Organizers
The
47th International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids
was organized by
Hungarian Biochemical Society,
Biological Research Center of the
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
(Centre of Excellence of the European Union),
and Straub Heritage Foundation.
| Local Organizing Committee |
| László Vígh (Chairman) |
| Ibolya Horváth |
| Zsolt Török |
| Gábor Balogh |
| Győző Garab |
| János Szöllősi |
| Klára Kitajka |
| Zoltán Kóta |
| International Scientific Advisory Board |
| Fritz Spener |
| Michel Lagarde |
| Gerrit van Meer |
| Jean Vance |
| Sándor Damjanovich |
| Balázs Sarkadi |
| Norman Salem |
| Yasuyuki Igarashi |
| John Harwood |
| Bart Staels |
| Gerd Schmitz |
| Martijn Katan |
Organizing Institution
In 1962, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences decided to concentrate the substantial part of its
means on support of research in the field of modern biology. Professor Bruno Straub F.
initiated the foundation of the Biological Research Center (BRC).
Szeged was chosen as the site for a number of reasons. It is has been a university town with
numerous excellent traditions as well as it has had strong agricultural research for long time.
Research in the BRC started in 1971, but the official opening ceremony was in 1973, when the
construction of the whole building was completed. Based on the concept of interdisciplinary
researches the scientific work in the BRC has been being carried out in 5 institutes:
Biophysics, Biochemistry, Enzymology, Genetics and Plant Biology. The research groups in the
Institutes have the freedom to select their research fields. Traditionally, the molecular and
cellular approaches dominate the major activities. Topics from developmental or environmental
biology attract considerable attention as well. Collaborative projects between groups of different
Institutes of the BRC and with international partners have gained considerable significance over
the years. The BRC stimulates the high standard, internationally recognized academic research that
is required to obtain the status of centre of excellence. Scientists in the BRC are encouraged
for active participation in the educational programmes at the Universities of the city. The
International Training Course (ITC) initially supported by UNESCO and UNDP is an important
component in the educational activity of the Biological Research Center. Students from the
neighbouring and developing countries gain academic knowledge in the field of molecular and cell
biology. Recently, UNESCO funded an UNESCO Chair in the field of environmental biology inside
the BRC, that provides a new framework for increasing of teaching activities based on ITC and
Ph.D. programs. The intellectual and infrastructural capacity of the BRC provides a unique
situation to serve as regional centre both in Hungary and the central European region. The
BRC employs about 450 persons, 220 of which belong to the scientific staff including 15-20
postgraduate students of the International Training Course, and 35-40 other postgraduate students
in various Ph.D. programmes.