We kindly invite you to take part in the 5th international conference „Endometritis as a cause of infertility in domestic animals”.
The conference program is available at https://endometritis.pan.olsztyn.pl/. It is still possible to register and online participate in the conference.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS took place on June 10. The event was attended by many distinguished guests from the world of science, business and regional authorities. This is the beginning of a new era in the history of the Institute.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building of the Institute took place on June 10 at noon. The investment is part of the project „Center for Environmental Research and Innovative Food Technology for Quality of Life”, which is located near the Olsztyn Science and Technology Park.
Construction of the new headquarters of the Institute officially began in mid-December 2021. It will have its seat at Władysława Trylińskiego Street, in the area of the Olsztyn Science and Technology Park. On June 10, a time capsule with the Foundation Act, local press, and coins was placed in the existing foundations of the building. The ceremony was attended by guests from the world of science, business and regional authorities.
The Foundation Act was signed and embedded by: Prof. Mariusz Piskuła – Director of IARFR PAS, Gustaw Marek Brzezin – Marshal of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, Piotr Grzymowicz – President of Olsztyn and Jakub Nagraba – General Construction Director of Budimex S.A., the general contractor of the investment.
The first to speak was Prof. Mariusz Piskuła:
– I am very happy that we are at this point in history where we are now. For a long time, we have suffered from a shortage of space, and I know from my own experience that the Institute’s location near a technology park would be a great asset. The project has been going on for 10 years now and we are well on track to bring it to a happy end. I think that this time capsule will survive us – maybe one day someone will get to it and read about what happened here in 2022 – said Prof. Mariusz Piskuła.
The second speaker was Gustaw Marek Brzezin – Marshal of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, who congratulated Prof. Piskuła on his perseverance and being a notable beneficiary of the regional operational program. The Marshal handed Professor Piskuła a special commemorative letter.
– This is not the first project of the Institute, it is the whole history of well spent funds, not only for the sake of science development, but the whole society as such. In such circumstances, I always recall our experiences in Brussels when we were the representatives of the European Commission, and Professor Piskuła, like the best teacher, preached about Warmia and Mazury having great opportunities. This project is a summary of that vision. At the end of the availability of EU funds, I would like to point out that the co-financing of about PLN 80 million for the development of the state-of-the-art research and development center will be continued from regional funds. I am convinced that with such research facilities and personnel as Professor Piskuła leafs, we will become a leader. You can already hear about Warmia and Mazury not only in Poland but also throughout Europe – added Gustaw Marek Brzezin.
– We are on the right track with the development of Warmia and Mazury, as well as the growth of Olsztyn. I am convinced that what we have prepared earlier in the development plan of the city will allow the Institute to achieve success in Poland and Europe. The new seat of the Institute will be a dream come true for several generations of scientists. I think that locating the building by the Olsztyn Science and Technology Park is an excellent idea as it allows the creation of a new space for running science in our city, with the option of turning it into practical and innovative solutions – added Piotr Grzymowicz, President of Olsztyn.
After the President’s speech, the groundbreaking ceremony took place, and then the guests took the floor.
– This is a very important moment for Olsztyn – the building of the Foundation Act for the new seat of the Institute. This is an example that Poland can develop evenly – not only in large agglomerations but also in smaller ones, with equally large scientific potential. I am glad that I could make my contribution to the realization of this goal. Olsztyn is joining the big world of science – we should all be proud of that. Olsztyn stands for science! – said Dr. Marcin Kulasek, MP.
At the end, Jarosław Babalski, read out the letter on behalf of Artur Chojecki, Warmian-Masurian Voivode.
Completion of the construction is scheduled for September 2023, and already a year later all departments of the Institute of PAS, currently located in two locations in Olsztyn and two in Białystok, are to move in. This will facilitate cooperation between scientists, increase the potential of the institution and create optimal conditions for conducting innovative research.
