The 49^th FEBS Congress has come to a close and has, once again, left us feeling energised and inspired. Thousands of scientists from around the world came together in Istanbul on 5^th – 9^th July to discuss research, exchange ideas, and establish new connections. Here, we highlight the contributions of FEBS Open Bio at this event, including our support for early-career researchers and interactions with the scientific community.

Poster & Speed Talk Prizes

FEBS Open Bio is dedicated to giving back to the scientific community and one of the ways we achieve this is by awarding prizes to the presenters of the best speed talks and posters at the Congress. Our editorial team had the pleasure of meeting many talented presenters and were delighted to see the diversity of research on display.

We would like to congratulate once again the winners of this year:

• Kinga Sarkowicz, from the National Institute of Oncology, Gliwice, Poland. For her poster, “Mechanisms of cell specific regulation of the proteotoxic stress response”.
• Veronika Kocarkova, from the Institute of Microbiology of CAS, Czech Republic. For her speed talk, “A study of putative transcription factors in Bacillus subtilis reveals a novel mechanism of resistance to the antibiotic D-cycloserine”.
• Carmen Sicilia Navarro, from the Center of Cancer Investigation of Salamanca, Spain. For her speed talk, “Platelet C3G modulates the immune response in a murine colitis model”.

‘Meet the Editors’ Session

Just as giving back is an important part of our mission, so is being present and building meaningful connections. We were pleased to have this opportunity during our ‘Meet the Editors’ session where attendees were welcomed to connect with editors and learn more about academic publishing.

The session brought together editors from across the FEBS Press portfolio, allowing participants to gain insight into the different sister journals and receive guidance on selecting the right one. Conversations revolved around how to choose the best journal to publish your research, and tips on increasing a paper’s visibility. It was enjoyable to see many early-career researchers take part with curiosity, and we hope the session left everyone feeling encouraged to contribute to the scientific literature.

Congress Abstracts

In line with our mission to promote open science, FEBS Open Bio publishes the abstracts from the FEBS Congress each year as Supplement issues. This collection features abstracts of talks (including speed talks, plenary lectures, and symposia) and poster presentations. Besides serving as an open archive for new research, the Supplement allows readers to revisit the inspiring research that was shared in Istanbul, and the science that sparked many connections.

FEBS Open Bio Article Prize Winner

We were also delighted to invite the 2025 FEBS Open Bio Article Prize winner, Guilia Lunghi (University of Milano), to present a speed talk at the Congress, where she shared her research on the neuroprotective effects of GM1 ganglioside on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The full-length article from Guilia and her colleagues can be found here.

FEBS Open Bio is proud to have contributed to the success of the 49^th FEBS Congress. With such a vibrant atmosphere, and a contagious sense of enthusiasm, we’re already looking forward to next year in Maastrich! If you haven’t already, we invite you to explore our previous Congress Supplements and keep an eye out for this year’s release. For updates on next year’s Congress, be sure to follow FEBS and FEBS Open Bio on social media.

We hope to see you in Maastricht next year!

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^{Photo from the official FEBS Congress Photo Gallery}