Lately there was a lot of media reports about your research thanks to the NCN award which was awarded for the first time in its history, so in 11 years, to the University of Wrocław. Was it a surprise to you?

Prof. Łukasz Opaliński from the Faculty of Biotechnology UWr: Taking into consideration that the life science panel (NZ) is very wide and highly competitive (it includes biological sciences, molecular biology/biotechnology, medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences), and the fact that the award is given only for the achievements obtained in a short amount of time (until the age of 40) and the award goes to only one person a year, I did not expect I would be the one to receive it. Even being among the eight nominated to the award was a great distinction for me, considering the amazing scientists that got this award in the previous years. So yes, we can safely say that this award was a surprise.

And how was the moment when you found out you won the award?

– I have very fond memories from when the NCN called me to inform me about the prize. I am really glad that the award could get historically for the first time to Wrocław, to my alma mater which is the University of Wrocław. I am sure that we have a lot of talented scientists from different fields at UWr and that it is only a matter of time before more NCN awards will be given to UWr.

Why are this type of awards important? Do they give motivation?

– I personally believe that science awards are not the motivating itself but it is definitely a nice and important moment when years of hard work are being recognized. The NCN award has in my opinion a lot of significant and positive aspects. In comparison to the other awards, this one directly values already existent results obtained by the scientist and not only the concept. We apply for a grant ourselves but for the NCN award we have to be nominated by other scientists. The scientific achievement has to be recognized by various independent researchers as the most important in the year in the country. Not without significance is the fact that NCN is the biggest agency financing science in the country and has the biggest range. Consequently, receiving this award is a huge distinction for me and for my coworkers and it is feedback for us showing that our work is important and that we follow the right path.

The awarding ceremony itself is an important event.

– Tak, towarzyszy jej niezwykle uroczysta oprawa i bardzo duży zasięg medialny. To umożliwia dotarcie z naszą pasją i wynikami naszych prac do bardzo szerokiego zakresu odbiorców, również do osób niezajmujących się na co dzień nauką, np. do słuchaczy popularnych stacji radiowych. Z nagrodą NCN wiąże się też możliwość wygłoszenia otwartego wykładu, który jest dostępny w internecie. Wystąpienia poprzednich laureatów były bardzo często oglądane, osiągając w niektórych przypadkach dużo ponad sto tysięcy wyświetleń. Dodatkowo, duża intensywność kontaktów z mediami czy współpraca z profesjonalną ekipą filmową stanowi dla mnie nowe, ciekawe wyzwanie i szansę do nabycia nowych umiejętności (inaczej już patrzę na trud pracy profesjonalnych aktorów J), ale też doskonałe narzędzie do szerokiej popularyzacji nauki i promocji naszej jednostki naukowej wśród innych naukowców oraz całego społeczeństwa. Osobiście uważam, że jest to niezwykle ważny aspekt, który jako naukowcy często zaniedbujemy, ale z drugiej strony nieczęsto mamy tak doskonałą okazję do popularyzacji nauki. Oby takich możliwości było dla naszej społeczności naukowej jak najwięcej.

Czy możliwe byłoby osiągnięcie takiego sukcesu w pojedynkę?

– Yes, it is very ceremonial and has a big media range. It enables reaching a wide range of audiences with our passion and the results of our work, including people who are not involved in science on a daily basis, for example, listeners of popular radio stations. Receiving the NCN award also gives the opportunity to deliver and open lecture, which is accessible online. The presentations of previous laurates were often widely viewed, reaching in some cases well over a hundred thousand views. In addition, the high intensity of media interactions and collaboration with a professional film crew is a new and exciting challenge for me, providing an opportunity to acquire new skills (I now have a different perspective on the hard work of processional actors). It is also an excellent tool for the widespread popularization of our scientific institution among other researchers and the entire society. Personally, I believe this is an incredibly important aspect and one that scientists often overlook but on the other hand we rarely have such an opportunity of science popularization. May there be as many opportunities like this for our scientific community as possible.

What is needed for the team to create, research, invent and be successful?

– First of all, a nice and professional environment. At our job we do many things at the same time (organizational work, research, didactic work, project management) and the effectiveness depends on not only our work but also other people’s.

Just like the system of connected vessels?

