Dr. Michał Brouze receives the Prime Minister’s Award for his doctoral dissertation
Dr. Michał Brouze has received the Prime Minister’s Award for an outstanding doctoral dissertation. His thesis also holds special significance for IIMCB: it was the first doctoral dissertation defended at the Institute. The Prime Minister’s Awards recognize outstanding doctoral and habilitation dissertations as well as scientific achievements. This year, 25 authors received awards for their doctoral dissertations.
Receiving the Prime Minister Award for my doctoral dissertation is, of course, a significant honor and a personal achievement, but it also holds great scientific importance. The award committee recognized not only the quality of the dissertation itself and the research conducted, but also its social significance as a contribution to a better understanding of the contemporary and growing problem of infertility.– says Michał Brouze, PhD.
His dissertation, Analysis of the Role of Selected Exoribonucleases and Poly(A) Polymerases in Mus musculus, was prepared under the supervision of Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski. Michał Brouze defended it on February 21, 2025.
It was the first doctoral defense conducted at IIMCB. For the first time, the Institute thus completed the full doctoral training pathway – from conducting research to awarding a doctoral degree.
From RNA biology to the mechanisms of fertility
In his research, Michał Brouze investigated the mechanisms of RNA regulation and degradation, focusing on the role of selected enzymes in the development of germ cells and during the early stages of organismal development.
The research revealed an important role for proteins from the TENT5 family – cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerases – in the formation of egg and sperm cells in mice. Disruption of the function of specific TENT5 proteins can lead to infertility.
The findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying gametogenesis and may provide a starting point for further research into the causes of fertility disorders.
Research related to the dissertation was published, among others, in Nature Communications. The paper examining the role of TENT5 proteins in gametogenesis also won first place in the IIMCB Best Papers Awards 2024.
From PhD student to Head of the Genome Engineering Unit
Michał Brouze joined IIMCB as a PhD student in the Laboratory of RNA Biology, where he studied RNA metabolism in developing oocytes and early mouse embryos.
After defending his doctoral dissertation in 2025, he became Head of the IIMCB Genome Engineering Unit, part of the IN-MOL-CELL research infrastructure. Today, together with his team, he supports academic and commercial research projects, including the development of genetically modified mouse models, as well as cloning and sequencing.
The Prime Minister’s Award therefore recognizes not only Michał Brouze’s doctoral dissertation, but also research that resulted in publications in leading scientific journals and opened a new chapter in IIMCB’s history. The first doctoral dissertation defended at the Institute has now also received recognition at the national level.