On March 4-6 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan hosted III Polish championship in volleyball of employees of universities. After the fifth place two years ago and the bronze medal last year, today we won the silver medal. This year for the first time the cathegory +50 has been organized (all players had to be at least 50 years old). In this cathegory we won the gold medal. I would like to thank the whole TUL team: Darek Bieliński, Jacek Gralewski, Kamil Zielinski, Kamila (Lena) Klajman, Krzyś Jóźwik, Maciek Leszczynski, Marcin Zygmunt, Mariusz Koralewski, Paweł Stączek, Piotr Niedzielski, Piotr Piotrowski and Zdzisiek Brandeburg for fantastic atmosphere – this is how friendships are born in agreement with the slogan of championship “this is what unites us”! We have no choice – next year we go for the gold!
On the occasion of 5th Anniversary of National Science Center on Friday, March 4th, Collegium Novum of Jagiellonian University hosted a conference devoted to actions supporting best scientists that can lead to higher efficiency of applications for ERC grants. Among panelistes were presidents of the national granting agencies in Austria and Nederlands, Akademia Europea, Polish Akademy of Sciences, and European Research Council. The reasons of low efficiency of applications by Polish scientists have been discussed.
On February 29th – March 1st groups collaborating on common project supported by the Polish-Swiss Research Programme met in EAWAG, Zurich. During the meeting thus far studies have been summed up but the main discussion was dedicated to plans of studies to be carried out during the remaining half a year of the project. It has been concluded that the main goal is to finish studies of oxygen isotope effects. In the next step calculations for mutated forms of NBDO as well as for the 2NTDO model obtained from homology modeling will be continued.
Sadly, today we said our farewell to Professor Jerzy Kroh, former rector, who passed away on February 15.
A few reports appeared in the press on the Laboratory of Products Authentication that has been recently opened in the Lodz Technopark. It is the result of the research carried out in my laboratory for several decades on isotopic effects of enzymatic reactions that allows to understand the variability of natural isotopic composition in different types of compounds. Earlier, we have obtained a patent for isotopic authentication of coffee and we filed a patent application on the use of changes in the isotopic composition in oncology. In preparation are two applications for grant competition Tango. The laboratory is an example of the possibility of direct commercialization of basic research. Earlier reports of the Polytechnic genesis of this lab can be found in: PAP: Express Ilustrowany: http://www.expressilustrowany.pl/artykul/9371681,na-tropie-podrobek-w-zywnosci-jak-to-sprawdzaja,id,t.html Gazeta Wyborcza: http://lodz.wyborcza.pl/lodz/1,35153,19607627,testujemy-wodke-jedyne-takie-laboratorium-w-polsce-wideo.html
Today was a day of meetings. Two of these were especially important. In the early afternoon the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mr. Paul W. Jones (on the left in the first picture), met scholars of different American programs. On behalf of Fulbright Alumnia Association as well as Lodz University of technology I have invited Mr. Ambassador to a conference (that is being organized with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education at the end of September) on the role of women is science. Earlier today Lodz, and also TUL, visited Mr. Mahommed A. Khorsheed (in the middle on the second picture), the owner and CEO of Global Oil Center, a company from Kuwait. Discussion give hope for the implementation of scientific and even educational cooperation.