2020 at the Faculty of Biology

On March 10, 2020, the authorities of the University of Warsaw issued an order to suspend all on-site classes due to the Covid-19 epidemic. More than 12 months ago, the Faculty of Biology also switched to remote work, which is how it continues to work today.

Pressure, anxiety, perhaps even discouragement – this is a feeling that may have accompanied the transition period before the online work was launched for the 2019/2020 summer semester. At that time, the changes that took place were a big challenge for both about 300 employees of the Faculty of Biology (including over 200 academic teachers) and 700 students and 120 doctoral students conducting research. Thanks to the involvement of the educators, it was possible to conduct interesting lectures and seminars. Due to the limitation of laboratory activities, some lecturers sent their students kits to conduct experiments in their homes. The Multimedia Techniques Laboratory, where films and teaching materials are made, including those from sections or those related to microbiology, provided assistance. Classes, credits and exams have been and are still being held on e-learning platforms. Recruitment for the 2020/2021 academic year was also successfully completed remotely. It is worth emphasizing that in the published Fields of Study Ranking – Perspektywy 2020, the fields of the study conducted at the faculty were rated as the second among Polish universities. The winners were: the Jagiellonian University in the field of biology and biotechnology and the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in the field of environmental protection.

The Faculty of Biology also conducts scientific research. Over PLN 36.7 million is the total amount of grants obtained in 2020 by the Faculty of Biology employees. In total, there are 32 national and international projects financed by the National Science Center, Digital Poland Project Centre and European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). In addition, four scientists received scholarships from the funds of the National Science Center and the Foundation for Science in Poland for a total amount of nearly PLN 300,000. Last year, 18 people from the Faculty of Biology received funding from the Initiative of Excellence, Research University, as part of an internal grant of the University of Warsaw for increasing the research potential of IDUB IV.3.1 employees. And as part of supporting publishing activity in the IDUB open access model I.2.4. – 23 people. Microgrants were given to 18 employees.

Researchers from the Faculty of Biology were selected to the scientific committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which proves their high recognition in the scientific community. The Committee of Molecular Biology of Cells was composed of prof. dr hab. Maria Anna Ciemerych-Litwinienko, to the Committee of Organismal Biology – dr hab. Piotr Bębas and prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Romanowska, and to the Committee for Environmental and Evolutionary Biology – prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Spalik (chairman), prof. dr hab. Bogdan Jaroszewicz, dr hab. inż. Robert Mysłajek and dr hab. Wiktor Kotowski.

In 2020, the Faculty of Biology employees were authors or co-authors of 331 publications in both Polish and English. Their articles have appeared in such prestigious titles as “Science”, “Nature”, “Ecology Letters”, “Nature Communications”, “Biology of Reproduction”, “Annals of Neurology”, “Nucleic Acids Research” or “Proceedings of The National Academy of Science”. At the same time, two researchers from the Faculty of Biology, prof. dr hab. Jerzy Dzik and prof. dr hab. Z. Maciej Gliwicz, are among the most influential scientists in the world in the context of all scientific achievements, in the list of the magazine “PLOS Biology”.

Last year also saw prestigious awards granted to employees of the Faculty of Biology. Dr Anna Karnkowska from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology was presented with the professor Stefan Pieńkowski Award. This distinction was awarded for research on the evolution of organelles of endosymbiotic origin – mitochondria and plastids. The 2019 Medal of Leon Marchlewski was awarded to prof. dr hab. Piotr Stępień from the Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology. The medal is awarded annually at the request of the Committee of Molecular Biology of the Cell of the Polish Academy of Sciences by the Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences for outstanding achievements in the field of molecular biology. Dr hab. Renata Welc-Falęciak from the Institute of Zoology was included in the group of the 100 most influential women of 2020 by “Forbes Women”. In addition, BioCentre of Scientific Education BioCEN was in the final of the competition “Populariser of Science 2020” organized by the PAP service Science in Poland. The Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw is one of BioCEN’s partners.

The year 2020 is also the beginning of the reconstruction of the field station of the University of Warsaw in Urwitałt, i.e. the Professor Kazimierz Dobrowolski Masurian Center for Biodiversity and Nature Education. In the last quarter of the year, the main contractor was selected, and construction work began. The amount of EU funding under the Regional Operational Program is approximately PLN 23.8 million. The value of the entire investment is estimated at approximately PLN 32.9 million. The planned completion date of the project is the second quarter of 2022. It will be a modern research centre, where classes for students and workshops will be conducted. Still, the new station will also be open to individual visitors and schools. Annually, it will be able to host about 10,000 nature lovers.

Last year, events popularizing science with the participation of scientists from the Faculty of Biology took place online or in a hybrid model, including the 24th Science Picnic of the Copernicus Science Centre and Polish Radio, the 24th Science Festival in Warsaw, and the University of Warsaw Open Day. The 9th Biologists’ Night, which took place on January 10, is the only event throughout the year that took place in the building of the Faculty of Biology. Nearly 10,000 seats waited for the participants of workshops and scientific sessions. Since November 27, 2020, lecturers of the Faculty of Biology have shared their knowledge and passion on the YouTube channel, which arouses great interest among recipients. At that time, a departmental Twitter account was established.