Foundation for the Development of Biotechnology and Genetics  POLBIOGEN is the organizer and co-organizer and supports financially numerous scientific events.

Joint NGO Statement Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of States Parties, United Nations Palis, Geneva, 11-13.12.2023 r.

The 2023 Meeting of States Parties took place in Room XVIII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland from 11-13 December 2023. The Meeting of States Parties was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Cristian Espinosa Cañizares of Ecuador with H.E. Ambassador Thomas Göbel of Germany and Mr. Nikola Yakov of Bulgaria as Vice-Chairs. Russiam Federation attempted to deny observer organisations (IGOs and NGOs) the ability to participate and make statements in the meeting by blocking the rules of procedure and programme of work, and the meeting could not proceed. There was no general debate, and no opportunity for NGOs to deliver statements. Several states submitted their statements as working papers instead. The EU and NGOs put out printed copies of statements at the back of the room. The Chair and Vice Chairs of the MSP hosted an informal meeting with NGOs where they explained the situation and stressed the value and role of NGOs in the BWC. A joint statement on ‘The value of inclusive participation in meetings of the BWC’ was submitted as a working paper by a large number of states.

___________________________________________________________________

First Conference “Many Faces of Biotechnology, Poznań, 25-26.11.2023

The conference Biotechnology has many names, organized by students of the KNSB Scientific Circle “OPERON”, have been held on November 25 and 26, 2023. The topics of sessions covered: animal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, medical biotechnology, industrial biotechnology. POLBIOGEN Foundation financially supported the organization of the Conference.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Joint NGO Statement. Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, Geneva, 28.11-16.12.2022

Endorsement of the joint NGO statement to the BWC Review Conference by the Foundation for the Development of Biotechnology and Genetics ‘POLBIOGEN’.

___________________________________________________________________

XI Edition of the National Scientific Conference “Insight into Cancer”. 27-28.05.2022

The Foundation subsidized the Seminar organized by the Student Scientific Circle of Cancer Genetics operating at the Department of Cancer Genetics of the Medical University of Lublin.

___________________________________________________________________

Participation in conferences, 2022

The Foundation covered participation in the conferences: the 4th Nutrition and Women’s Procreative Health Conference, the Targeting Microbiota Conference, and the registration fee for the ESHG 2022 Congress.

___________________________________________________________________

Joint NGO Statement to Biological Weapons Convention. Preparatory Committee. Geneva. 4.04.2022

Endorsement by the Foundation of the Joint NGO Statement to Biological Weapons Convention. We, the undersigned, stand united in condemning Russia’s completely unprovoked military invasion and its continuing war against Ukraine. We stand with the government and people of Ukraine, and we urge Russia to stop its brutal attacks. We echo the call by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNFPA to immediately cease attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical staff. It is an unacceptable strategy and tactic.

___________________________________________________________________

Joint NGO Statement to Biological Weapons Convention. Meeting of States Parties. Geneva. 22.11.2021

The Foundation endorsed the Joint NGO Statement to Biological Weapons Convention. Covid-19 continues to starkly illustrate the damaging effects that infectious disease can have on societies. The multiple impacts of the pandemic underscore the continuing relevance of the BWC. Yet, the BWC community has been absent in the vast majority of discussions around the pandemic, including on its origins and in planning for future threats. We strongly urge States Parties to engage in, and contribute to, these deliberations.

___________________________________________________________________

Joint NGO Statements to Biological Weapons Convention. Meetings of Experts. Geneva. 30.08-8.09.2021

Endorsement by the Foundation of the Joint NGO Statements to Biological Weapons Convention. The damaging effects disease can have on societies, whether natural, accidental or deliberate in origin, have been starkly illustrated in the current pandemic. International developments like the United Nations Biorisk Working Group, established by the Secretary-General, and efforts by states to develop a new international treaty on pandemics are concrete evidence of increasing awareness of the challenges that diseases pose to humankind. Biological weapons are tools for deliberate disease, and lessons from the current pandemic should therefore be drawn to enhance preparedness for future outbreaks of diseases that may be deliberate. The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines and medical treatments has been possible through life sciences research, much of which is transnational, and this brings new hope for rapid countermeasures to any future deliberately introduced disease. But, as the current pandemic also demonstrates, challenges remain, such as communicating accurate information, distributing vaccines and therapeutics globally, and working collectively to understand the geneses of outbreaks. These issues must be paid particular attention in future preparedness planning.

___________________________________________________________________

X Edition of the Conference Insight into Cancer, Lublin, 28.05.2021

The Foundation subsidized the Seminar organized by the Student Scientific Circle of Cancer Genetics operating at the Department of Cancer Genetics of the Medical University of Lublin.

___________________________________________________________________

Vaccinations against COVID-19

Representatives of the POLBIOGEN Foundation participated in the preparation of the book Biotechnologia 2020. What we ask most often, in which they presented the latest achievements of biotechnology. Among them, unexpectedly, there were issues related to the SARRS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, which leads to the COVID-19 disease. Research on the COVID-19 vaccine began immediately after the publication of the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. On January 11, 2020, the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causing COVID-19 was published. Currently, more than 50 vaccines are in clinical trials and three times more in preclinical trials. Since then, extensive research and development has been carried out around the world to develop a vaccine against this disease. The humanitarian and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have provided extraordinary motivation in vaccine research, making the first vaccine prototypes at an unprecedented pace ready for human clinical trials (16 March 2020). Scientists are testing various technologies, some of which have not previously been used in a licensed vaccine. On October 15, 2020, the European Commission presented a communication on “Preparedness for vaccination strategy and vaccine introduction against COVID-19″, in which it introduced a temporary “fast-track” to obtain safe vaccines against COVID-19, assuming withdrawal from the clinical trial phase from a prior environmental risk assessment on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as required by EU law. Packaging, labeling, storage, transportation, destruction, disposal, distribution, delivery, administration or use of investigational medicinal products in humans has also been facilitated. The regulation will remain in place until COVID-19 is considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the European Commission deems there to be a public health threat from COVID-19. The European Medicines Agency has approved the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine for use in Europe, more are pending approval from AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac and Moderna. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved two vaccines, BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna.

___________________________________________________________________

IX National Scientific Conference “Insight into Cancer”, Lublin, 4.09.2020

On September 4, 2020, the Students’ Scientific Association of Cancer Genetics at the Medical University of Lublin organized the 9th edition of the National Conference “Insight into Cancer” in the online form. The conference was aimed at students and young scientists. The aim of the conference was to present the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of neoplastic diseases and to present the progress in their diagnosis and treatment. As every year, the POLBIOGEN Foundation supported the activity of young researchers.

___________________________________________________________________

On May 17-19, 2010 in Jastrzębiec/ near Warsaw the Foundation organized workshop on Analysis of genomic and mitochondrial DNA of extinct and endangered species. more…

The Foundation POLBIOGEN co-organized the 5th Conference of Polish Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics entitled ‘Molecular methods – from theory to practical implementation that was held in Poznań, 19th November 2009.

The Foundation offers a financial support for the participants of Summer Schools organized  by the  Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Poznan University of Life Sciences