Wacław Gajewski
Encyclopedia
Wacław Gajewski was a Polish geneticist
, one of the founders of the Polish post-war genetics and author of numerous academic and popular scientific books.
-- a pseudoscientific theory of genetics proposed by the Soviet agronomist, Trofim Lysenko
. Consequently, for almost ten years of the Stalinism
era, Gajewski was not allowed any contacts to students; however, he was permitted to continue his scientific work.
In 1956, with the fall of the stalism era and the diminishing importance of lysenkoism, Gajewski was allowed to hold a position of lecturer at the Uniwersytet Warszawski, where two years later, the first Polish department of genetics was established under his leadership.
During the years 1967-1981 Gajewski was the director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 1981, when martial law
was introduced in Poland, Gajewski (then retired) was initially on the list of Polish scientists that were to be arrested.
and molecular genetics
.
In the late 40s and early 50s, Gajewski was working on the genetics of the genus Geum
. Later, he published several acknowledged papers in the area of funghal genetics.
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
, one of the founders of the Polish post-war genetics and author of numerous academic and popular scientific books.
Biography
Shortly after the war, in 1948 Gajewski was one of the few Polish biologists who opposed the official "new biology", lysenkoismLysenkoism
Lysenkoism, or Lysenko-Michurinism, also denotes the biological inheritance principle which Trofim Lysenko subscribed to and which derive from theories of the heritability of acquired characteristics, a body of biological inheritance theory which departs from Mendelism and that Lysenko named...
-- a pseudoscientific theory of genetics proposed by the Soviet agronomist, Trofim Lysenko
Trofim Lysenko
Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was a Soviet agronomist of Ukrainian origin, who was director of Soviet biology under Joseph Stalin. Lysenko rejected Mendelian genetics in favor of the hybridization theories of Russian horticulturist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin, and adopted them into a powerful...
. Consequently, for almost ten years of the Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
era, Gajewski was not allowed any contacts to students; however, he was permitted to continue his scientific work.
In 1956, with the fall of the stalism era and the diminishing importance of lysenkoism, Gajewski was allowed to hold a position of lecturer at the Uniwersytet Warszawski, where two years later, the first Polish department of genetics was established under his leadership.
During the years 1967-1981 Gajewski was the director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 1981, when martial law
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
was introduced in Poland, Gajewski (then retired) was initially on the list of Polish scientists that were to be arrested.
Scientific career
Gajewski first published in 1932. He soon became interested in cytogeneticsCytogenetics
Cytogenetics is a branch of genetics that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the cell, especially the chromosomes. It includes routine analysis of G-Banded chromosomes, other cytogenetic banding techniques, as well as molecular cytogenetics such as fluorescent in situ...
and molecular genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
.
In the late 40s and early 50s, Gajewski was working on the genetics of the genus Geum
Geum
Geum , commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family Rosaceae, native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and New Zealand...
. Later, he published several acknowledged papers in the area of funghal genetics.