https://pracmetab.wbbib.uj.edu.pl

Dr hab. Dariusz Dziga
room: A204 (4.1.32), phone: +48 12 664 63 51, e-mail: dariusz.dziga@uj.edu.pl

Dr Ariel Kamiński
room: A203 (4.1.33), phone: +48 12 664 65 41, e-mail: ariel.kaminski@uj.edu.pl
Dr Ewa Latkowska 
room: A203 (4.1.33), phone: +48 12 664 65 41, e-mail: ewa.latkowska@uj.edu.pl
Mgr Urszula Czaja-Prokop
room: A241 (4.1.31), telefon: 12 664 65 33, e-mail: ula.czaja-prokop@uj.edu.pl
Dr Kornelia Duchnik
room: A241 (4.1.31), phone: +48 12 664 65 33, e-mail: kornelia.zabaglo@uj.edu.pl
Dr Nada Tokodi
room: A242 (4.1.30), phone: 12 664 65 15, e-mail: nada.tokodi@uj.edu.pl

Adam Antosiak, room: A204 (4.1.32), phone: +48 12 664 63 51, e-mail: adam.antosiak@doctoral.uj.edu.pl

Barbara Klimczak, room: A241 (4.1.31), phone: 12 664 65 33, e-mail: barbara.klimczak@doctoral.uj.edu.pl

Bartosz Lelito, room: A203 (4.1.33), phone: 12 664 65 41, e-mail: bartosz.lelito@doctoral.uj.edu.pl

Saravana Kumar Selvaraj, room: A203 (4.1.33), phone: 12 664 65 41, e-mail: saravana08.kumar@doctoral.uj.edu.pl

Interaction of cyanobacteria or lichens in natural environment

1. Cyanobacteria and cyanophages – mechanisms and consequences of interactions. Physiological and biochemical analyses using omics technics (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics).
2. Microbial degradation of cyanotoxins, relations between microcystin producers and degraders.
3. Adaptation mechanisms (on genetic, physiological and biochemical level) of invasive cyanobacteria species to temperate climate and their response to stressful factors.
4. Biochemical changes in trees in response to colonization by epiphytic lichen species.
5. Mechanisms of lichen adaptation to environmental stress factors, e.g. heavy metal contamination, UV radiation, high temperature.

Secondary metabolites of cyanobacteria and lichens

1. Metabolome analysis of cyanobacteria infected by cyanophages
2. Isolation and identification of secondary metabolites synthesized by cyanobacteria or lichens by HPLC and LC-MS/MS
3. Metabolomic analysis of compounds produced by epiphytic lichens and penetrating into tree tissues.
4. Impact of biotic and abiotic factors on the synthesis of cyanobacterial  secondary metabolites 

​Monitoring, phytoremediation and bioremediation

1. Practical aspects of microcystin biodegradation – genetic engineering employed in enzyme-based and microorganism-based bioremediation of cyanotoxins.
2. Investigation of the possibility of using heavy metal hyperaccumulators among lichens in bioremediation of post-industrial areas contaminated with heavy metals.

Instruments

• HPLC systems: Waters and Agilent 1220 Infinity
• Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph Shimadzu Nexera-I LC-2040C 3D Plus
• Spectrophotometer JASCO V-650 UV-VIS and Helios Alfa Thermo Spectronic 
• Spectrophotometer NanoDrop (DeNovix)
• Nikon Eclipse TS-100F Microscope with a camera
• Cyanobacteria and Algae Growth Chamber, Fitotron FD 711
• Low-Pressure Liquid Chromatography System ECONO
• Clark Electrode with equipment
• Infra-red gas analyzer (IRGA)
• Thermocycler T100 (BioRad)
• Equipment for electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids (BioRad)
• Solid Phase Extraction System (Supelco)
• Homogenizer Omni Sonic Ruptor 400

Methods

• Genetic engineering of bacteria and cyanobacteria (cloning, transformation, recombination etc.)
• Purification of recombinant proteins
• qPCR for the quantitative analysis of gene expression
• PAM fluorymetry in the monitoring of the light phase of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria
• Cyanophage titration by MPN and qPCR
• Determination of  the activity of selected enzymes of cyanobacteria, lichens and plants by colorimetric and fluorometric methods 
• The isolation of cyanobacterial membranes by centrifugation in saccharose gradient
• Determination of membrane fluidity by EPR
• Measurement of the intensity of respiration and photosynthesis processes in plants, algae and cyanobacteria using the Clark oxygen electrode and an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA)
• Analysis of the concentration of selected primary and secondary metabolites by HPLC
• Determination of photosynthetic pigments concentration by colorimetric method
• Purification and concentration of selected secondary metabolites using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)
• Colorimetric measurement of lipid peroxidation

