On Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the traditional year-end summary meeting was held at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry PAS.

The Director of the Institute, Luiza Handschuh, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., recalled the key events of the year, including the BIO2025 Conference, the positive evaluation of IBCH PAS following the visitation by the Division II Committee of the PAS, the completion of the first stage of renovation at the Palace in Turew, and the maintenance of the “HR Excellence in Research” award. The memory of the employees who passed away in 2025 was honoured with a minute of silence.

The meeting also included congratulations on the academic promotions achieved in 2025. Prof. Marcin Chmielewski was awarded the title of professor. The degree of doctor habilitated was granted to Monika Piwecka (with distinction) and Anna Piasecka. In 2025, nine individuals received their doctoral degrees at IBCH PAS, bringing the total number of doctorates awarded at the Institute to 250.

The event was also an opportunity to highlight the most important prizes and distinctions. Prof. Marta Szachniuk was elected a corresponding member of the PAS within Division IV of Technical Sciences. Dr. Angelika Andrzejewska-Romanowska received the City of Poznań Award for the best doctoral dissertation. The Committee on Crystallography PAS awarded the “Crystallographic Diamonds” for 2024 publications involving the teams of Prof. Mariusz Jaskólski and Agnieszka Kiliszek, PhD, DSc. A distinction from Division II PAS was awarded to the team of Dr. Witold Andrałojć for proposing a new model of interactions between DNAzyme 8-17 and metal ions, described in a paper published in Nature Communications. Ms. Grażyna Adamek received a FEBS travel fellowship.

Director Luiza Handschuh, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., also presented acknowledgements to individuals who, in addition to their daily duties, actively contributed to the life of the Institute by supporting scientific, educational, integrative, and social initiatives. These contributions strengthened cooperation, integration, and social engagement among employees, helping to foster a friendly work environment at the Institute.

At the end of the meeting, the Institute Director extended warm wishes to everyone for the upcoming Christmas and New Year. The event concluded with a performance by the Poznań Chamber Choir of the Polish Academy of Sciences, conducted by Dr. Alicja Szeluga, and a screening of a film presenting a virtual tour of the Institute.

#ICHBPAN #meeting #summary