The latest calls of the National Science Centre, OPUS and PRELUDIUM, have brought our Institute five funded projects. Thanks to them, research teams will be able to deepen their knowledge, among others, on animal fertility, circadian rhythms of the brain, communication between reproductive system cells and the role of vitamin D in the functioning of the human immune system.
REACHING HIGHER
OPUS 29 is a call for research projects open to scientists at all stages of their careers. In this edition, 2,538 proposals were submitted, of which 344 received funding for a total amount of over 636.1 million PLN (success rate: 13.55%). Four projects at our Institute received funding.
Title: The role of PAQR receptors in regulating the function of the bovine corpus luteum.
Principal Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Magdalena Karolina Kowalik from the Team of Physiology and Toxicology of Reproduction.
Budget: 2,423,652 PLN
Implementation period: 2026–2029
The project focuses on determining the role of PAQR receptors in regulating the function of the bovine corpus luteum, a key organ responsible for progesterone production and the proper course of the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. The research will determine how different isoforms of PAQR receptors affect steroidogenesis, angiogenesis, prostaglandin secretion and apoptosis in luteal cells and vascular endothelial cells. Understanding these mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels is essential to explain why disturbances in corpus luteum function lead to infertility, implantation problems or early pregnancy loss. The project will provide new data on the non-genomic activity of progesterone, complementing knowledge of its classical nuclear pathways. The results may be significant not only cognitively but also practically — supporting the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in reproductive medicine in animals and potentially humans. This research will allow a more complete understanding of how a hormone critical for reproduction acts at multiple levels of regulation, influencing female fertility.
Title: CHRONOFLOW: Integrated study of circadian rhythms of the choroid plexus (transcriptomic, miRNA and proteomic analysis) in the context of blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier function and the glymphatic system.
Principal Investigator: Dr Aleksandra Dąbrówka Szczepkowska from the Team of Physiology and Toxicology.
Budget: 2,950,936 PLN
Implementation period: 2026–2029
The researchers will examine how the internal biological clock affects the functioning of the choroid plexus – the structure responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid – as well as the function of the blood–brain barrier and the so-called glymphatic system (the brain’s metabolic waste clearance system operating during sleep). Proper circadian rhythms in these structures play an important role in maintaining nervous system homeostasis. Disruptions in circadian rhythm may impair toxin removal from the brain and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. The results of the project will expand knowledge on how the daily cycle regulates processes of brain cleansing and regeneration, which in the future may help develop new strategies for preventing and treating neurodegenerative disorders.
Title: Extracellular vesicles – potential mediators in the functioning of the male reproductive system in fish.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Mariola Aleksandra Dietrich, member of the Gamete Biology Team (project partner: Jagiellonian University in Kraków).
Budget:
3,311,934 PLN (Institute 2,169,770 PLN, University 1,142,164 PLN)
Implementation period: 2026–2029
The project investigates the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential mediators of processes occurring in the male reproductive system of fish, with particular emphasis on their function in regulating semen quality, immunity and stress response. EVs carry proteins, lipids and genetic material, enabling them to influence intercellular communication and reproductive processes, yet their role in fish remains poorly understood. The project will combine research on carp — a key aquaculture species — and zebrafish, a model laboratory organism, to comprehensively explain how EVs interact with sperm cells and immune cells. The results will help determine how environmental stress and infections alter the composition and function of vesicles, thereby affecting male fertility. The research may contribute to developing new biomarkers of fish health, supporting early detection of problems in aquaculture and more sustainable aquaculture management.
Title: The role of trophoblast in modulating pro-fibrotic processes in the mare endometrium: a new perspective on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.
Principal Investigator: Dr Joanna Katarzyna Jaworska from the Team of Molecular Basics of Equine Reproduction.
Budget: 4,081,876 PLN
Implementation period: 2026–2029
The research aims to determine whether trophoblast signalling in early pregnancy plays a role in initiating or intensifying pro-fibrotic processes in the mare endometrium. The project will include a detailed characterisation of the trophoblast and its secretome using spatial single-cell transcriptomics, as well as an analysis of the cellular and molecular interactions responsible for the remodelling of the extracellular matrix. The project will also verify whether previous pregnancies and altered cellular composition of the endometrium predispose to the development of an environment favourable to fibrosis. The collected data will allow identification of key signalling pathways, miRNAs and cell populations initiating pathological tissue remodelling. These results are crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of fertility loss in mares and may form the basis for developing targeted therapies that minimise the risk of fibrosis while preserving proper implantation mechanisms.
A GOOD START – PRELUDIUM 24
Another project received funding under a call aimed at researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers. PRELUDIUM 24 is a competition for scientists without a PhD, enabling them to carry out small research projects. A total of 2,506 proposals were submitted to PRELUDIUM 24, of which 369 were approved for funding for a total amount of over 61.6 million PLN (success rate: 14.72%). One project at our Institute received funding.
Title: Discovering the circadian potential of vitamin D in human immune cells.
Principal Investigator: Parcival Maissan, MSc, PhD candidate from the Nutrigenomics Team; scientific supervisor: Prof. Carsten Carlberg.
Budget: 70,000 PLN
Implementation period: 2026–2027
The project investigates whether vitamin D can influence the “biological clock” of immune cells — the rhythms that control their daily activities. The researchers will examine whether vitamin D supplementation changes the pace or nature of daily gene expression cycles in these cells, and whether its action may support better synchronisation of immune rhythms. The analysis will include monitoring changes in gene expression over 36 hours under different experimental conditions, using advanced sequencing methods. The results will determine whether both the amount and timing of vitamin D intake are important for immune system function. This project is important because it may indicate new strategies for supporting immunity through the deliberate “tuning” of the body’s circadian rhythms.
The funding obtained is not only recognition of the high quality of research conducted at our Institute but also a real opportunity to develop new scientific directions and contribute important insights to global knowledge on health, reproduction and cell biology. We warmly congratulate all the awardees and wish them fruitful research work, inspiring discoveries and successes that will strengthen the position of our Institute as one of the leading scientific centres in Poland.
