5 days, 2 conferences, 250 guests

On September 4 – 8, 2023, our campus hosted nearly 250 scientists from around the world who, at the invitation of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center of Łukasiewicz – PORT, took part in two conferences: PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023 and the 17th International Symposium on Integrative Bioinformatics (IB 2023). It was five intense days. Time for summaries!

The PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023 conference has become a permanent fixture in the calendar of events organized by Łukasiewicz – PORT. Its aim was again to update knowledge about the causes of neurological diseases. The program included five thematic sessions: cellular models in neurodegeneration, cellular models in neuropsychiatry, neurometabolic disorders, animal models in neuropsychiatry, computational models in neuropsychiatry. During each session, the results of their research were presented by respected scientists from Europe, China and the United States, including: Andrew Holmes (Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIAAA, Rockville), Dominik Paquet (Laboratory of Neurobiology, Univ. Hospital, LMU & Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology), and Johannes Passecker (Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Medical University of Innsbruck). The scientific committee on the Łukasiewicz-PORT side included:

What distinguishes this conference from other scientific events?

– What distinguishes the PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023 conference from other events is its formula – consistent with the approach to science characteristic of the entire Łukasiewicz – PORT Institute. In our research unit, we do not limit ourselves to research and their publications, but we immediately look for opportunities for implementation in industry – explains Dr. Michał Malewicz, director of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center Łukasiewicz – PORT. – We invite the best scientists to give lectures, and the conference is attended by representatives of industry, as well as doctors, clinicians and our partners from hospital centers. Thanks to this, our event becomes a platform for establishing long-term cooperation at the intersection of science and business – adds Dr. Michał Malewicz.

Also among the speakers of the 17th International Symposium on Integrative Bioinformatics were many eminent scientists: prof. Dr. Tim Beißbarth from the Medical University of Göttingen, Keywan Hassani-Pak, Ph.D. from the Rothamsted Research, Jun.- prof. Dr. Anna Matuszyńska, from RWTH Aachen University Germany and prof. Janusz Bujnicki from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. The IB 2023 conference was devoted to bioinformatics – a dynamically developing branch of science that combines the latest achievements in the field of biochemistry, biotechnology and molecular biology with advanced IT methods and tools. The event was an opportunity to discuss innovative methods, tools and techniques contributing to a better understanding and analysis of biological data.

The International Symposium on Integrative Bioinformatics is a cyclical event. Each year, the conference is hosted by a different research center. We are proud of the fact that Łukasiewicz – PORT in Poland was chosen for the first time as the venue for this year’s conference edition.

The conferences were also accompanied by matchmaking sessions organized by Industry Contact Point for Medical Technologies and Health. These meetingss were an opportunity to exchange ideas and look for partners for international research projects.

However, we do not stop at these two events! The topic of bioinformatics and computational biology will be developed in October, during ISBRA 2023 (9 – 12/10/2023). We invite you to register via the ISBRA 2023 website.