Tribute to Andrii Romanenko

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Andrii Romanenko, a doctoral student at the Laboratory of environmental virology (LEV), on 23 May 2024.

Andrii joined the LEV in June 2022, bringing with him an unyielding passion for the environmental sciences. He held a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and Bioengineering from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, and he later obtained a Master's degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Andrii's research focused on the effect of microbial diversity on the fate of viruses in the environment. He was deeply dedicated to his work, which showed very promising results, and he was about to submit his first paper.

Beyond his academic contributions, Andrii was a caring colleague and a loyal friend, always ready to offer his help, to share, and to get involved. He was particularly active in the PolyDoc committee, where he served as the event coordinator. His intellectual curiosity, warm smile, and contagious enthusiasm have left a significant void in our community.

We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and to all who had the privilege of knowing him.