What's new at Łukasiewicz – PORT?
- Reading time: 3 min.
Researchers from the Wrocław-based research institute have uncovered biological links between women’s adverse childhood experiences and the composition of their breast milk after childbirth.
- Reading time: 5 min.
Beginning in October, Prof. Andrzej Białowiec joins the scientific community of Łukasiewicz – PORT, where he will lead and develop the Biomaterials Engineering and Environmental Technologies Research Group. This strategic decision enables the institute to expand into new, priority research areas within the Łukasiewicz Research Network.
- Reading time: 5 min.
“Science is here, and we want to share it,” said Prof. Jarosław Bosy, Director of Łukasiewicz – PORT, welcoming the international delegation of BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions. Members of BASF’s regional boards visited Wrocław to see firsthand how the BASF ECMS Academy educational program is implemented on site. The program has been jointly run for a year by Łukasiewicz – PORT and BASF’s plant in Środa Śląska.
- Reading time: 3 min.
Semiconductors are the foundation of modern technology—from computers and smartphones to electric vehicles, renewable energy, and medical devices. Global demand for them continues to rise, as does the scope of their potential applications.
- Reading time: 5 min.
Modern medicine cannot advance without close collaboration with patients. They are the ones who best understand the difficulties they face every day. This is why Łukasiewicz – PORT has launched a dialogue with patient organizations: to ensure that the solutions developed at the institute are genuinely aligned with patients’ needs.
- Reading time: 3 min.
Psychiatric diagnostics still relies primarily on conversations with a physician—but this may soon change. As part of the SAME-NeuroID project, researchers have developed unified research protocols (SOPs) that enable modeling of mental disorders at both the cellular and behavioral levels. This is a step toward objective diagnostic tests that could transform the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, or PTSD.
- Reading time: 3 min.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most serious challenges in modern psychiatry. It affects approximately 4% of the global population, and its prevalence continues to rise due to ongoing worldwide conflicts. Trauma profoundly reduces quality of life for those affected. Developing effective therapies is the focus of Dr. Mykhailo Batiuk, a neurobiologist and molecular biologist and recipient of a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant, who has chosen to carry out his project at Łukasiewicz – PORT.
- Reading time: 5 min.
Radiation in the deep ultraviolet (UV-C) range has a unique ability to inactivate bacteria and viruses, making it essential for disinfection and sterilization—from water purification and medical-equipment sterilization to air-sanitization systems in buildings. Demand for fast and safe methods of eliminating biological threats is steadily increasing, and the deep-UV emitter market is expanding rapidly. Analysts estimate that the UV-lamp market will grow by USD 3.25 billion between 2023 and 2027.
- Reading time: 3 min.
The paradox of modern times is that we can extend life expectancy, yet the brain does not always keep pace with maintaining its functional capacity. Societies are ageing, and with advancing age the risk of neurodegenerative diseases increases. Projections are alarming: the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to double by 2050. “This is a civilisation-level problem that is growing exponentially,” says Dr Agnieszka Krzyżosiak, Head of the Neurodegeneration Mechanisms Research Group at Łukasiewicz – PORT.
- Reading time: 5 min.
The human brain contains 86 billion neurons and an equal number of glial cells responsible for support, nourishment and protection. Each neuron can form connections with thousands of others, creating a network of trillions of synapses. These connections determine the brain’s capabilities—making it extraordinary, yet incredibly difficult to study.
