The Miroslav Zei Awards were given to individuals for their outstanding achievements in the field of basic and applied research of life sciences and realizing the vision and the mission of NIB.

The guests were addressed by Prof. Dr. Maja Makovec Brenčič, Minister of Education, Science and Sport, and  Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek, Director of NIB.

The following Miroslav Zei Awards were given out at the ceremony:

1) The Grand Miroslav Zei Award for Lifetime Achievement in the field of activity of the National Institute of Biology in 2015 was   received by Prof. Dr. Radovan Komel.

Prof. Dr. Radovan Komel, Head of the Medical Centre for Molecular Biology at the Medical Faculty, is an eminent and internationally renowned researcher in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology and one of the founders of molecular biology and medical genetics, as well as of genetic engineering in biochemistry and biotechnology in Slovenia. In his work he has always strived to "demolish the walls" between different institutions and has supported a linking polycentricism in Slovenian biochemical and medical research and development sphere.

Prof. Dr. Radovan Komel worked abroad already during his doctoral study and postdoctoral research. After returning to Slovenia he began to introduce his areas of activity at the time, namely techniques of genetic engineering and medical molecular genetics, into the Slovenian research sphere. He has been the head of various laboratories, most importantly, he was the leader of a group of researchers from the Institute of Chemistry and the Lek Pharmaceutical Company whose work led to the production process of the first Slovenian biological medicinal product. Among other important positions, he was also the chairman of the government commission for the preparation of the law on gene technology and from this year onwards also the chairman of the working group for drafting the law on biomedicine. He was the national coordinator for the area of biotechnology. Since 2006, he has been the chairman of the Scientific Committee for the Management of Genetically Modified Organisms in Closed Systems in the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.

2) The Miroslav Zei Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the field of activity of the National Institute of Biology in 2015 were received by:

Assistant Prof. Matjaž Kuntner, PhD – The Miroslav Zei Award for Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement in the last five years.

Dr. Matjaž Kuntner, Head of the Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology at the Science and Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, works in the field of arachnology, i.e. the study of arachnids, especially the Nephilidae group of spiders. With a number of excellent publications in international scientific literature in recent years he has significantly contributed to the understanding of the biology and systematics of these animals in our country and in the world. He received Miroslav Zei Award for an outstanding achievement: the discovery of new species of spiders in the Old World Tropics, among them endemic species from the oceanic islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and Ryukyu, and the endangered ecosystems in Australia, Asia and Africa.

Associate Prof. Bojan Sedmak, PhD – The Miroslav Zei Award for Outstanding Achievement in Development in the last five years.

The result of fruitful teamwork and excellent abilities of Dr. Bojan Sedmak to bring together and link the academic and the business-technical sphere is the application at the European Patent Office of the invention for a method and system for simultaneous non-invasive detection, differentiation of composition, structure and morphology of microscopic masses and communities, their changes and conditions through pulse-induced lighting.

3)  The National Institute of Biology Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in the field of activity of the National Institute of Biology in 2015 was given to:

Dr. Nina Prezelj, who has published six scientific papers so far (the seventh is about to be published). Out of these, three papers are part of a doctoral thesis. All papers are in the A1 category and have already been cited 27 times.

Title of PhD thesis: Molecular Interactions between Phytoplasmal Casual Agents of Grapevine Yellows Disease and Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.) 

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Marina Dermastia

Dr. Nejc Rački, who has published five papers, out of which four papers are part of a doctoral thesis, four are in the A1 category, and have been cited 14 times so far.

Title of PhD thesis: New Methods for Detection and Removal of Waterborne Virus

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Maja Ravnikar

4)  All fellows of NIB who obtained doctoral degrees during the period from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015 received the National Institute of Biology Recognition Prize at the ceremony. These are:

Dr. Jana Erjavec

Dr. Anastazija Jež Krebelj

Dr. Anka Kuhelj

Dr. Ana Lazar

Dr. Nina Mencin

Dr. Nina Prezelj

Dr. Nejc Rački

Dr. Maja Rupnik Cigoj

Dr. Ida Šmid

Dr. Allen Wei Liu

The event was moderated by Polona Strnad, and was enriched by a musical performance by the Biological Octet music ensemble.

A photography exhibition "PUNT-A" by a photographer, diver and a man of many talents Tihomir Makovec was put on display in the lobby of the Biological Centre.