold3, and emphasize the rapid computation and analysis capabilities of the Colab platform.

The main goal of the training was to introduce modern approaches in bioinformatics to school students and encourage them to engage in scientific research. It is planned to continue such structured training sessions with participating students in the future. The Institute of Biophysics aims to increase the scientific interests of the younger generation and familiarize them with modern technologies through such initiatives.