The facility will have five floors and is being built under the design-build formula, which means that the contractor – Budimex – has prepared the project and is implementing it based on the functional-utility program developed by the Institute. The usable area of the building will be about 7.5 thousand square meters, and its cubature will be about 24 thousand cubic meters. The investment will also include access roads, parking lots, a roofed shelter for bicycles, and green areas.
Funds for the project come, among others, from the European Union, the Regional Operational Programme for Warmia and Mazury for 2014-2020, and the volume of funding is more than 79 million PLN. The entire project including equipment is an investment of PLN 95.4 million.
Researchers from the Department of Biological Functions of Food received an honorable mention from the Japanese Society of Animal Science (JSAS).
The paper „The effect of administration of copper nanoparticles to chickens in their drinking water on the immune and antioxidant status of the blood”, published in „Animal Science Journal 89”, was awarded the Excellent Paper Awards by the Japanese Society of Animal Science. Its co-authors are Prof. Jerzy Juśkiewicz and Prof. Zenon Zduńczyk from our Institute.
The study aimed to determine what dose of copper nanoparticles added to a standard diet supplemented with copper sulfate improves antioxidant and immune protection in chickens. The experiment was conducted on 126 broiler chickens, which were divided into seven groups. Animals in the control group were not given copper nanoparticles and developed copper deficiency. Chickens are given copper nanoparticles during 3- or 7-day periods, the deficiency problem was not noted. At 42 days of age, blood markers were determined in broilers, and the results showed the increased antioxidant potential of the body and inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
The study showed that it is possible to simultaneously increase the antioxidant and immune defenses of chickens by feeding them copper nanoparticles for 6 weeks of feeding. This achieved a level that did not exceed the National Research Council (NRC) recommendation by more than 7%.
The work „The effect of administration of copper nanoparticles to chickens in their drinking water on the immune and antioxidant status of the blood” is of great biological importance as copper is considered to be one of the most important micronutrients essential for growth, development, and function of all living organisms. It exhibits the ability to accept and donate electrons readily and is a component of many enzymes, including copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), cytochrome c oxidase, and L-lysine oxidase, ascorbate oxidase, tyrosinase, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase. The enzymes in turn play important roles in antioxidant defense, melanin synthesis, connective tissue formation, or mitochondrial respiration.
We congratulate all authors of the paper, especially scientists from our Institute – Prof. Jerzy Juśkiewicz and Prof. Zenon Zduńczyk. We wish you further scientific success!
The paper is available here.
Prof. Carsten Carlberg, WELCOME2 ERA Chair at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS, together with Dr. Eunike Velleuer, physician in the Centre for Child and Adolescent Health Helios Clinic (Germany), has published a new book. „Molecular Immunology. How Science Works” is to reveal the secrets of molecular immunology to readers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that we need to learn more about the system that keeps us alive: the immune system. It consists of different biological structures: the lymphatic system, bone marrow, leukocytes, proteins, and antibodies. Keeping them in balance protects us from infectious diseases and cancer. The goal of molecular immunology is to understand the collective response of individual cells and proteins to foreign substances in our bodies.
The immune system is designed to fight viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, but sometimes it happens to attack itself – as in the case of allergies. What’s more, improper immune system responses can lead to autoimmune diseases, such as type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis. These in turn can lead to sepsis and even death.
That is why the book „Molecular Immunology. How Science Works” by Prof. Carsten Carlberg and Dr. Eunike Velleuer, was written with the main aim of presenting the basics of molecular immunology. It covers the mechanisms and processes underlying immunity against bacteria and viruses, immune responses in organ transplantation, autoimmune reactions, allergies, and cancer immunology. The authors make it clear that immunology has a role in keeping our bodies healthy and preventing disease.
„Not only does our immune system protect us from the serious effects of infectious diseases and the onset of cancer, but it is also capable of causing serious damage through sepsis, cytokine storms, and anaphylactic shocks. A molecular understanding of immunology should allow the reader to deal more rationally with common diseases, most of which are associated with chronic inflammation,” – says Professor Carsten Carlberg, author of the textbook.
