Summary 8th Central European Congress of Life Sciences EUROBIOTECH

24.06.2022

On June 20th-22nd, the 8th Central European Congress of Life Sciences EUROBIOTECH was held for the first time since the pandemic break at the International Trade Fair and Congress Center EXPO Krakow. The biotechnology event appreciated by the scientific and business community, combining scientific panels and a trade fair exhibition.

During three days filled with inspiring lectures, exchanges of scientific experiences, as well as conversations and an attempt to answer the most pressing questions in the field of biotechnology, EXPO Krakow was visited by nearly 300 participants from 12 countries. The lectures were delivered by eminent scientists of international renown, including: prof. Giulio Cossu (Great Britain), prof. Claudine Kieda (France), prof. Eran Perlson (Israel), prof. Markus Ruegg (Switzerland), prof. Serena Zacchigna (Italy). Polish scientists also shared their knowledge and experience; lectures were given, among others, by prof. Alicja Józkowicz, prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, prof. Piotr Trzonkowski.
 
Participants took part in 9 plenary sessions and 14 parallel sessions focused on the main aspects of medical biotechnology and plant biotechnology. Gene therapy, vaccines, skin and muscle biotechnology, medical biotechnology in cancer therapy, application of genome editing for sustainable, innovative plant production - these are just few of the topics which were discussed.
 
The sessions on the social importance and sensitive issues such as "Cellular and Genetic Therapies: Scientific, Medical, Legal and Ethical Aspects" and "COVID-19: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" generated a lot of excitement. Session moderators were prof. Małgorzata Kossowska, prof. Krzysztof Pyrć and prof. Romuald Zabielski. Both sessions were available on-line to all interested parties.
 
EUROBIOTECH is an important event not only for the scientific community, but also for Krakow. The conference is one of the most interesting meetings of scientists specializing in biotechnology in the international arena. The 8th edition of the conference once again showed that EXPO Krakow organizes world-class events, and at the same time creates a space to discuss problems that are important to all of us, such as cell therapy and viral diseases.
 
The organizers invited scientists, doctoral students and students from Ukraine who currently live in other countries to participate in the EUROBIOTECH congress, without paying a fee. In this way, emphasizing that they remember about the Ukrainian people fighting against Russian aggression.
 
The honorary patronage over the conference was assumed by the Marshal of the Małopolska Voivodeship, Witold Kozłowski, the Mayor of the City of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski, the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences, prof. Jerzy Duszyński. The partners were Klaster LifeScience Kraków, Life Sciences Baltics, the Polish Association of Centeres for Technology Transfer PACTT.pl, and the bronze sponsor of the event was BIO-RAD. The conferences were also supported by the City of Krakow.
 
It is not without reason that EUROBIOTECH is a forum combining science and business. This year, for the first time, the accompanying exhibition was opened to all interested parties, not only conference participants. The exhibitors included companies such as Animalab, Bio-Rad, Blueprint Genetics, and Selvita. A novelty was the Technology Transfer Zone, in which centers from all over Poland took part.
 
The organizer of the conference was Targi w Krakowie - the largest organizer of fairs and congresses in southern Poland and the third largest in the country. The scientific program was created under the supervision of prof. Józef Dulak, prof. Ewa Łojkowska and prof. Tomasz Twardowski.