The Belgian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology traces its origins to 1951, when Marcel Florkin initiated the creation of the Belgian Biochemical Society to enable Belgium's participation in the newly established International Union of Biochemistry. On 15 September 1951, a group of distinguished Belgian scientists—including Edouard J. Bigwood, Jean Brachet, Christian de Duve, Marcel Florkin, Lucien Massart, Paul Putzeys, Laurent Vandendriessche, and Claude Lièbecq—drafted the Society’s statutes. These were formally adopted at the first General Assembly on 12 January 1952 in Brussels, where Marcel Florkin was elected President and Claude Lièbecq Secretary-Treasurer.
The Society’s first scientific meeting was held on 8 March 1952 as a joint meeting with the French Société de Chimie Biologique and was chaired by Christian de Duve. From its inception, the Society actively promoted scientific exchange and international collaboration.
A major milestone came in 1955 when the Society organized the 3rd International Congress of Biochemistry in Brussels. In 1962, the Society celebrated its tenth anniversary with a joint meeting involving the British, Dutch, and French biochemical societies.
The Society’s scientific excellence was further highlighted in 1974 when two of its members, Albert Claude and Christian de Duve, were awarded the Nobel Prize. By its 25th anniversary in 1977, the Society had organized 100 scientific meetings, featuring more than 3,000 scientific communications and around 100 lectures of general interest, while membership had grown to approximately 700 scientists.
At its 50th anniversary in 2002, the Society had nearly 1,000 members and had held 182 scientific meetings. It embraced new technologies by launching a website in 1999 and publishing meeting abstracts electronically from 2000 onward, reflecting the increasing volume of scientific contributions and the growing importance of digital communication.
In 2026, a new General Board took office, marking a new chapter in the Society’s development. The Society welcomes new board members and launches a new website.
Throughout its history, the Belgian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has played a central role in fostering biochemical and molecular biological research in Belgium, promoting scientific excellence, international cooperation, and the dissemination of knowledge.