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Prof. Wojtek Stec
(15 October 1940 – 4 December 2024)
Biography:
An outstanding chemist and a co-founder of Polish phosphorus chemistry of bioorganic compounds, Professor Stec was a distinguished scientific leader and a dedicated mentor. His research interests centered on bioorganic chemistry, with a particular focus on organophosphorus compounds. A pioneering achievement, together with Dr. Gerald Zon, was the development of the synthesis of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, probes of significant importance in molecular biology and medicinal chemistry. He and his team also invented the first synthesis of stereodefined phosphorothioate analogs of nucleic acids. His prolific career yielded over 400 scientific publications and more than 100 Polish and foreign patents.
As a dedicated educator, Professor Stec supervised 30 doctoral theses, with many of his students going on to become professors at prestigious academic institutions in Poland and abroad. His commitment to the scientific community extended to numerous organizational roles. In 1987, he founded the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry at the Centre for Molecular Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) in Lodz, which he led for 23 years. He was elected a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1993, later serving on its Presidium (2001-2004) and as Vice-President (2007-2010). He also chaired the Biotechnology Committee of the PAS Presidium (1990-1995) and the National Committee for Cooperation with the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) from 1996.
Professor Stec’s contributions earned him widespread national and international recognition, including the prestigious Award of the National Institute of Health, Fogarty-Scholar-In-Residence (1992), the Foundation for Polish Science Prize, often referred to as the Polish Nobel Prize (2004), and the OTS Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting tribute to his enduring scientific legacy.