1. Adam Antosiak: Comprehensive description of the cyanophage infection in freshwater cyanobacteria. (2022–2025). PRELUDIUM, National Science Centre.
2. Dariusz Dziga: Viral control of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems. DAINA 2 (Polish-Lithuanian Funding Initiative), National Science Centre (2021–2024)
3. Ewa Latkowska: Targeted analysis of lichen secondary metabolites in the tissues of the inhabited trees. (2021–2022). MINIATURA-5, National Science Centre.
4. Ariel Kamiński: Investigation of phytoremediation of cylindrospermopsin and its impact on the physiology of water plant. (2017–2020). OPUS 12, National Science Centre.

1. Saładyga M, Kucała M, Adamski M, Selvaraj S, Kaminski A. Phytoremediation of a mixture of toxic cyanobacteria. Does phytoplankton composition affect the amount of toxins removed? The Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2023;11(3):110158; doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.110158
2. Chowaniec K, Latkowska E & Skubała K. Effect of thallus melanisation on the sensitivity of lichens to heat stress. Scientific Reports 2023; 13: 5083; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32215-1
3. Antosiak A, Šulčius S, Malec P, Tokodi N, Łobodzińska A, Dziga D. Cyanophage infections reduce photosynthetic activity and expression of CO2 fixation genes in the freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Harmful Algae. 2022; 116: 102215; doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2022.102215
4. Rola K, Latkowska E, Ogar W, Osyczka P. Towards understanding the effect of heavy metals on mycobiont physiological condition in a widespread metal-tolerant lichen Cladonia rei. Chemosphere. 2022; 308:136365; doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136365
5. Kaminski A, Edwards C, Chrapusta-Srebrny E et al. Anatoxin-a degradation by using titanium dioxide. Science of the Total Environment. 2021; 756:143590; doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143590
6. Adamski M, Kaminski A. Impact of cylindrospermopsin and its decomposition products on antioxidant properties of glutathione. Algal Research. 2021; 56:102305; doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2021.102305
7. Keliri E, Paraskeva C, Sofokleous A, Sukenik A, Dziga D, Chernova E, Brient L and Antoniou M.G. Occurrence of a single-species cyanobacterial bloom in a lake in Cyprus: monitoring and treatment with hydrogen peroxide-releasing granules. Environ Sci Eur. 2021; 33, 31; doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00471-5
8. Adamski M, Zimolag E, Kaminski A, Drukała J, Bialczyk J. Effects of cylindrospermopsin, its decomposition products, and anatoxin-a on human keratinocytes. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 765:142670; doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142670
9. Osyczka P, Latkowska E, Rola K. Metabolic processes involved with sugar alcohol and secondary metabolite production in the hyperaccumulator lichen Diploschistes muscorum reveal its complex adaptation strategy against heavy-metal stress. Fungal Biology. 2021; doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2021.08.002
10. Dexter J, Dziga D, Lv J, Zhu J, Strzalka W, Maksylewicz A, Maroszek M, Marek S, Fu P. Heterologous expression of mlrA in a photoautotrophic host - Engineering cyanobacteria to degrade microcystins. Environmental Pollution. 2018; 237: 926-935; doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116646

• The effect of environmental factors (biotic and abiotic) on the production of lichen metabolites.
• Analysis of biochemical changes occurring in tree tissues as a result of their colonization by lichens.
• Molecular backgrounds of cyanophage infection – analysis of mechanisms on genetic, physiological and biochemical level.
• Response mechanisms of Raphidiopsis raciborskii  to environmental stress condition (effect of H2O2 and chill/light).

• Separation, identification and acquisition of bioactive secondary metabolites synthesized by lichens.

• Design od production of model cyanobacterial constructs by CyanoGate technic; analysis and optimization of protein productivity (MlrA in particular).
• Construction of algae-microbial fuel cell (aMFC) that employs cyanobacteria with the overexpression of valuable protein; the analysis of aMFC functionality.

Interest in microbial biochemistry, physiology and genetic, fluent English.