History
The Department of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology has a long and rich history, and its activity is constantly connected with the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. We are one of the oldest units of the Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the oldest organizational unit dealing with genetics in Poland. The unit was established in 1919 by prof. Edmund Malinowski and then we were called – Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding. In 1946, the Department became part of the Faculty of Horticulture, and in 1951 its name was changed to the Department of Genetics. In 1970, the Department of Genetics under the name of the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding was incorporated into the Interdepartmental Institute of Genetics and Plant Breeding, and in 1982 the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding was created from the Department. Its name was changed in 1995 to Department of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology. This change resulted from the expansion of the scope of interests and topics of research and staff development.
Prof Malinowski
Until 1960, the Department was headed by professor Edmund Malinowski, a figure of outstanding merit for the development of genetics and science in Poland, counted among the luminaries of Polish science. Although there were brief formal changes related to the chairing of the department by Professor Malinowski during the Łyssenki period, they should be retained. The next heads of the Department were professors: Helena Bańkowska (1960-1970), Władysław Byszewski (1970-1977), Bogusław Kubicki (1977-1985), Stefan Malepszy (1985-1993; 2009-2012), Zbigniew Przybecki (1994, 1997-1999), Katarzyna Niemirowicz-Szczytt (1995-1996; 2000-2002), Monika Rakoczy-Trojanowska (2003 – 2008; 2017-2020), Grzegorz Bartoszewski (2013-2016)Since 2021, the Department has been headed by dr hab. Hanna Bolibok-Brągoszewska .
During the existence of the Department, the characteristic areas of research were: heterosis and its determinants, labile and latent genes, the use of mutations, genetic determinants of sex and genetic foundations of regulation in in vitro culture, and the use of double haploids and genetic modifications in plant breeding. The characteristic objects of research carried out in the department, in a way symbols of the department’s works, were: petunia (when headed by professor Malinowski), cucumber and rye (professor Kubicki), and on these two species, supplemented with tomato, pumpkin, paprika, poplar and radish, research projects carried out nowadays are concentrated.