The 49th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress, held in Istanbul, brought together over 2,000 scientists.
- More than 84 speakers and 1,300 posters
- A meeting point for researchers from 67 countries and a programme packed with cutting-edge science and cultural highlights
The 49th Congress of the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ (Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ): Bridging Continents to Advance Life Science, a collaboration between the Turkish Biochemical Society (TBS) – a Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Member Society – and Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ, took place in Istanbul from July 5 to 9 2025, attracting over 2,000 scientists from more than 67 countries.
Professor Miguel A. De la Rosa, the Secretary General of Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ, delivered the opening ceremony speech.
The 49th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress commenced with a speech by the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress Counsellor, Prof. Piotr Laidler, followed by remarks from Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa, Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Secretary General, and Prof. Ferhan G. Sağın, Congress Chair and Co-Chair of the host society, TBS. Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa highlighted the contributions of Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ to the scientific community and presented its strategic direction for 2025 and the years to come.
This year’s scientific programme included 84 invited speakers and featured 13 plenary lectures, 17 research symposia, and 6 special sessions. In addition, 32 short talks and 66 speed talks were selected from submitted abstracts and presented alongside over 1,300 posters.
As in every Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress, support for early-career researchers was a central focus. Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ contributed approximately 180 bursaries and around 100 YSF grants, while TBS supported 120 additional early-career attendees.Ìý The participants were provided with a mobile app for the event, and the abstracts are published in a Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Open Bio.
As in every Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress, support for early-career researchers was a central focus. The 24th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Young Scientists’ Forum (YSF) preceded the Congress and was held in Sapanca from July 2 to 5, 2025. The YSF brought together over 100 selected PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from 31 countries. Under the motto Inspired by Nature, Driven by Science, the YSF programme featured keynote lectures, career skills sessions, and opportunities for participants to present their research, exchange ideas, and build their professional network. A highlight of the forum was the mentoring sessions with Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Excellence Awardees, who were attending a parallel meeting in Sapanca. Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ supported 100 participants with YSF grants covering Congress registration, accommodation for both the YSF and the Congress, and most travel expenses. In addition, two participants were sponsored by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), and two by the UK Biochemical Society.
Throughout the 49th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress, several prestigious distinctions were awarded, including the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Sir Hans Krebs, Datta, and Theodor Bücher Medals, and the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ|EMBO Women in Science Award, as well as prizes from the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ journals and other Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ recognitions such as the Education Award, the Israel Pecht Award, and the Anniversary Prize (of the GBM).
Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵÌý Sir Hans Krebs Medal awardee Prof. Annette G. Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig University, Germany), who delivered the opening plenary lecture on ‘G protein-coupled peptide receptors: structure, function and innovative therapeutic concepts’.
Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Datta Medal awardee, Prof. Mübeccel Akdis (Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland), who spoke on ‘Mechanisms of food allergy and the role of allergen-specific B cells’.
Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Theodor Bücher Medal awardee , Prof. ÌýAndrea Ballabio (Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy), who delivered a plenary lecture on ‘Lysosomal signaling in metabolic adaptation and tumorigenesis’.
Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Press journals played a prominent role at the Congress, sponsoring plenary lectures by René Bernards on cancer treatment regimens and Jan Potempa on the role of bacterial proteases in chronic inflammatory diseases. The journals also celebrated outstanding research published in 2024 by presenting TheÌýÂ鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Journal Richard Perham PrizeÌýtoÌýMatteo BrindisiÌýand Luca Frattaruolo and theÌýÂ鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Letters AwardÌýto Arno Alpi and Peter Murray.Ìý
Throughout the Congress, the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Press Editorial staff engaged closely with meeting attendees, judging poster and speed talk presentations to select prize winners, and holding personal meet-the-editor chats. A dedicated Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Press session featured presentations by the Editors in Chief of the four journals owned by Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ, followed by lively group discussions with early-career researchers on topics such as choosing the right journal for publication and effectively promoting your research after publication.ÌýA highlight of the session was a full-house presentation by graphic illustrator Matteo Oliverio, who provided guidance on how to design effective graphical abstracts for scientific articles.
During the Congress, Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ enhanced its strategic partnerships beyond Europe by signing collaboration agreements with esteemed scientific organizations:
- The Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB)
- The Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (KSBMB)
Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa, Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Secretary General, and Prof. Joon Kim, FAOBMB President
Prof. Miguel A. De la Rosa, Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Secretary General, and Prof. Bong-Kiung Kaang, KSBMB President
Industry and sponsor engagement played a key role in the success of the Congress: in total, the Congress hosted 25 and an industry session, providing spaces for dialogue between academia and innovation leaders.
ÌýThe social programme of the Congress included a striking performance by the internationally acclaimed Fire of Anatolia during the opening ceremony, the Women in Science lunch, two Bosphorus cruises (one of which hosted the official Congress dinner), and a special interdisciplinary event co-organised with the 32nd Istanbul Jazz Festival. Titled Groove on the Brain: How Jazz Shapes the Mind, a session that brought together scientists and musicians in a live performance that explored the relationship between music and the brain, stood out as one of the creative highlights of the week.
The 49th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress stood out not only for the quality of its science but for the sense of community and inspiration it fostered throughout. With thanks to all who made it possible, Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ looks forward to the 50th Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress: Biochemistry for the next 50 years, which will take place in Maastricht, The Netherlands, from July 4 to 8, 2026, and is co-organized by Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ and the Netherlands Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NVBMB).
Photos from the 49th ÌýÂ鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Congress can be viewed at:
Watch
