Ewa Zapora, PhD, Rector’s Plenipotentiary for the Fungi Extract Bank
17-01-2023
Management, administration, development and collaboration. That, in a nutshell, is the role that Ewa Zapora, PhD who has been appointed as the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for the Fungi Extract Bank at the end of 2022, will perform.
This is the culmination of her work for the Fungi Extract Bank, but also part of the brand development of a collection of fungi extracts created by researchers from the Institute of Forest Sciences, at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental SciencesBialystok University of Technology.
– My appointment as a plenipotentiary was primarily to sort out the administration of the collection’s resources. The number of projects that rely on the resources of the Fungi Extract Bank and the amount of material made available is enormous. It was therefore formally necessary to have a person who would officially supervise it in terms of administration and content. – explains Ewa Zapora, PhD.
The need for some systematisation of activities is part of the development strategy of the Fungi Extract Bank, which is becoming a recognisable brand in Poland and abroad. This unique collection of fungal extracts from, among others, the Białowieża Forest is the result of the passion and cooperation of the scientists from the Institute of Forest Sciences at Bialystok University of Technology. The author of the entire project is Ewa Zapora, PhD, who, together with other employees of the Department of Silviculture and Forest Utilisation of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology, working every day in the Scientific and Research Centre in Hajnówka of the Institute of Forest Sciences, takes care of constantly expanding collection of fungi whose extracts can be used for many purposes, including medicinal ones. The species in question are those with particularly high biological activity, which may have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral or even anticancer properties. An example of this is Heterobasidion annosum, which could provide future support for oncological treatment of colorectal cancer. The bank’s collection currently includes more than 250 fungi extracts from the Białowieża Forest, but also from the forests of north-eastern Poland and other areas of the world.
– My tasks include administering the bank’s resources, but at the same time initiating and managing all projects that rely on the extract collection resources. My responsibilities also include the development of international scientific collaborations. Formally the position of a plenipotentiary will also facilitate the transfer of the collection’s resources for research in other scientific entities with which the Institute of Forest Sciences cooperates or will cooperate in terms of basic research and R&D projects. – explains the Plenipotentiary, who will hold her position until the end of the term of Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Rector of BUT.
By streamlining the bank management process, it will be possible to give it up-to-date development directions, which will result in the implementation of many projects that are important from the perspective of the development of Bialystok University of Technology and the Podlaskie Voivodeship. One of the first of the planned activities will include the establishment of a Mushroom Breeding Laboratory. This will be an important element in the functioning of the bank, whose facilities have so far consisted of the microscopy laboratory, the extraction laboratory and the mushroom stocks themselves. Of course, we cannot forget the exceptional staff of scientists working on the success of the Fungi Extract Bank, including mycologists Marek Wolkowycki and Dr Yauheni Yurchanka – a world specialist in the study of corticoid fungi, a discoverer of fungal species new to science, who has recently joined the team.
The Fungi Extract Bank has now not only the person of a plenipotentiary, but also a prestigious trademark, issued by the European Union Intellectual Property Office on 6 January 2023.
Thus, the Fungi Extract Bank has become a legally protected mark with a registered name. It is a brand. One of a kind and unique. We keep our fingers crossed for its development and congratulate Mrs. Zapora on this high accolade!
Read more about the Fungi Extract Bank
Ewa Zapora, PhD
- Assistant professor in the Department of Silviculture and Forest Utilisation at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology;
- PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences with experience in assessing the impact of natural products on human and animal health, as well as the potential use of bioactive substances;
- author and co-author of scientific publications, patents and patent applications;
- R&D manager, organisational manager of national and international research and teaching grants;
- holder of certifications, incl. Prince2 Foundation Certificate in Project Management; AgilePM Agile Project Management Foundation Examination, Level 1 TRIZ certification – Theory of Innovative Task Solving;
- member of the Polish Mycological Society;
- member of the „Medicinal mushroom” consortium;
- EXPO2020 Dubai Ambassador;
- Team awards:
– Podlaska Marka in the category “Discovery” (2020)
– Innovation 2018. Social innovation. Category: Science for Life (2018). - – Protagonist of the promotional campaign of Podlaskie Voivodeship: “People powered by nature”.
by mz
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