We are pleased to announce that as of the 1 April two new Laboratories started their activities at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw: Laboratory of Single-Molecule Biophysics, headed by Dr. Ewelina Małecka-Grajek and Laboratory of Cellular Genomics, headed by Dr. Aleksandra Kołodziejczyk.

In the Laboratory of Single-Molecule Biophysics the researchers are  focused on understanding the coordination between RNA targeting, degradation, and translation in bacteria. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial, but others can cause infectious diseases. The Laboratory also performs research using the TIRF microscopy method which allows the visualization of hundreds of biomolecules immobilized on the microscopic slide. However, each molecule is analyzed separately. 

In the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics the main research area is investigating the bidirectional crosstalk between the liver and the intestine, focusing on the role of resident microbiota. The researchers also explore how shifts in bacterial composition and changes in intestinal physiology affect liver cells and how liver health contributes to the homeostasis in the gut.They are also focused on the mechanisms underlying chronic inflammatory processes accompanying organ fibrosis, metabolic syndrome and autoimmune disorders. The scientists are also exploring the role of microbiota-derived metabolites in the host physiology, with special regard to the the molecular mechanisms by which metabolites affect cellular functions.