The content of the book is related to the lecture course „Molecular Immunology”, which is part of the „Molecular Medicine and Genetics”, „Cancer Biology” and „Nutrigenomics” course series taught by Prof. Carsten Carlberg.
Researchers from Department of Chemistry and Biodynamics of Food have been honored with the Scientific Award of the Marshal of Warmia and Mazury, Gustaw Marek Brzezin.
The award was given to the whole team of scientists for the implementation of the research project „Buckwheat products of potential importance in the prevention of civilization diseases – a new brand of Warmia and Mazury. The awarded team consisted of: Prof. Henryk Zieliński, PhD, Małgorzata Wronkowska, PhD, Małgorzata Starowicz, Dorota Szawara-Nowak, PhD, Joanna Honke and Natalia Bączek, M.Sc.
Exceptional research for Warmia and Mazury and the entire country
Researchers from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biodynamics of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, headed by prof. dr hab. Henryk Zieliński has been conducting studies on the content of biologically active compounds in cereal raw materials, functional properties of cereals, pseudo-cereals, their milling products, and bakery products, including gluten-free ones, for many years. The results have been published in numerous scientific journals.
For the last two decades, scientists have researched the role of buckwheat grown in the region in the production of new generation food. The obtained results enrich our knowledge of the profile of biologically active compounds present in buckwheat, their functional properties, and qualitative and quantitative changes of those compounds in buckwheat products obtained as a result of traditional and modern technological processes.
The research conducted by the researchers made it possible to develop new buckwheat products which were put into circulation as part of pilot cooperation with entrepreneurs from Warmia and Mazury. These include bread with the use of roasted buckwheat flour, wholemeal sourdough bread with the addition of roasted buckwheat hulls, or graham rolls enriched with raw buckwheat hulls. It gives completely new possibilities for using buckwheat flours produced in Warmia and Mazury in shaping the pro-health properties of food products.
The described research is an important contribution to solving current problems related to the aging society and an increased risk of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. It is believed that long-term consumption of buckwheat products may be a factor preventing the so-called civilization diseases.
The Scientific Award of the Marshal of the Province of Warmia and Mazury is an expression of recognition for the whole research team. We would like to congratulate all scientists and cheer them on further research projects.
Aquaculture Europe 2022 (AE2022) is the largest scientific event on aquaculture in the Old Continent. This year it will be held in the Italian city of Rimini from 27-30 September, and a scientist from our Institute is involved in organizing the conference.
Aquaculture Europe is a conference organized by the European Aquaculture Society, which gathers about 1000 participants (scientists, NGO representatives, and entrepreneurs related to aquaculture). The lectures are combined with an aquaculture fair where you can see the latest equipment, feed, and much more. Aquaculture Europe is organized in a different city every year – this time it is Rimini.
The local organizing committee is responsible for the organization of the conference, but always a specialist from „outside” (another country than the organizer) is invited, and responsible for the scientific program. This time the honor was given to Daniel Żarski, Ph.D., assistant professor from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn.
– This is a great honor for me because usually the most respected specialists are appointed to this position, and this time it fell on my humble person – said Dr. Żarski.
This year’s conference is expected to be record-breaking – nearly 2500 participants, about 30 scientific sessions (some conducted simultaneously), and a huge fair. So far, the organizers have received nearly 450 applications for scientific presentations, and there will be even more.
– This is a really big event, whereas a „Program Co-Chair” I will proudly represent our Institute. I am the first Pole to hold this honorable position at this conference, although it should be mentioned that in 2008 one edition was held in Krakow, where, of course, Poles were involved in the organization of this event – added Dr. Żarski.
The city of Rimini was not chosen by chance – it is the Italian province with the largest number of companies operating within the blue economy, where tourism, fishing, and aquaculture are the sectors with the most jobs. Due to its location on the Adriatic coast, Rimini is an excellent example of combining the natural and cultural heritage of the Mediterranean with modern and dynamic aquaculture.
More information about the conference.
