The Laboratory of Natural Products Chemistry received its present name in 1999. However its branching roots go much deeper and all the time were associated with the research of natural compounds. Laboratory pedigree stems from one side from Stanisław Kostanecki (1860-1910), on the other hand from Osman Achmatowicz Sr. (1899-1988). They both were active in different places and times, however the ways of their scientific successors came together at the Faculty of Chemistry of University of Warsaw. The subject of research in the field of plant dyes took over S. Kostanecki his student – Wiktor Lampe (1875-1962), he worked at UW since 1919.
Osman Achmatowicz senior linked up with the University of Warsaw in 1934, then worked at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University. After a break of war and several years of stay in Łódź since 1953 O. Achmatowicz with his disciples continued research in the field of natural compounds in the Chair of Organic Chemistry of UW. W. Lampe was in that time a head of the Chair.
One of O. Achmatowicz’s students was Jerzy T. Wróbel (1923-2011). He ran and developed the theme vegetable alkaloids in the Chair of Organic Chemistry, from 1955 it was located in already created the Faculty of Chemistry of University of Warsaw. In 1965 the Department of Analysis of Natural Resources was established and headed by J.T. Wróbel. In 1971 the Department changed its name to Laboratory of Analysis of Natural Resources, the subject of research has expanded beyond alkaloids to other classes of natural compounds. In 1993 Jerzy Szychowski (1939-2013) became the head of the Laboratory, in 1996 heading was taken over by Zbigniew Czarnocki. Under the name amended in 1999 he is still its head.
