Yandex Builds an AI System to Accelerate Brain Research
A landmark Russian project at the intersection of information technology and neuroscience has reached completion. Engineers at Yandex, working alongside researchers from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have developed an artificial intelligence system capable of reshaping how brain research is conducted.
From Manual Routines to Analytical Insight
The core challenge addressed by the new tool is the automation of one of the most labor-intensive stages of behavioral research. When studying stress, anxiety, or memory, scientists worldwide analyze video recordings of experiments involving laboratory animals. Each frame typically requires manual annotation, marking posture, movement, and interaction with objects.Analyzing a single 10-minute video can take an experienced researcher around an hour. Reliable conclusions require processing dozens or even hundreds of such recordings, often delaying results for months.
The system developed on the Yandex Cloud platform resolves this bottleneck. It consists of two sequential neural network models. The first accurately identifies key points on the animal’s body in every frame. The second model classifies behavior, determining whether a mouse is running, freezing, exploring, or interacting with another animal. Behavior recognition accuracy exceeds 89%, comparable to human expert performance but without fatigue or subjective bias.
Immediate Benefits for Science and Medicine
In its first pilot deployment, the system eliminated more than 500 hours of manual labor. This represents not merely time savings but a fundamental shift in research tempo.The experimental cycle—experiment, analysis, conclusions, and follow-up—shrinks dramatically. Scientists can test hypotheses faster, directly accelerating the development of new approaches to treating emotional and cognitive disorders such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
By removing human error and fatigue, the AI delivers unprecedented data consistency. Events are logged with frame-level precision, enabling detection of subtle behavioral patterns previously overlooked.
Freed from repetitive tasks, researchers can focus on experimental design, interpretation of complex results, and generation of new ideas.
A New Standard for Behavioral Research
The tool sets a new benchmark for how behavioral studies can be conducted. Adapting it to the needs of other research groups – whether they study neurodegenerative diseases, the effects of new pharmaceuticals, or genetic mutations – is seen as a near-term goal.
Yandex has announced plans to provide access to the system upon request and, in the longer term, to open its source code. This would allow the Russian-developed solution to be integrated into the workflows of international pharmaceutical companies and academic centers, positioning it as an example of practical export of high-tech Russian innovation.
The project also serves as a strong case study of collaboration between industrial IT expertise and fundamental science. It establishes a working model and roadmap for similar partnerships in fields ranging from climatology and materials science to astrophysics.
What This Delivers for Russia Today
Beyond strengthening the standing of domestic science, the project carries several strategic implications. Initiatives like this create demand for a new class of specialists – bioinformaticians and data scientists fluent in the language of biology – stimulating education and talent inflow into interdisciplinary domains.
Building competitive, world-class platforms for scientific computing and data analysis also reduces dependence on foreign software in a critical area: foundational medical research.
In the long term, faster development of new therapeutic approaches could lead to more effective and accessible treatments for mental and neurological disorders, directly affecting quality of life and public health.
Taken together, the Yandex-developed tool represents working research infrastructure rather than a conceptual prototype. It shows how modern Russian IT solutions can act as catalysts for scientific progress, delivering practical value to researchers and society while strengthening the country’s position on the global high-tech map.
