'I Would Ask Mendeleev if It's True that He Invented Vodka'

Andrey Manin's research focuses on membranes, but he has not yet decided whether to dedicate his PhD thesis to those used in water desalination or those involved in new types of electricity generation. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he recalls how he once disliked organic chemistry, enjoys watching retro films at Illusion Cinema, and was fascinated by Red Square as a child.

Why I decided to become a scientist

It all started in high school. I was interested in chemistry, but initially, I aimed to become a surgeon. Before 10th grade, I was confident in my career choice and fully committed to it. But then I became aware of my growing interest in chemistry. By 11th grade, I decided to pursue a university degree in chemistry. I was choosing among Russian Technological University (MIREA), Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, and HSE University. As a result, I enrolled in HSE University, where I could pursue science starting in my first year.

However, during my first year, I went to the Dean's office and said, 'I am not interested in science; I am interested in teaching.' I believed at the time that I would better realise my potential by teaching chemistry to others. I asked the Dean to help me find a position that specifically involved teaching. But then I started writing term papers and became absorbed in science. Now, I'm fully focused on science.

It was a stroke of luck that I decided to enrol in the HSE Faculty of Chemistry, which I consider one of the best in Russia

My opinion is based on evidence—I even posted an overview on my VKontakte wall detailing how successfully our faculty was achieving its goals.

The subject of my research

My research focuses on membrane chemistry in general and its specific applications, including membranes for water desalination, membranes for fuel cells, and, more broadly, the production of polymer membranes with various chemical structures. We receive the former type ready-made and modify them, and we synthesise the others from scratch ourselves.

Although it may seem that I am working in several areas that hardly overlap, this does not mean that I am spreading myself too thin. It's just that one topic emerges in the first year, then others are added, and collaborations with colleagues from other laboratories begin.

How membranes are produced

The membrane is essentially a polymer. Because the polymer has a high molecular weight, unlike low molecular weight substances, it possesses mechanical properties; for instance, it can form films.

How is this done? You take a polymer, dissolve it in a solvent, then pour the solution onto a flat surface and allow it to dry. Since macromolecules do not have the property of transitioning into a gaseous state, they form a film structure that can be described as a membrane.

The type of chemistry I loved in school

Except for organic chemistry, any type, and especially physical chemistry. But they say there’s just one step from love to hate, and the opposite can happen as well. I hated organic chemistry in school, struggled with it in university, and now I'm working with polymers. Although the chemistry of polymers is a branch of organic chemistry, I find it easier to comprehend.

What results make me proud

It's still too early for me to discuss major achievements or groundbreaking wow-research, as most of the work is currently being done collaboratively. Perhaps I'm proud that I'm accomplishing all of this at a level that satisfies me. I also became a laureate of the Student Research Paper Competition (SRPS) 2023 and am now a member of the Republic of Scientists.

My dream

I believe the main dream of any scientist is to make a significant discovery, achieve success, and gain recognition in scientific community. As for me, with my current limited scope of scientific discoveries, I aim to successfully complete my studies, earn a PhD, and eventually become a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

When humanity can expect to transition completely to new types of energy

There are polarised opinions over this transition. Some people believe we are already very close to achieving it. However, let’s consider the example of electric buses, which are supposed to use alternative energy sources. In winter, their cabins still require heating with diesel fuel.

In the international scientific community, many researchers, including those working for Rosatom State Corporation, place significant emphasis on methods for producing and storing hydrogen. However, I suspect it may take at least another 20 years before we can consider this a reality rather than just a dream. Yes, the first fully Russian-made hydrogen refuelling station has been installed in Chernogolovka, but this technology will need to be adapted for regions with entirely different economic, scientific, and climatic conditions.

To remind, the advantage of hydrogen is that it can be produced through electrolysis of water. However, we still need to find effective methods to purify and store it.

How AI can assist scientists in my field

Any researcher would want to optimise their work by filtering out certain solutions based on input data to avoid those which are not worth their time. Not everything a scientist does gets published or defended. Only about one-third likely leads to a final product, and much of the work is often discarded.

AI can assist with sorting this out. The idea is to upload the components of your substance and its potential structure into the software, which then generates a range of its properties. This way, you don’t need to synthesise and measure everything manually; you can know in advance whether your final product will be promising in certain areas and will have the desired range of properties.

However, there is currently no tool available for us to obtain the desired results simply by pushing a couple of buttons. Just as with hydrogen, which I mentioned earlier, it will take many more years for all of this to be tested by various scientific teams and developed into a useful application that can partially ease scientists' workloads.

