The annual Scientific Picnic of the Nencki Institute was held on 31^st May 2019. The official ceremony began with the handing out of state awards by the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, to distinguished employees of the Institute. The awards were given to: prof. Wioletta Waleszczyk, dr. Anna Wasik, mgr. Monika Małecka-Krawczyk, dr. Artur Wolny. The Director of the Institute, Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, presented medals for the 100th anniversary of the Nencki Institute, awarded to: prof. Mariusz Więckowski, dr hab. Joanna Szczepanowska, dr hab. Dorota Nowicka, dr Zbigniew Zieliński and Bogusława Sudoł-Rutkowska.

Awards, distinctions, and diplomas, for the popularization of science, were also presented. A special Jan Dembowski Prize was awarded to Dorota Nowicka, PhD. Special distinctions were awarded to: Karolina Nizińska, Ida Raciborska and Aleksandra Stępniak. Diplomas were awarded to: Małgorzata Całka, Aleksandra Głowacka, Ilke Guntan, Katarzyna Jaślan, Chinchu Jayaprakash, Olena Karatsai, Julita Korczyńska, Mateusz Kostecki, Magdalena Lebiedzińska-Arciszewska, Potes Ochoa Yaiza, Maciej Olszewski, Małgorzata Śliwińska, Agnieszka Strzelecka-Kiliszek, Paulina Szadkowska, Anna Szczuka, Kinga Szydłowska, Mariusz Więckowski, Tomasz Włodarczyk, Artur Wolny, Dominika Wojton.

Traditionally, on the occasion of the Institute's Scientific Picnic, an action of honorary blood donation took place. In the morning, a bloodmobile - a mobile blood donation center - was parked in front of the Institute, where all those willing to donate blood to those in need, could do so.

During the scientific section of the event, participants listened to a lecture by Nencki Prize Laureate-Professor Jacek Gaertig from Georgia University, entitled "Size control and pattern formation in a single-cell model Tetrahymena".

This was followed by a picnic on the patio of the Institute. Discussions over a grill and coffee lasted until late in the afternoon. Thank you and see you next year!