Advancing research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and life sciences requires more than occasional encounters. It depends on continuous exchange of knowledge, ideas and perspectives across disciplines. The 8th Joint Workshop of the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU) and Loschmidt Laboratories at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, held in collaboration with FNUSA-ICRC, brought researchers together once again to explore emerging approaches in machine learning, protein engineering and computational biology.
The workshop is part of an ongoing collaboration between research groups led by Jiří Damborský and Josef Šivic, creating a space for researchers to regularly exchange their latest findings, discuss open challenges and explore opportunities for further collaboration. This year's edition was organized by David Bednář, Jiří Sedlář and Stanislav Mazurenko and took place in a hybrid format.
The programme covered a broad range of topics reflecting the growing role of artificial intelligence in life sciences. Researchers presented work and discussed challenges related to:
- enzyme discovery and protein flexibility
- computational approaches to protein and enzyme design
- experimental models in Alzheimer's disease research
- agentic AI for research and scientific coding
Together, the topics demonstrated the breadth of approaches being explored at the intersection of computational methods, artificial intelligence and biological research.
An important part of the workshop was the discussion that followed each session. Rather than focusing solely on established results, researchers also explored open questions, methodological limitations and possible directions for future work. Such exchanges are particularly valuable in interdisciplinary research. Bringing together expertise from different fields can help uncover new perspectives, challenge established approaches and identify opportunities that may not emerge within individual research communities.
The workshop reflects the broader approach of the CLARA ecosystem, which connects expertise across artificial intelligence, data science and life sciences to support data-driven research. By bringing researchers from different disciplines and institutions into regular dialogue, CLARA creates opportunities to develop new approaches to complex scientific challenges, including those related to neurodegenerative diseases. The 8th Joint Workshop is another step in this ongoing exchange and a reminder that meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration is built through regular dialogue, shared questions and the willingness to explore new ideas together.
