26th Heart of Europe Bio-Crystallography Meeting

The 26th Heart of Europe Bio-Crystallography Meeting (HEC26) took place from 26th to 28th September 2024, in the historic city of Kraków, Poland. Hosted by the group of Sebastian Glatt and Przemysław Grudnik from the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University Kraków, the event gathered a vibrant community of structural biologists from across Central Europe. The meeting was attended by structural biology experts from numerous research groups, and the participation of scientists from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland contributed to the lively exchange of ideas.

A total of 121 participants registered for this year’s meeting at a spectacular venue, the monumental Forest Hotel on the hill of Przegorzały. The program included 50 talks: the HEC Lecture by Arwen Pearson (University of Hamburg, Germany), introductory lectures by three new HEC groups, 17 scientific talks, and 25 flash talks by PhD and Masters' students, as well as four sponsor talks. The opening session featured presentations from the three new HEC groups headed by Krzysztof Brzeziński and Miłosz Ruszkowski from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Science, and by Michał Szymański from the University of Gdansk, Poland.

Over the course of the three-day program, fascinating research into the molecular mechanisms of biomolecules and their complexes as well as updates on state-of-the-art structural biology methods were presented. A highlight of the event was the HEC Lecture, delivered by Arwen Pearson, who captivated the audience with an overview on recent advancements in time-resolved macromolecular serial crystallography.

Participants at the 26th Heart of Europe Bio-Crystallography meeting in Krakow, Poland.

Several companies (Arinax, CGF Biotec, Cytiva, Dectris, Dunn, Formulatrix, Jena Bioscience, NanoTemper, PHCbi, Proteros, Rigaku, Sarstedt, Selvita) participated in the event, generously supporting the meeting through presentations and sponsorships. Their involvement introduced the latest technological advancements to the structural biology community.

The meeting awarded prizes for outstanding presentations. Jana Skerlová from the group of Pavlína Maloy Řezáčová, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, won the 'HEC Prize' for the best full talk, with Evangelia Nathanail (group of Oliver Daumke, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine) and Mathias Schenk (group of Miriam Linnert, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology) also being recognized for their excellent contributions. David Speck from the group of Patrick Scheerer, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, received a special distinction. The prize for the best flash talk was awarded to Duc-Anh Nguyen from the group of Milton Stubbs, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

HEC26 Prize winners: Duc-Anh Nguyen (second from left), Mathias Schenk (third from left), Evangelia Nathanail (third from right) and David Speck (second from right), with organizers Przemysław Grudnik (left) and Sebastian Glatt (right). Jana Skerlová, who was awarded the prestigious 'HEC Prize' for her outstanding presentation, was unable to participate in the group photo.

A social afternoon offered opportunities for relaxed discussions amidst nature, on a guided hike to Piłsudski Mound, and science, on a tour of the SOLARIS Synchrotron. The lively HEC Party at the Forest Hotel on Friday night created a warm and festive atmosphere, encouraging both formal and informal exchanges well into the evening.

Recreational hike to the top of Piłsudski Mound (left) and a visit to the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre (right).

The success of HEC26 sets the stage for the 27th Heart of Europe Bio-Crystallography meeting, which will take place in Halberstadt, Germany, from 25th to 27th September 2025, and will be organized by the group of Markus Wahl, Freie Universität Berlin. We look forward to another inspiring gathering next year.