During the first meeting of the Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk in the new year, the FarU Award was presented for a grassroots initiative that has had an impact on the communities of three universities and is sustainable in nature. The award went to an inter-university team whose innovative method, based on basic research in molecular spectroscopy, enables non-invasive estimation of time of death, age and biological sex.
The initiative, entitled ‘A non-invasive method for estimating time of death, age and biological sex,’ has already yielded scientific and practical results. It has been verified in experimental studies, and its theoretical basis and results have been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal (DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.127057). The developed method provides a basis for further research on the application of molecular spectroscopy techniques in the analysis of changes occurring in biological material after death. It will also enable the development of interdisciplinary research combining molecular spectroscopy with forensic science.
The winning team consists of:
- dr hab. Łukasz Balwicki, prof. MUG from the Department of Public Health and Social Medicine at the MUG
- prof. dr hab. Michał Kaliszan from the Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine at the MUG
- dr eng. Mattia Pierpaoli, prof. GdańskTech from the Centre for Future Materials GdańskTech
- dr hab. Aneta Lewkowicz, prof. UG from the Department of Forensic Research UG
- mgr Martyna Czarnomska and mgr Emilia Gruszczyńska - doctoral students from UG
‘The results achieved are the effect of a broad, inter-university model of cooperation within The Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk (FarU), which enables the real combination of competences in the fields of medical sciences, forensic sciences, physics, chemistry and materials engineering. Such an environment is conducive to innovation – from research concepts to solutions with application potential, verified experimentally and published in an international scientific journal,’ says prof. Aneta Lewkowicz, Head of the Department of Forensic Research at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk. ‘The support of FarU and the commitment of the Rectors of all partner universities have created the conditions for interdisciplinary research that transcends the traditional boundaries of disciplines and institutions, which is crucial for the development of modern forensic sciences and basic research.’
Among the teams invited to the second stage of the Fahrenheit University Award competition, one more received an honourable mention: ‘NeuroGDA - a series of scientific seminars’, submitted by dr hab. Aleksandra Rutkowska from the Department of Social Nursing and Health Promotion at the MUG, dr Krzysztof Basiński from the Department of Quality of Life Research at the MUG, prof. Michał Kucewicz from the Department of Multimedia Systems at GdańskTech, and prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn from the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Gdańsk. NeuroGDA is an initiative integrating researchers of the nervous system, thanks to which seven seminars and a four-hour conference were held in 2025 with the participation of representatives from three universities, the Tricity, and even guests from abroad (Tokyo and Copenhagen). The organisers have already planned further meetings, and interest is growing, as neurobiology is an interdisciplinary field bringing together researchers from biology, medicine, psychology, physics, computational sciences, artificial intelligence and other fields.
The FarU Award ceremony will take place during the 5th Fahrenheit Science Picnic on 24 May this year.
After the competition part was over, the members of the Association's Assembly reviewed the applications submitted for conference funding, discussed the planned launch of a grant programme and the organisation of an event for the communities of three universities in the spring.