Scientists from IIMCB honored by the Polish Academy of Sciences
A team of researchers led by Dr. Wojciech Pokrzywa of the Laboratory of Protein Metabolism at IIMCB has received an award from the Division II of the Polish Academy of Sciences for “Discovery of new proteostasis mechanisms important in the functioning of organisms and development of new therapies.”
The award-winning team consisted of Wojciech Pokrzywa, PhD, Natalia Szulc, MSc, Aniruddha Das, PhD, Abhishek Dubey, PhD (all from IIMCB), Michał Turek, PhD (Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences), and Prof. Rafał Płoski, MD, PhD (Medical University of Warsaw).
As the applicant for the award, Prof. Jacek Kuźnicki highlighted the team’s groundbreaking discoveries on the mechanisms regulating protein proteostasis and their impact on the function of cells and organisms. This was possible thanks to the extensive use of advanced research methods in the laboratory of Dr. Wojciech Pokrzywa - from bioinformatics and molecular modeling to in vivo physiological tests using a C. elegans model organism. Active cooperation with numerous scientific institutions in Poland and abroad has also been an important part of the success.
- I am grateful to the Polish Academy of Sciences for recognizing our work, which bridges scientific, clinical, and educational dimensions. My research is driven by scientific curiosity and a commitment to understanding how our discoveries influence the functioning of entire organisms. I also believe that science should serve society, which is why my group develops innovative bioinformatics tools, designs educational computer games, and actively engages in rare disease research and patient support,” emphasized Dr. Wojciech Pokrzywa, the award recipient.
The basis of the recognized scientific achievement were results published in: EMBO Reports (2021), EMBO Journal (2022), Human Molecular Genetics (2023) and iScience (2023).
dr. hab. Wojciech Popkrzywa. head of Laboratory of Protein Metabolism at International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw