The 9th International Weigl Conference was held in Rzeszów from 27-29 June 2024. Rudolf Weigl was a prominent Polish biologist who developed the first effective vaccine against typhoid fever. The event took place at the University of Rzeszow's Centre for Innovation and Transfer of Technical and Natural Knowledge.
The event was organised by the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Rzeszow in collaboration with the Institute of Cell Biology of the NAN of Ukraine and their partners.
The event was opened by Professor Andriy Sibirny of the University of Rzeszów, chairman of the Organising Committee, together with co-chairman Professor Grzegorz Węgrzyn (University of Gdańsk). A special guest at the opening ceremony was Mrs Malgorzata Jarosinska-Jedynak, member of the board of the Podkarpackie Voivodship. The inaugural lecture was given by Nobel laureate Prof. Aaron Ciechanover from Technion University in Haifa, Israel, who spoke about ubiquitin-mediated intracellular protein degradation in a lecture entitled: Ubiquitin- mediated intracellular proteolysis - from basic mechanisms through human diseases and into drug targeting. A. Ciechanover received this highest scientific honour in 2004 in the field of chemistry, for his discovery of the role of the ubiquitin protein in proteasomal protein degradation.
The conference brought together eminent specialists from around the world, including Europe and the USA.
On the first day, sessions were devoted to the molecular genetics of microorganisms, and lectures were given by, among others, Prof Dagmara Jakimowicz from the University of Wrocław and Prof Przemysław Płociński from the University of Łódź. Subsequent sessions dealt with environmental microbiology and taxonomy, with lectures by Prof. Ewa Łojkowska from the Inter-University Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG and Prof. Pietro Buzzini from the University of Perugia. Prof Ann-Katrin Llarena from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Prof Grzegorz Wegrzyn from the University of Gdansk, Prof Vartul Sangal from Northumbria University, Dr Aniketkumar K. Gade from MUG and young scientists also delivered their lecture on this day.
On the second day, participants had the opportunity to listen to a lecture on medical microbiology, including modelling of viral encephalitis caused by herpes virus infection by Prof Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf from the Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin in Berlin, as well as Prof Tomasz Niedziela, Dr Mariola Paściak, Dr Sabina Górska and Dr Marta Piksa from the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy. After the lunch break, the sessions on immunology and vaccine development continued with presentations by Prof. Jolanta Łukasiewicz, Prof. Paulina Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej, Prof. Jacek Jemielity and Prof. Andriy Sibirny. The session on biotechnology featured lectures by Prof. Volkmar Passoth from Uppsala, Prof. Patrick Fickers from Liege, Prof. Milan Certik from Bratislava, Prof. Zbigniew Lazar from the Wrocław University of Life Sciences, and two representatives of the University of Rzeszów - Prof. Justyna Ruchała and Dr Roksolana Vasylyshyn,
The third day of the conference began with a plenary lecture by Prof. Christopher V. Rao from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who spoke about the use of Rhodotorula toruloides for fuel and chemical production. This was followed by sessions on cell and molecular biology and a variety session featuring Prof. Jan Potempa from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Prof. Patricia Wadowski from the Medical University of Vienna, Dr Olena Dmytruk, Institute of Cell Biology, NAS of Ukraine, Prof. Ewa Chrostek from the Jagiellonian University, prof. Jaroslaw Dziadek from the Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prof. Stefan Tyski from the National Medicines Institute, Prof. Katarzyna Potrykus from UG, Prof. Joanna Kozieł from UJ, Prof. Agnieszka Szalewska-Pałasz from UG, Dr Karolina Ciemińska from UG and Dr Renata Płocińska from the Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
The proceedings concluded with an award ceremony for the best posters and a closing ceremony.
The conference was not only an opportunity to hear about the latest scientific developments, but also a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between scientists from different countries and fields. This unique event highlighted the importance of microbial research and its application in immunology, industrial and medical biotechnology.
The conference was organised in connection with the project entitled 'UR Welcome - Increasing the Degree of Internationalisation of the University of Rzeszów' (contract number PPI/WTP/2022/1/00021/U/00001).
The project was financed by the National Academic Exchange Agency under the Welcome to Poland 2022 Programme.
Partners of the conference were the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Federation of European Microbiological Societies and the American Society for Microbiology, the UR Doctoral School and the R Weigl Medical and Social Vocational and Continuing Education Centre in Jaslo.
Honorary patrons were:
Marshal's Office, Institute of National Remembrance, Polish Society for Microbiology, and the Biotechnology Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The Professor Wacław Szybalski Foundation funded books for selected guests of the conference entitled. "Professor Wacław Szybalski on Lviv, genes, the essence of life and Nobel Prize winners" by Jarosław Abramow - Newerly.