During the second plenary meeting of the Biotechnology Committee PAS, held on November 14, 2024, in Warsaw, supplementary elections were conducted to select three new members of the Committee – specialists in the field of biotechnology. As a new member of the Biotechnology Committee, Edyta Kościańska, PhD, DSc, editor-in-chief of the BioTechnologia quarterly, was elected.

During the meeting, the Committee also voted on its proposed structure and the establishment of thematic sections. Prof. Tomasz Twardowski was named Honorary Chair of the Section for Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects of Biotechnology. Agnieszka Fiszer, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., was elected Chair of the Section for Molecular Biotechnology, while Prof. Maciej Figiel became a member of the Section for Medical Biotechnology.

The Biotechnology Committee PAS also established a Commission for Molecular Diagnostics and a Team for the History of Biotechnology in Poland. The Commission for Molecular Diagnostics aims to support scientific communities advocating for the right to independently practice as laboratory diagnosticians in genetic testing for individuals who have completed a master’s degree in biology, biotechnology, or an equivalent field. Prof. Marek Figlerowicz was appointed as a member of this Commission. The Team for the History of Biotechnology in Poland aims to collect and compile historical materials documenting the establishment and development of scientific centers within the biotechnology discipline, as well as the biotechnology industry in Poland. Prof. Marek Figlerowicz and Prof. Tomasz Twardowski were chosen as members of this Team.

For more information about the activities of the Biotechnology Committee PAS and current events, please visit the Committee’s website: https://kbiotech.pan.pl/