A university that changes the course of life
Prof. Zygmunt Derewenda delivered his lecture in the very hall where, more than half a century earlier, he had received his diploma from the University of Lodz. This symbolic return became an opportunity for personal reflection: on the immense role the University of Lodz played in his life and scientific career. As he emphasised, the University gave him far more than he could ever give back.
Although his interest in biology and chemistry had already emerged in his youth, including during his education abroad, it was in Lodz that this passion found the right conditions to develop. It was here that he met people who could recognise talent, stimulate ambition and guide it in the right direction. It was at the University of Lodz that the young student discovered that a scientific path does not have to be a simple repetition of established patterns, but can lead towards new, unconventional solutions.
From the Department of Biophysics to haemoglobin
The choice of specialisation and joining the Department of Biophysics of Prof. Wanda Lejko – a pioneer of biophysics in Poland, proved to be one of the most important moments. It was there that an atmosphere prevailed which Prof. Derewenda recalled as exceptionally inspiring: friendly, open and intellectually stimulating. In this environment, together with his friend Andrzej Marek Brzozowski, he explored one of the most important molecules in the human body: haemoglobin.
At that time, haemoglobin was already among the most significant subjects of structural biology research. It was around this molecule that groundbreaking questions concerning protein structure, function and mechanisms of action were formulated. For young researchers from Lodz, entering this field meant stepping directly into the very centre of global science.
Coincidence that opens the way to discovery
The history of science is not composed solely of great laboratories and perfect research conditions. Sometimes it begins with intuition, perseverance and the readiness to act despite limited resources. Prof. Derewenda, together with his team, undertook attempts to crystallise haemoglobin. This work was conducted in conditions far from the comfort of Western laboratories. There was a lack of equipment, reagents and access to specialised infrastructure. Yet it was precisely then that crystals of deoxyhaemoglobin were obtained and observations were made that had breakthrough cognitive significance. Not everything was fully utilised in publications at the time, but this stage laid the foundations for later successes.
As Prof. Derewenda emphasised in his lecture, this clearly demonstrates the crucial role played by the University of Lodz – not only as an educational institution, but as a genuine research environment in which ideas capable of entering the international scientific discourse were born. Without UniLodz, there would have been neither the first experiments, nor the contacts, nor the further path leading to centres such as York or Cambridge.
A Lodz beginning to a global story
Prof. Derewenda clearly demonstrated that his path to global science did not begin abroad, but in Lodz – with a meeting with docent Mieczysław Grabowski, who spoke the decisive words:
“please sit down, let us talk, let us try”
This marked the beginning of the future work of Prof. Derewenda – then still a student in the Department of Crystallography – starting with experiments often conducted at the limits of technical feasibility. It was the University of Lodz that created the conditions in which biology, chemistry, biophysics and crystallography could be combined.
Later discoveries of international significance emerged from this Lodz story. Research on haemoglobin, conducted by Polish scientists originating from this environment, led to publications in Nature and to results that became a part of the most important debates concerning the mechanism of haemoglobin function. It was a story of science driven by passion, courage, and perseverance – but also the story of an institution capable of recognising the potential of its students and researchers.
Polish science at the centre of a global debate
Polish researchers were not merely observers of global scientific processes. At a certain point, they found themselves at the very centre of one of the most important debates in 20th-century molecular biology – concerning how haemoglobin binds oxygen and how its structure changes.
Their work mattered because it provided arguments in a discussion conducted by the most eminent researchers of the era, including Nobel Prize laureates. Moreover, during the research process itself, our protagonists demonstrated remarkable determination. They worked using improvised methods, engaging in weeks-long efforts including night sessions at laboratory equipment, manually drawing electron density maps, transporting equipment and data across borders, and constantly improvising where modern infrastructure was beyond reach.
Discoveries of global importance began at the University of Lodz
The lecture by Prof. Zygmunt Derewenda is not only a story about haemoglobin. It is also a story about how a university can become the starting point for a world-class scientific journey. It highlights the immense importance of mentors, a stimulating work environment, intellectual courage and the readiness to cross boundaries between disciplines.
In this story, the University of Lodz is one of the main protagonists. It was here that the path which led Prf. Derewenda to the most important centres of structural biology began. It was here that the Polish history of haemoglobin research took shape. And it was here that the foundations were laid for achievements that remain, to this day, a testament to the strength of science created through passion and perseverance.
Breakthrough articles in Nature
Discover the groundbreaking publications which, in the 1980s, thanks to researchers originating from the University of Lodz, marked milestone advances in haemoglobin research and consequently contributed to the later development of many medicines that today save millions of lives:
Bonding of molecular oxygen to T state human haemoglobin
Structure of the liganded T state of haemoglobin identifies the origin of cooperative oxygen binding
High resolution crystal structures and comparisons of T-state deoxyhaemoglobin and two liganded T-State haemoglobins: T(α-oxy)haemoglobin and T(met)haemoglobin
Edit: Michał Gruda (Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University, University of Lodz)