If I hadn't become a scientist

I might have pursued a career as a physician or perhaps an historian. While in school, I enjoyed studying the history of Russia. I watched films about the Romanovs and collected academic journals on the subject. Today, I don't have enough time to study history. However, I still have a body of knowledge that I would like to maintain, so I occasionally watch historical films from Arzamas Project or others on YouTube.

Scientists I would like to meet

This year marks the 190th anniversary of Dmitry Mendeleev, the scientist I would like to meet. Mendeleev was a truly multifaceted individual. There are numerous stories associated with his name but it is difficult to determine whether they are fiction or historical fact. For example, it is said that Mendeleev invented vodka. I would like to find out from him personally if this is true. And what about the periodic table—did he really first see it in a dream? For a scientist, this is a unique experience—when the ideas of incredible discoveries come to mind and turn out to be true rather than just wild fantasies.

Mendeleev didn't just arrange the elements in a table; he also predicted the positions and properties of elements that had yet to be discovered. Later, all his predictions were confirmed with remarkable accuracy regarding the charge and atomic mass of each newly discovered element.

Elements continue to be added to the periodic table, but now by physicists instead of chemists. For example, the most recently added element is oganesson, which has the atomic number 118, discovered by physicists in Dubna.

A typical day for me

My routine is rather monotonous, as I have to balance my studies, preparation of my degree paper, and work in the scientific laboratory. I wake up, go to work, leave work, and then go to bed. I aim to arrive at work by 10 a.m. and stay until 8 or 9 p.m. Sometimes, this routine is interrupted by studies or events, such as the Sochi Conference or the Mendeleev Congress.

My thoughts about burnout

At my age, burnout is unlikely, but it can occur if you fail to achieve results for an extended period. This is how it works in science: the effort you invest can be ten times greater than the final outcome you achieve. If this happens repeatedly over a long period, you start to feel disheartened and question what you might be doing wrong and how to improve the situation. That's when burnout begins. At that point, the most important thing is not to despair but to recognise that this is a common occurrence in science. You just need to endure it and push through.

My Interests besides science

When the work is not particularly challenging but involves simple, repetitive tasks, I can listen to history lectures through my headphones.

I am fond of indie films. I recently attended a screening of the film Son by Maria Safronova. It was originally released in 2022, but Maria has by now produced a different edited version with revised lighting. I truly enjoyed it.

I also love watching retro films at Illusion Cinema. You enter the theatre, housed in a Soviet skyscraper, and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the past before watching a good, high-quality film. I admire films by Tarkovsky and Sokurov. I also enjoy eshenepozner, a talk show on YouTube, which often helps me unwind.

What I have been reading lately

I really like books by Valentin Pikul. I recently reread his novels By Plum and Sword and The Battle of Iron Chancellors. Another book I have recently re-read is The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham. While in school, I managed to read as many books as you would reasonably expect an educated person to read in a given time. But now I read only scientific literature every day and enjoy fiction when I have spare time.

Advice for aspiring scientists

My advice would likely apply to both myself and aspiring scientists: believe that what you are doing is for the benefit of humanity. Scientists do not always have an easy life; they often overwork, receive lower pay than the market rate, and sometimes this makes them sad. But I believe that, above all, you must remember that you are doing meaningful work, even, to use a lofty phrase, striving to unravel the mysteries of the universe. You are working to understand how a part of our world functions and how something in it can be changed for the better.

My family

I come from a simple working-class family, with no scientists among us. My parents did not receive a university education. However, it was clear to me even in school that I will go to university. At our school, students with top marks were awarded a scholarship, which I used to buy tickets to travel from my hometown of Kostroma to Moscow to participate in Olympiads. It was too embarrassing for me to ask my parents to pay my way, even though they always supported me and believed I was doing the right thing by studying hard. I enjoyed studying from an early age and was generally a well-behaved child. I usually spent my time in the library or reading books at home.

My favourite places in Kostroma and Moscow

My favourite place in Kostroma is the embankment along the Volga River, featuring a monument to Lenin. An interesting historical fact: it stands on a pedestal that was originally intended for a monument commemorating the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov.

As for Moscow, I've loved Red Square since my school years. My parents often told me that their own parents would travel to Moscow to buy certain foods, like sausage, or clothes, such as jeans or sneakers. When I was a child, I often saw Red Square on television during the president's New Year's Eve address, but I had never visited the place. And now that I'm finally an adult, I can simply go there and see it. However, I don't go there specifically now. Perhaps in the summer, when I take a stroll after work, I might pass through it on my way to somewhere else.