New research prospects at IIMCB thanks to grants from the National Science Center
Brain aging mechanisms, RNA modeling, the fight against antibiotic resistance, and gut microbiota analysis – these are just some of the wide-ranging topics that will be covered by new projects at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. The institute has received nearly PLN 9 million from the National Science Centre, and among the five winners, alongside professors who are leaders of research groups, there are also two doctoral students. Funding under the OPUS 29 and PRELUDIUM 24 competitions will enable key basic research to be carried out.
The research led by Prof. Jacek Jaworski, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology at IIMCB, will focus on how inflammation and ageing affect the structure of neurons in the brain, in particular dendrites, which are essential for communication between nerve cells. The aim of the project is to understand the mechanisms of inflammation-related brain damage and to identify the basis for new therapies that could prevent cognitive decline.
Prof. Janusz Bujnicki, together with his team in the Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, will develop methods for designing RNA and protein molecules that interact with each other in ways specific to RNA sequence or structure. Interactions between proteins and RNA form a regulatory network that enables cells to precisely control gene activity, maintain biological homeostasis, and respond to infectious agents. The Bujnicki group will apply machine learning methods together with molecular modeling to create tools for designing new protein–RNA complexes. The most promising designed molecules will be validated experimentally. The results of the project will provide a foundation for further advances in fundamental research and for developing new technologies useful in biotechnology and medicine.
Dr. Ewelina Małecka, Head of the Laboratory of Prokaryotic Gene Regulation, will focus on the problem of antibiotic resistance, one of the greatest threats to modern medicine. In nature, there are bacteriophages (phages), viruses that are natural killers of bacteria. The aim of the study is to precisely identify the tools a phage uses when attacking a bacterium. This knowledge will serve as a blueprint for future research and could pave the way for designing a new generation of targeted therapies – smart drugs that mimic the phage’s attack strategy.
It is also worth noting that grants were awarded to Konstancja Gałat and Natalia Rzepka, PhD students in the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics.
The aim of Konstacja Gałat's research is to understand the causes of malnutrition in patients with liver cirrhosis. Increasing evidence suggests that the issue lies not in food intake, but in the impaired absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. The research project will guide the development of more effective nutritional interventions to improve their health and quality of life. Additionally, this approach may also prove useful to study changes in intercellular transport in other disorders in which malnutrition has been identified.”
Natalia Rzepka will study the impact of commonly used food colorants, the so-called azo dyes, on the microbiota. Recent research has shown that some gut bacteria can break down azo dyes into aromatic amines, which may have potentially toxic effects. Using microbiological and genomic methods as well as in vitro models, the project will broaden knowledge about interactions between widely used azo food dyes and the gut microbiome. The results may contribute to updating food safety regulations and help consumers make more informed dietary choices.
National Science Centre grants awarded to IIMCB researchers:
OPUS 29
Jacek Jaworski, 2025/57/B/NZ5/03511, PLN 3,394,027
Destabilizacja morfologii neuronów w chronicznym stanie zapalnym: mechanizmy molekularne oraz identyfikacja potencjalnych związków terapeutycznych
Destabilization of neuronal morphology in chronic inflammation: molecular mechanisms and identification of potential therapeutic agents
Janusz Bujnicki, 2025/57/B/NZ1/03556, PLN 1,822,423
Projektowanie oddziaływań i kompleksów RNA z białkami
Design of RNA–protein interactions and complexes
Ewelina Małecka, 2025/57/B/NZ1/03589, PLN 3,287,765
Biologia RNA w interakcjach bakteria–bakteriofag
RNA biology at the phage-bacteria interface
PRELUDIUM 24
Konstancja Gałat, 2025/57/N/NZ2/04076, PLN 197,884
Badanie wpływu dysregulacji transporterów jelitowych oraz zmian architektury na zaburzenia wchłaniania w marskości wątroby
Uncovering how intestinal transporter dysregulation and architectural changes contribute to malabsorption in cirrhosis
Natalia Rzepka, 2025/57/N/NZ9/04006, PLN 209,962
Nieznany metabolizm dodatków do żywności: bakteryjny rozkład barwników azowych w jelitach
The hidden metabolism of food additives: microbial breakdown of azo dyes in the gut
Read more on the NCN website.