Deer meat is already highly valued by gourmets, but can it be still improved? The research team of Dr. Anna Kononiuk from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS works on enhancing the the quality of red deer meat through development of innovative feed additives.
Red deer is an increasingly popular meat in recent years, also in Poland. Unfortunately, there are no feed additives on the market which are strictly dedicated to deer. This may soon change thanks to the research team of Dr. Anna Kononiuk, which is carrying out a project funded by „Inkubator Innowacyjności 4.0” entitled „Feed additive for feeding deer after a reproductive period, intended for meat raw material”. Feed additives – as the name suggests – are nothing but additives to feed. They do not replace normal food, but when properly supplemented, they can offer various benefits to the animal. We asked Dr. Anna Kononiuk are the functions of the feed additive she is developing – both for animals and for consumers.
Marcin Powęska: How do we currently feed deer?
Dr. Anna Kononiuk: There are no supplements for deer available on the market that could influence the condition of the animal and the quality of its meat. They are either fed with fodder for cows (it is also a ruminant), or with no mixed feed at all – they are only given what is found in the forest plus alfalfa or hay. It’s not a professionally matched feed. To meet the market expectations, we decided to develop a dedicated feed supplement for deer to improve the quality of their meat.
MP: When is the best time to give such a feed supplement to an animal?
AK: It is meant to be administered in the autumn and winter, that is after the end of the reproductive period. This is the time when males are weakened after the roaring season, and females need strengthening during the development of pregnancy. Our supplement is meant to improve the condition of the animals, but also affect the quality of the meat that will be harvested, since the deer hunting season falls during the same period.
MP: There has been one supplement developed for males and females? What is their composition?
AK: As part of the experiment, we developed two different supplements – one targeting animal conditions and the other meat quality. I can’t pinpoint the exact differences, nor can I present the composition of these feeds as they are protected by patent rights. Our experiments made it possible to determine the dosage affecting changes in the condition and quality of the raw meat.
MP: Are similar feed additives for deer available worldwide?
AK: Commercially available are only feed additives that affect antler growth in deer. None improve the condition of the animals, much less the quality of their meat. That’s what inspired us to take up the challenge. When our feed additive hits the market, it will be the first of its kind.
MP: At what stage is your team’s research now?
AK: The feed additives have already been tested on deer and we are completing the results that show how it affects the condition of the animals. We are at the stage of statistical analyses of the results and summarizing the whole project.
MP: Has meat from deer fed with experimental feed additives been tested in restaurant conditions yet? Are there any taste differences?
AK: Yes, deer from animals fed with our additives have already been served to guests in restaurants and received positive reviews. Consumers were delighted with the meat and the restaurants appreciated our input, because for them it is not easy to find good quality cervid.
MP: What are your research plans for the future?
AK: We are currently focusing on the feed additives we have developed and trying to find customers for them. Surely they can still be improved and more parameters can be studied to determine their usefulness, but this takes time. At the moment we are satisfied with the progress of the work, but we are looking forward to more.
The research team’s publication led by Radosław Kowalski, Ph.D., from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of our Institute was among the most cited articles published from 2018 to 2022 in Theriogenology.
The review paper „Sperm quality in fish: Determinants and affecting factors” by dr Radosław Kowalski and dr Beata Cejko, describes the latest diagnostic developments in the study of fish sperm quality taking into account interspecies differences, indicating the direction of their development. The paper critically describes the principle of Computer Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA) and explains, based on our own and other researchers’ results, why there are significant discrepancies in this analysis.
The authors pointed out the critical role of the FPS (frames per second) of the camera used in the CASA study in obtaining reliable sperm motility data. In addition, a visualization of the error rule in CASA analysis when the FPS value is too low is presented for the first time.
This publication is a summary of the knowledge gained over the last 20 years by the Molecular Andrology Team. It confronts the results obtained by our team with the works of other researchers, systematizing the knowledge on the factors that affect the quality of fish spermatozoa. The conclusions included in the paper, as well as further questions facing researchers dealing with fish reproduction, constitute an important scientific value of the publication, making it useful for anyone who starts their scientific work with fish gametes,” said Radosław Kowalski, Ph.D., lead author of the publication.
