Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: We develop software (SaaS) and hardware for tissue spheroids' quality and function optimization via revolution in 3D bioprinting and biofabrication. Uniting mathematics, physics, ML, biology, engineering and code, we create the innovation to ensure effective commercial use of biofabrication and bioprinting. Our goal is to save lives and make this world better.

It all began at the MEPhI desk, during Professor Vladimir Mironov lecture about 3D bioprinting. I realized that I have a dream about starting my own company in this scope, and since that moment, I have started to do something in this way.

Bogdan Kirillov: It all began a year ago after I met Katherine and we brainstormed about how to do the modeling part. Main challenge right now is the lack of funds. We need at least 500 000$ to run.

Maksim Annikov: The startup itself started as software for existing 3D bioprinters. Our software helps to increase the survival rate of cells in printing. Now we are looking much wider. We recently started developing our own 3D Bioprinter. We are now one of very few who are doing it.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: It was the COVID pandemic, and I just started the innovation course by Professors Dmitry Kulish and Alexey Nikolaev. I have wanted to create a science-based business in bioprinting for some years at the moment. I just realized that the time had come.

Bogdan Kirillov: I do actually believe in the idea of making a bioprinting hardware and physics modelling software.

Maksim Annikov: I joined this startup after the innovation workshop. For that, I am very thankful to my mentor — Michael Akimov.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: Skoltech supports me a lot, and as a startup, we're very grateful to all our colleagues here. Skoltech CEI colleagues provide with great mentoring. We signed an Investment and License agreements with Skoltech, and have strong support in various directions from legal to IP. Besides, Professors Dmitry Kulish and Alexey Nikolaev's courses on innovations encouraged me to start with my startup and gave me excellent basic knowledge to be ready.

Bogdan Kirillov: Skoltech supports us in various ways starting from wonderful business mentorship (shout out to Professor: Mikhail Akimov, Dmitrii Syaglov and Dmitrii Kulish) to an amazing prototyping space, the FabLab.

Maksim Annikov: Skoltech has played a huge role in our project. Thanks to Skoltech, we all met each other. I appreciate huge help from the CEI department every step of the way, from finding resources to team building.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: I have busy evenings and sometimes only one or zero weekends. Yes, work/life balance is a bit painful for me. However, I'm trying to keep all my tasks in the "rule 80/20".

Bogdan Kirillov: For me it's not a big deal. I usually plan in advance what I am going to do for a day. Sometimes that plan goes out of the window, but it's business as usual.

Maksim Annikov There is time for both. In Skoltech you either combine your studies with research or with startups. Luckily I'm able to combine both.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: For me, Skoltech is the only place in Russia where science join innovations and become "viable". So, Skoltech was my dream institute since my second year in MEPhI.

Bogdan Kirillov: I joined Skoltech because I found a lab that required my skills and had projects that I got interested in.

Maksim Annikov: First, for excellent opportunities to tool startups. Skoltech gives as many opportunities as any other university in Russia. And, of course, the high level and opportunities for great scientific research.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: I have actually two advisors – Professor Iskander Akhatov and Professor Alexander Pasko. The main highlight of my studies is that real multidisciplinary work could make surprises every day: you start by adjusting geometric methods and after a couple of days you find yourself in numerical calculations, thinking about ML implementation. But it's interesting.

Bogdan Kirillov: I have two advisors. My main scientific advisor is Professor Konstantin Severinov from the Center of Life Sciences and my co-advisor is Professor Maxim Panov from the Center of Artificial Intelligence Technologies.

Some highlights of my studies:
1) Goal of applied Machine Learning research in Biology is not to construct the best model and achieve SOTA, as in typical Machine Learning, but to answer a biological question. It really, in most cases, doesn't matter that your model underperforms compared to more complex ones, if a biological insight can be achieved through it. One would benefit more from favoring explainability rather than performance.

2) Contrary to what most ML practitioners believe, the less Machine Learning is used, the better. What a researcher must decide, is what the minimal amount of ML that solves the problem is.

3) Biologists don't like statistics, math and so on, and they are absolutely right. A clearly visible strong result that requires no statistics to get is much better than crazy big data crunching pipelines. If you are planning an experiment, you have to strive to plan it in that way: if case A, then cell dies, otherwise lives. No stats, no math. Use stats and math only if you have no other option.

Maksim Annikov: My supervisor is Professor Vladimir Terzija. My fondest memory is the Innovation workshop.

Katherine Vilinski-Mazur: Be positive, creative, and never give up! If you really want to start your project and you're not afraid to learn something new – Skoltech gives you all opportunities to do it! And, as Prof.Kulish told us at the Startup Village this year, realize that a crisis is not only something dangerous, but also something that brings you an opportunity. And when you'll pass the danger, only opportunities remain.

Bogdan Kirillov: Do your science first.

Maksim Annikov: Be persistent and believe in your idea. Believing in people who go all the way is not a good idea.

We are Skoltech. A new type of university in Russia, established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT with the vision of being a world-leading institute of science and technology. From the zero stage, Skoltech has rapidly advanced along the way towards a top-100 young university recognized globally by Nature Index.