Group members

BioCEN - Touch Science!

The Centre for Innovative Bioscience Education (BioCEN) was established in 2002 by the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, and the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 

BioCEN exists to bridge the gap between the scientific community and society by providing educational activities that popularize modern experimental natural sciences among the broader community. We use innovative educational methods to provide hands-on experience in topics of interest. Our workshops, presentations, and educational materials are based on scientific findings and the expertise of our collaborators. BioCEN receives financial support from IIMCB, which has been BioCEN’s Strategic Sponsor since 2015. In addition to IIMCB’s support, BioCEN is subsidized by Nencki Institute, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Warsaw Faculty of Biology, and BioEducation Foundation. 

BioCEN Laboratory 

BioCEN workshops cover various areas of life sciences and medicine, with a focus on practical and experimental approaches. Our goal is to cover several scientifically and educationally important topics, such as molecular and cell biology, histology, immunology, biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, biophysics, plant physiology, bionics/bioengineering, environmental sciences, medical sciences, astrobiology, and astrophysics. We encourage participating students to express their creativity while working individually on real-life experiments. 

A total of 7,568 students participated in laboratory and outdoor workshops in 2023, and our materials reached ~6500 recipients. Moreover, various BioCEN online activities were viewed over 60.000 times. 

Target audience 

BioCEN's regular workshop offer is available to all primary school students (from the second grade onwards) and high school students from all over Poland. The classes are tailored to the needs and capabilities of students at their respective educational levels. The presented experiments make students aware that the theoretical knowledge found in textbooks directly translates into reality. Thus, BioCEN's slogan "Touch Science!" perfectly reflects our mission. 

You can register for our workshops via the BioCEN website: https://biocen.edu.pl/kalendarz/ 

Customized BioCEN Workshops 

Since our team consists of many specialists from various fields, we can design customized workshops for audiences other than schools. As BioCEN, we have repeatedly offered special classes for kindergartens, educational foundations, groups of adult enthusiasts, and university students. 

As an educational and science popularization institution, BioCEN also designs workshops for the healthcare and cosmetics industries. We conduct classes that can enhance events such as conferences, training sessions, or scientific symposia. Our regular collaborators include renowned cosmetics companies. 

If you are interested in organizing personalized workshops, please contact us by sending email to the Scientific Project Coordinator (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

WORKSHOP OFFER

Classes for primary schools (2h):

• Microbe Hunters (Primary school)
• CSI: BioCEN
• Green Factories of Sweetness
• Look Inside the Cell (Primary school)
• See Your DNA (Primary school)

Classes for secondary schools: 

Two-hour workshops:

• Microbe Hunters (High school)
• Look Inside the Cell (High school)
• See Your DNA (High school)

Four-hour workshops:

• Synergy – The Inner Life of the Cell
• Histology
• Sokaris – Introduction to Astrobiology

General Structure of Workshops at BioCEN 

We host our workshops in the BioCEN Laboratory, located at Skierniewicka Street 21 (100 meters from the Płocka metro station). 

The classes are usually divided into a short theoretical introduction, during which we familiarize students with safety rules, workflow in the BioCEN Laboratory and introduce the necessary concepts for conducting experiments. Then our educators instruct students on how to perform the experiments and discuss their individual stages. After completing the experiments, students gather the results of their work and discuss them together, drawing appropriate conclusions. 

During the classes, our educators are available to answer students' questions about the experiments being conducted, scientific work, and available pathways of further development. 

Collaboration with IIMCB 

BioCEN supports the outreach activities organized by IIMCB by:

• Organizing activities for exceptional youth associated by the National Children’s Fund
• Organizing scientific seminars for schools collaborating with the Institute
• Co-designing educational resources for scientific projects such as “Degradator - A Game about Protein Degradation”

Collaboration with other entities 

BioCEN co-organizes the annual Symposia for Teachers with the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology (link: Symposia for Teachers), where we share our experience in popularizing science. 

Together with Nencki EduTube (link: //www.youtube.com/@NenckiEduTube">Nencki EduTube), we prepare lectures to introduce students to aspects of the research work of our educators.

BIOCEN EDUCATORS AND COLLABORATORS

Notable members of the BioCEN team include educators and coworkers without whom our educational activities would not be possible. In 2023, the following individuals collaborated with BioCEN:  
Educators: Dasza Babiuk, Julia Brzykcy, Julia Gilewska, Rafał Jabłuszewski, Jakub Janiec, Aleksandra Kowalczyk, Katarzyna Krzyżewska, Paweł Morga, Maksymilian Nowak, Małgorzata Orłowska, Magdalena Pełka, Gustaw Zientarski, Jedrzej Kardasz, Alina Kiedryńska, Kalina Węgrzyn, Adela Jezierska-Suwińska, Hubert Kubiszewski, Zuzanna Napora, Stanisław Szleszkowski, Aleksandra Maciejczuk

Lead Educators: Małgorzata Malczewska, Jakub Tomaszewski 

Laboratory Support Personnel: Paweł Morga, Małgorzata Malczewska

Management Board Members: Mikołaj Cup (CEO), Patrycja Dołowy, Maciej Kotliński