The full list of most cited publications is at this link.
Two scientific achievements of interdisciplinary research teams involving scientists from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Research PAS have been honored by the Committee of Animal Sciences and Aquaculture of the Polish Academy of Sciences – one with the main prize and the other with an honorable distinction.
The main prize of the Committee of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences was awarded for the scientific achievement „Antioxidant and immunostimulating effect of different levels and the mutual ratio of lysine, arginine, and methionine in mixtures for turkeys for slaughter”.
The authors of the paper are:
The study aimed to determine the optimal ratio of lysine (Lys), arginine (Arg), and methionine (Met) in diets of turkeys for fattening, taking into account different intensities of feeding and multidirectional metabolic effects of amino acids analyzed. The researchers considered a wide range of indicators, including production performance, metabolic responses, immune system responses, possible oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA and protein nitration, epigenetic changes, repair mechanisms conditioning the intestinal integrity of turkeys infected with C. perfringens bacteria, and selected metabolic indicators illustrating the degree of lipid, protein and DNA oxidation.
Apart from cognitive aspects, appreciated by reviewers appointed by editors of renowned worldwide scientific journals, the results obtained were useful for turkey compound feed manufacturers.
The overriding aim of the conducted research is the possibility of using the results from economic entities involved in the production of turkey feed. Implementation of the research results may significantly contribute to improving the rearing efficiency of turkeys for fattening and also reducing the number of antibiotics used in their treatment.
The distinction of the Committee for Animal Sciences and Aquaculture of the Polish Academy of Sciences was honored to the scientific achievement „Development of a standardized method for cryopreservation of fish semen”.
The authors of the work are scientists from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of our Institute:
The research concerns the development and improvement of procedures for the cryopreservation of semen from salmonid fish (rainbow trout, alpine pike, rainbow trout neo-spawning, and spring trout) and perch fish (perch and pike-perch). Establishing semen banks for these fish is an important element of the strategy to protect the biodiversity of local species, as well as providing an opportunity to secure semen from the most valuable individuals in terms of breeding.
The research project has developed a novel, standardized (in terms of a constant number of sperm in the straw and final concentration of cryoprotectants) methodology for cryopreservation of fish semen using a simple glucose-methanol diluent. The researchers confirmed that an appropriate cryopreservation protocol must be used for each of the species studied.
The results of the study were published in a series of papers published in prestigious international aquaculture journals and summarized in a review paper („Opportunities and challenges related to the implementation of sperm cryopreservation into breeding of salmonid fishes”) published in a special issue of Theriogenology on fish reproduction.
Research.com, an academic platform for scientists, published ranking lists of leading researchers in a given scientific discipline in 2022. The list includes 166,880 scientists from around the world. Among them are professors Ryszard Amarowicz and Andrzej Ciereszko.
Research.com lists are created based on the data from the Microsoft Academic Graph and Google Scholar websites, taking into account three bibliometric indicators (Hirsch index, h; number of citations; number of publications) relating to individual scientific disciplines. The list covered the years 2014-2021.
In the discipline of chemistry, Prof. Ryszard Amarowicz, head of the Department of Chemical and Physical Properties of Food, was classified 12th in Poland. Prof. Amarowicz owns this success to h = 60, over 12,000 citations and 288 publications.
Ranking: https://research.com/scientists-rankings/chemistry/pl
In the discipline of biology and biochemistry, the 16th position in Poland was taken by Prof. Andrzej Ciereszko, head of the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology. His high position in the ranking was guaranteed by h= 44, over 6,000 citations and 209 publications.
Ranking: https://research.com/scientists-rankings/biology-and-biochemistry/pl
It is also worth noticing that the bibliometric achievements of Prof. Carsten Carlberg, who joined the scientific staff of our Institute in March this year, would give him the no. 1 position in Poland in the field of genetics and molecular biology (h = 75, nearly 15,000 citations, 195 publications).
