70 years of IBB

The history of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences begins on February 9, 1954, when the Scientific Secretariate of the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences adopted a resolution (Resolution No. 26/54) on the establishment of the Department of Biochemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences – effective May 1, 1954 – as an auxiliary scientific and research unit.

The Department was located on the premises of three institutions: the National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw, the Medical Academy in Warsaw and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The leadership of the Biochemistry Department was assigned to the PAS correspondence member prof. dr hab. Józef Heller. The Department of Biochemistry PAS became the foundation of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which was established as an independent research institution by Resolution No. 10/56 of the Presidium of PAS dated January 10, 1956. The above resolution of the Presidium of PAS was approved by the Council of Ministers of the People’s Republic of Poland by Resolution No. 85/57 dated March 14, 1957.

During the period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences is planning a series of events to celebrate our anniversary. An Anniversary Celebrations Commission has been established and is chaired by prof. dr hab. Jacek Hennig. The Commission has planned and is implementing a series of events and activities that will bring the history of IBB PAS to the public.

Since May 15 this year, in the Institute’s main lobby, there is an exhibition of artifacts, equipment and laboratory glassware used at IBB PAS in the second half of the 20th century. This exhibition inaugurates the celebration of the Institute’s 70th anniversary. In the coming months, we will display – for the Institute’s Community, our Guests, as well as people passing by – the toolset which we had been using in our work. We expect this will be of interest not only to us!

On 10.10.2024 at 10 am a celebration of the anniversary took place. We invite everybody to watch a recording of the ceremony: 70 years of IBB. Information about all further events that will accompany the celebration of our Anniversary will be distributed via the website www.ibb.edu.pl and through social media.

More information about IBB can be found here: Science in IBB PAS 2024

Letters of congratulation

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the IBB, we received many letters of congratulation. We sincerely thank you for all the kind words and wishes addressed to the Directors and Employees of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, which were expressed during the celebration, both on stage and behind the scenes. We would also like to thank you for the gifts and letters that we received – they will be exhibited at the Institute or stored in our archives. Due to time constraints, most of the congratulatory letters could not be read at the ceremony, however, we are very grateful for the appreciative words from such esteemed people, representing all the honorable institutions listed below. Your support and kindness are of great importance to IBB PAS.

The letters of congratulation received on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of IBB PAS are available below (in Polish):

Ambasador Turcji w Polsce, Sz. P. Rauf Alp Denktaș

Minister Nauki, Sz. P. Dariusz Wieczorek

Prezes Polskiej Akademii Nauk, prof. dr hab. Marek Konarzewski

Dziekan oraz Przewodniczący Rady Wydziału II Nauk Biologicznych i Rolniczych PAN, prof. dr hab. Krzysztof W. Nowak, prof. dr hab. Romuald Zabielski

Przewodnicząca Komitetu Biotechnologii PAN, prof. dr hab. Ewa Łojkowska

Rektor Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego, prof. dr hab. Rafał Krenke

Rektor Politechniki Morskiej w Szczecinie, dr hab. inż. kpt.ż.w. Wojciech Ślączka

Dziekan Wydziału Biochemii, Biofizyki i Biotechnologii Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, prof. dr hab. Jolanta Jura

Dziekan Wydziału Chemii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, prof. dr hab. Sławomir Sęk

Dyrektor Instytutu Biologii Molekularnej i Biotechnologii Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Sobczak

Dyrektor Instytutu Biologii SGGW, prof. dr hab. Agnieszka Gniazdowska-Piekarska