From 04/09/2023 to 08/09/2023, our campus hosted nearly 250 scientists from around the world who, at the invitation of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center at 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 intensive days. Time for a summary!
The PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023 conference has become a permanent fixture in the calendar of events organized by Łukasiewicz – PORT. Its goal was once again to update knowledge on the causes of neurological diseases. The program included five thematic sessions: cellular models in neurodegeneration research, cellular models in neuropsychiatry, neurometabolic disorders, animal models in neuropsychiatry, and computational models in neuropsychiatry. Within each session, respected scientists from Europe, China, and the United States presented the results of their research, including Andrew Holmes (Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIAAA, Rockville), Dominik Paquet (Laboratory of Neurobiology, University Hospital, LMU & Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology), and Johannes Passecker (Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Medical University of Innsbruck). The Łukasiewicz – PORT Scientific Committee included:
Dr. Agnieszka Krzyżosiak, Head of the Neurodegeneration Mechanisms Research Group,
Dr. hab. Witold Konopka, Head of the Neuroplasticity and Metabolism Research Group,
Dr. hab. Tomasz Prószyński, Head of the Synaptogenesis Research Group,
Dr. Michał Ślęzak, Head of the Biology of Astrocytes Research Group.
What sets this conference apart from other scientific events?
– What distinguishes the PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023 conference is its formula—aligned with the approach to science characteristic of the entire Łukasiewicz – PORT Institute. In our research unit, we do not limit ourselves to conducting research and publishing results; we immediately look for opportunities to implement them in industry – explains Dr. Michał Malewicz, Director of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center at Łukasiewicz – PORT. – We invite top scientists to give lectures, while representatives of industry as well as physicians, clinicians, and our partners from hospital centers participate in the conference every year. As a result, our events become a platform for establishing long-term cooperation at the intersection of science and business – adds Dr. Michał Malewicz.
The 17th International Symposium on Integrative Bioinformatics also featured many distinguished speakers, including Prof. Dr. Tim Beißbarth from the University Medical Center Göttingen, Dr. Keywan Hassani-Pak from 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 dedicated to bioinformatics—a dynamically developing field that combines the latest achievements in biochemistry, biotechnology, and molecular biology with advanced computational methods and tools. The event provided 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 international event. Each year, a different research center hosts the conference. We are proud that this year’s edition was held in Poland for the first time, at Łukasiewicz – PORT.
Both events were accompanied by matchmaking sessions organized by the Industry Contact Point for Medical and Health Technologies. These sessions provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and seek partners for international research projects.
We are not stopping there! The topic of bioinformatics and computational biology will be further explored in October during ISBRA 2023 (09/10/2023–12/10/2023). Participant registration is ongoing. We invite you to register via the ISBRA 2023 website.
