INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOSWIADCZALNEJ IM. M. NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK

Their core work

The Nencki Institute is Poland's leading experimental biology research centre, part of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Their core work spans neuroscience — particularly brain circuitry underlying social behavior and neurodegeneration — and metabolic disease research, with a strong focus on mitochondrial dysfunction in liver disease. They combine fundamental research in cell biology and molecular neuroscience with translational efforts in diagnostics and biomarker development. The institute also serves as a major training hub, running international doctoral programmes that bring early-career researchers into biomedicine.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 involvement (2015–2016) centered on building research capacity — their flagship Bio4Med doctoral programme and the SiCMetabol signaling project reflect a broad investment in training and foundational metabolic research. By 2017, the focus sharpened toward specific disease mechanisms: Alzheimer's pathology via heparan sulfate biology (ArrestAD), social neuroscience through amygdala connectomics (CoSI), and mitochondrial dysfunction in fatty liver disease (mtFOIE GRAS). The trajectory shows a clear shift from broad capacity-building toward targeted translational research in neurodegeneration and metabolic diagnostics.

Nencki is moving toward translational neuroscience and disease-specific diagnostics, making them an increasingly relevant partner for projects bridging fundamental brain research with clinical applications.

How they like to work

Nencki operates comfortably in both leadership and partner roles — coordinating 3 of 8 projects, including their two largest grants (Bio4Med at EUR 2.3M and CoSI at EUR 1.3M). With 73 unique partners across 21 countries, they are a well-connected hub rather than a closed-circle collaborator. Their participation in multi-partner MSCA training networks and RISE mobility projects shows an institute that values broad international exchange and is experienced in managing distributed consortia.

Nencki has built a substantial European network of 73 distinct consortium partners spanning 21 countries, reflecting deep integration into the EU research landscape. Their network is strongest in biomedical and life science circles, built through MSCA training networks and collaborative disease-focused projects.

What sets them apart

Nencki sits at the intersection of neuroscience and metabolic disease — two domains that rarely overlap in a single institute but increasingly converge in research on neurodegeneration. Their dual strength in fundamental brain circuitry work (amygdala, epilepsy) and molecular metabolism (mitochondria, liver disease) makes them a versatile partner for projects that cross traditional disease boundaries. As a Polish Academy of Sciences institute, they offer strong scientific infrastructure at competitive costs compared to Western European counterparts, with proven ability to coordinate multi-million euro programmes.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Bio4Med
  Their largest project (EUR 2.3M) — an MSCA-COFUND international doctoral programme that trained the next generation of biomedical researchers across brain disease, cancer, and metabolic disorders.
• CoSI
  A EUR 1.3M ERC Starting Grant investigating how the amygdala encodes social interactions of different emotional valence — fundamental neuroscience with implications for social behavior disorders.
• ArrestAD
  Targeted early Alzheimer's detection through heparan sulfate biology and membrane alterations in monocytes — a creative approach to non-invasive screening that bridges glycobiology with neurodegeneration.