– Yes, one malfunctioning sphere affects others by, for example, taking our attention away from the research. That is why I am incredibly grateful for the years of immense effort put in by the dean’s office of the Faculty of Biotechnology UWr, experienced scientists from the Protein Engineering Department and my entre environment, which led to the establishment of very good working conditions in each of the mentioned parts. I am also extremely grateful for the professionalism and daily kindness of the staff in various administrative departments of our university, especially the administrative sections of the Faculty of Biotechnology. Without their contributions and significant efforts to solve many non-standard problems, the implementation of administratively complex projects would be practically impossible.

What are the characteristics of a good research team?

– I believe that each experienced scientist has their own way of organizing research group and it is difficult to list universal traits of a good research team. I think building an efficient and realistic team is a lengthy process that happens “from the ground up” as a result of our daily interactions, kindness, shared experiences, and time spent solving problems that arise in the work of each team member. This build trust, the awareness that we are all pursuing a significant common goal and that we can rely on each other at any moment. Without this, in my opinion, a team becomes artificial and unproductive in the long run. I also think that the availability of the leader is also crucial and so I always prioritize matters concerning my colleagues, especially regarding research work, in my schedule.

How to look for people for such a team?

– Personnel matters are quite complex and depend on many factors, such as the availability of funding in the form of research grants or existing legal regulations. These are crucial issues because in the experimental sciences, doctoral students due to their daily intensive laboratory work, are unable to take on additional paid employment, and basic doctoral scholarships are too low and so they need additional financial support.

In recruiting people for the team, the effort we put into providing solid and comprehensive education to students plays a positive role. Some of them choose an academic path after completing their studies, enabling us to make efforts to bring them into our teams.

How do you choose the people to be members of your team?

– I pay special attention to the enthusiasm and interest in science (I love working with science enthusiasts). I believe this is crucial; lack of experience and specialized skills can be quickly gained but these traits are different. It is also important to me that a mew team member makes a conscious decision to join us. They need to know not only me but also my colleagues and see if they envision themselves in our team. That is why, during the recruitment process, I provide candidates with the opportunity to meet my colleagues face-to-face, ask them intriguing questions they might not necessarily want to ask me during our first meeting.

Who is your mentor/model/master? Where does your passion for science comes from?

– I can’t pick one specific person but I really admire science enthusiasts. My passion for this field comes from the times of my high school. On this note, I would like to greet the LO im. Henryka Sienkiewicza in Nowa Ruda.

When did your interest for molecular biology start?

– My interest in the field started already in high school. I had the opportunity to experience real research work during my studies at the Faculty of Biotechnology, thanks to the chance to join prof. Jacek Otlewski’s team. This allowed me to engage in scientific research from the beginning of my second year, observe, and learn how to ‘do’ science. Daily collaboration with the members of prof. Otlewski’s team, especially with dr. Katarzyna Śmietana and dr. Arkadiusz Oleksy, whom I warmly greet, played a crucial part at this stage. I think it was a turning point.

We can often hear this question: – When will there be a cure for cancer? What would you respond to that question?

– We have plenty of specific medicine for different types of cancers, often very good and effective. However, we still lack treatments for all types of cancers, especially in the form of modern targeted therapies with high efficacy and low side effects. Because cancer is not a single disease but a collection of diseases that can vary significantly even among patients with the same type of cancer, I believe we will never have a universal cancer cure. However, I am convinced that we will be able to ‘customize’ for each patient through molecular research, ensuring the highest possible treatment effectiveness.

What does a scientist need? A good team, interest, or maybe luck?

– Predictable and stable external conditions, a supportive internal environment, a team that ambitious and well-structured, the ability to ask insightful questions in research, mindfulness, and daily diligence in the quest to find answers to the questions posed.

What are you working on now?

– In general, we’re developing our research within the framework of our current research topics but we also constantly take on new challenges. We never lack interesting ideas. However, at this stage, I would prefer to keep the details to myself and our team.

We wish you good luck then and we are waiting for the results!

Interviewer: Katarzyna Górowicz-Maćkiewicz

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This year the committee of the NCN award has selected 3 laureates in three categories from 44 candidates. Dr hab. Łukasz Opaliński, prof. of the University of Wrocław from the Protein Engineering Department (Faculty of Biotechnology) has been awarded in the Life Science category. The title of this scientific achievement is “Multivalent interactions between fibroblastic growth factor receptors and natural and engineered ligands for applications in research and medicine.”

More about the research.

Translated by Martyna Błaszków (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.