Researchers and industrial experts discussed the most recent scientific findings and possible future directions for further progress at the event titled Biotechnológia a Debreceni Egyetemen – 2025 Szimpózium [Biotechnology at the University of Debrecen – 2025 Symposium]. On Thursday, in the Debrecen Academic Committee Headquarters, participants learned about the latest international trends in addition to the research currently conducted at our institution.

Ninth in a series of such gatherings, Biotechnology at the University of Debrecen – 2025, International Symposium was already the second one held in English for biotechnologists in Debrecen and their cooperating partners. The host and organizer, the University of Debrecen, is at the vanguard in the field of biotechnological research, since all three branches of this discipline, including red (health), green (environmental), and white (industrial), are represented at the institution. 


“It was just a couple of years ago that the University of Debrecen designated biotechnology as one of its strategic focus areas both in terms of education and research. Within this framework, we have created a program of excellence in which research groups from five different faculties now carry out highly successful investigations,” emphasized József Tőzsér, Vice Rector for Life Sciences, at the official opening of the event. 

As it has been a tradition for some time, the symposium presented the broadest possible spectrum of research in biotechnology to those interested.


“During the course of these symposia, we usually try to present the entire spectrum of biotechnology research in five separate sections, ranging from pharmaceutical biotechnology research to the production of biopharmaceutical products. This time, within the narrower field of agricultural biotechnology, we highlighted mycotoxin research, and we are delighted that there were also presentations on environmental biotechnology with a focus on biogas. We do believe that it is important for both professionals and university lecturers as well as students to see what sort of research is being conducted at present at the University of Debrecen and its partners, which include regional companies, and what the chief current research trends in the European Union are,” said István Pócsi, Professor at Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen.


Of the symposium sections, three were opened by presentations given by renowned foreign experts, who introduced the audience to important individual segments of biotechnology research in Europe. 

The introductory talk in the section Biotechnological Horizons was given by María José Arce-Tomás, representing MJAT Regulatory Advisory Services, on the revolutionary changes taking place in the European Union in the field of advanced therapeutic drug development.

The distinguished guest speaker in the section on mycotoxins was Antonio Moretti, Director of the research institute CNR-ISPA (National Council of Research – Institute of Sciences of Food Production), who introduced the highly diverse biosynthetic gene pathways of mycotoxin-producing fungi, a terrain that is still mostly unexplored. 

The section Cutting-Edge Methods in Industrial Microbiology was opened by István Molnár, a researcher at VTT Technical Research Center of Finland in Espoo, who is a regular guest speaker at these symposia. Professor Molnár elaborated on the successful glycosylation of natural compounds similar to drugs in a synthetic biological system based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker's yeast. 

Several other research projects were presented in the form of a poster session at the event held at our DAB Headquarters.

Press Center-TB