MIROSLAV ZEI
FORMAL AWARD AND RECOGNITION CEREMONY

The National Institute of Biology (NIB) presented awards and recognitions at the 59th anniversary of its existence for the tenth time already. The awards and recognitions are named after Prof. Miroslav Zei, Ph.D., who was one of its founders. The Miroslav Zei awards were presented to individuals for their exceptional achievements in the field of basic and useful research sciences on life and fulfilling the visions and missions of the NIB. The formal event took place on Monday, the 11th of November 2019, at the Biological Centre at Večna pot 111 in Ljubljana. The Director of the NIB, Assoc. Prof. Matjaž Kuntner, Ph.D., and a guest of honor, the Minister for Education, Science and Sport, Jernej Pikalo, Ph.D., formally addressed the assembled guests.

The Miroslav Zei Award for Exceptional Achievements in the Field of Activities of the National Institute of Biology for the year 2019 was presented to Tanja Dreo, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Nataša Mehle, Ph.D.

The Award for an Exceptional Doctoral Dissertation in the Field of Activities of the National Institute of Biology was presented to Klemen Čandek, Ph.D.

Explication:

The Miroslav Zei Award for Exceptional Achievements in the Field of Activities of the National Institute of Biology for the year 2019 was presented to Tanja Dreo, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Nataša Mehle, Ph.D.

Today, we awarded a couple of scientists who are connected with (the same) goal – i.e. the transmission of knowledge into the practice, to be more exact, to outstanding diagnostics of plant microbial pathogens. Their scientific paths were crossed and led parallel in the fields of:
1.    biology, epidemiology, and diversity of bacteria in the case of Tanja Dreo, Ph.D.
2.    and viroids, viruses, and phytoplasmas in the case of Nataše Mehle, Ph.D.

Their research was recognized by the broad scientific public. Today, scientists are a part of the very top of the European and world experts in the specific fields of their activities. By exceptional scientific publications and by cooperation in the preparation of international standards, this year, together with their coworkers, they managed to become a part of a couple of consortium-organized laboratories – the first such European referential laboratories. The National Institute of Biology was selected among several topmost institutions as a part of consortiums in the international tender of which we can be especially proud. In the European referential laboratory for bacteriology, Tanja Dreo, Ph.D., is the head. In the European referential laboratory for viroids, viruses, and phytoplasmas, Nataša Mehle, Ph.D., is the head. Because of exceptional work in the field of plant pathology and plant medical healthcare, they are both recipients of this year’s award. At the same time, they are excellent ambassadors of science and the National Institute of Biology in the world.


The Award for an Exceptional Doctoral Dissertation in the Field of Activities of the National Institute of Biology was presented to Klemen Čandek, Ph.D.

Klemen Čandek, Ph.D., performed his dissertation under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Matjaž Kuntner, Ph.D. The title of the dissertation is “The Role of Dispersal in Spider Speciation, Distribution, and Patterns of Species Richness Focusing on Long-jawed Spiders of the Caribbean Archipelago”. The topic of his research is the biodiversity of spiders and is not and cannot be a local topic as such. The research offered so many interesting results that Klemen Čandek, Ph.D., published them in co-authorship in 6 scientific articles in esteemed scientific journals. His articles have already been quoted for 80 times!

On the ceremony, the recognitions of the National Institute of Biology were presented also to all young coworkers of the NIB, who obtained doctoral degrees from the 1st of October 2018 to the 30th of September 2019 – they are:
1.    Jana Tomc, Ph.D.
2.    Maja Križnik, Ph.D.
3.    Maja Opalički Slabe, Ph.D.
4.    Klemen Čandek, Ph.D.

At the ceremony, Assist. Prof. Maruša Pompe Novak, Ph.D., the head of the Infrastructural Centre of the NIB, also presented a new transmission electron microscope (TEM). Since September this year, the Infrastructural Centre of the National Institute of Biology (NIB) has been supplemented by a new transmission electron microscope Talos L120C in the value of 570,000€, which was purchased by uniting the resources of the National Institute of Biology, the Slovenian Research Agency through the Package 17, the Department of Biology of the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, and the National Institute of Chemistry.

The researchers of the mentioned research institutions have cooperated in the field of electron microscopy successfully for a number of years. The new electron microscope will enable the undisturbed continuation of the current research which was performed on the Philips 100 TEM in the last 20 years. At the same time, it will enable further development and availability of new techniques of electron microscopy. The new transmission electron microscope is specialized for observing biological samples. At the same time, it enables visualization of an exceptionally broad spectrum of samples, i.e. everything from isolated macromolecules, viruses, and bacteria to the internal cell structure of fungi, plants, animals, and humans, with nanometer resolution. Therefore, it will be used by researches from different institutions and companies to perform a large number of various projects.


Additional information: Katja Ploj: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 00 386 59 232 701.