Wojciech Galej joins IIMCB to strengthen structural biology research
Dr Wojciech Galej is joining the scientific community of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB). A structural biologist and ERC Consolidator Grant recipient will develop advanced structural biology methods at IIMCB, including cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET). His arrival opens up new research opportunities and strengthens IIMCB’s expertise in one of the most advanced methods for imaging biological structures.
Dr Galej has spent 17 years years conducting research abroad, specialising in the structural biology of RNA–protein complexes. At IIMCB, he will lead the Laboratory of RNA Splicing. His return to Poland is supported by the Polish Returns programme of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), in which he was selected as one of this year’s 17 awardees.
“ I decided to return to Poland because I believe it is a country with enormous potential for growth and innovation, while the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology is one of the leading research institutes in Poland and this part of Europe. I hope that my return will contribute to strengthening our country’s research potential and enable the implementation of new, advanced structural biology methods,” says Dr Wojciech Galej.
New expertise, new research opportunities
One of the most important outcomes of Dr Galej joining IIMCB will be implementation and development of cryogenic electron tomography. Cryo-ET makes it possible to image biological structures directly within their cellular environment at very high resolution. It therefore bridges observations at the whole-cell level with the analysis of molecular structures.
IIMCB already has the instrumentation required for this type of research. The arrival of a scientist with expertise in this field will enable the Institute to make better use of its capabilities and further develop this method in Poland.
“Wojciech Galej joining our Institute will significantly strengthen our research potential. Wojciech brings not only an excellent scientific track record and world-class, groundbreaking research, including work funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant, but also expertise in the cutting-edge method of cryogenic electron tomography. We are the first centre in Poland to have the appropriate equipment and to implement this method,” emphasises Prof. Marcin Nowotny, Deputy Director for Science at IIMCB.
Strengthening infrastructure and collaboration
This new expertise complements the technological infrastructure being developed at IIMCB. The IN-MOL-CELL infrastructure brings together 10 Core Facilities, providing access to advanced technologies and specialist expertise for both IIMCB research teams and external users.
The development of cryo-ET will expand opportunities for research integrating structural, molecular and cell biology. It will also create new opportunities for collaboration with research teams in Poland and abroad, which will be able to benefit from the expertise and infrastructure being developed at IIMCB.
Return supported by NAWA
Dr Galej’s move to IIMCB is supported by the Polish Returns NAWA 2025 programme. In this year’s call, 69 applications were submitted, with 17 projects receiving funding totalling more than PLN 26.5 million.
The programme enables researchers pursuing careers abroad to return to Poland, establish their own teams, and bring the knowledge and experience gained at international research institutions to Polish organisations.
Polish Returns is implemented in cooperation with the National Science Centre (NCN) and the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR). Funding may cover, among other things, the salaries of the project leader and team members, as well as a start-up grant for research equipment and research activities. Since the programme was launched in 2018, 109 researchers have received support.