The role of dendritic cells (a special type of immune cell) in regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, investigating inter-individual differences in vitamin D-triggered immune responses, the effect of ulipristal acetate (a drug used, among other things, in emergency contraception) on liver mechanisms, analysis of the foraging ability of perch larvae and finding new ways of assessing the quality of European perch spermatozoa – these are the five topics that the Institute’s researchers will investigate as part of OPUS 27 and PRELUDIUM 23 grants from the National Science Centre (NCN).
SET THE BAR HIGH
OPUS 27 is a competition aimed at researchers at all stages of their scientific career. This year, 2255 applications were submitted, of which 357 received funding for a total of PLN 603.6 million. The success rate was 15.8 per cent.
Funding was awarded to a project entitled: “The molecular dialog between dendritic cells and endometrial microenvironment during equine endometrosis”.
The project leader is Dr Agnieszka Sadowska from the Team of Reproductive Immunology and Pathology.
– The information gained from the project is extremely important because of its potential to prevent and treat endometrosis in mares, as well as to improve equine breeding rates by reducing financial losses due to embryo loss. In the future, the results of the project may also point to a new direction in the search for treatment of fibrotic diseases in humans – concludes Dr Agnieszka Sadowska, awardee of the OPUS 27 competition.
Budget: PLN 3 569 232
Funding from the OPUS 27 competition has also been awarded to the project entitled: “Impact of vitamin D on the epigenetic programming of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from human cord blood”.
The project leader is Prof. Carsten Carlberg from the Nutrigenomics Team.
– Our immune system protects us against various types of microbes that may cause infectious diseases. However, in order to fulfill this function perfectly, the cells forming the immune system need to be trained as good as possible. This training takes place during hematopoiesis, which is a differentiation process happing inside our large bones. In this project, we aim to understand how hematopoiesis is influenced by vitamin D and its receptor VDR – concludes Prof. Carlberg.
Budget: PLN 3 351 340
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
A further three projects received funding through a competition aimed at researchers at a very early stage of their career. For PRELUDIUM 23, 2104 proposals were submitted, of which 362 received funding. The success rate in this case was 17.2%.
Funding was awarded to a project entitled: “Molecular mechanisms underlying the liver injury induced by ulipristal acetate treatment”.
The project leader is Aleksandra Natalia Łupińska, M.Sc., from the Biology and Pathology of Human Reproduction Team.
– In clinical trials, patients treated with ulipristal acetate (UA) were observed to have reduced uterine myoma volume, less heavy bleeding and significant improvements in well-being. These studies showed no significant side effects, but some patients treated with UA were diagnosed with severe liver damage. The causes regarding drug-induced liver damage remain unclear – explains Aleksandra Łupińska, M.Sc.
Budget: PLN 210 000
Another project implemented at our Institute within the PRELUDIUM 23 competition is entitled “To eat or not to eat? Zootechnical and transcriptomic exploration of foraging performance in Eurasian perch larvae”.
The project leader is Rossella Debernardis from the Fish Development and Reproduction Team.
– During the first few days of their independent life, the larvae do not need to take food from the external environment; the necessary nutrients are provided by an internal storehouse – the yolk sac. As they grow, these stored nutrients become depleted, forcing the larvae to actively begin searching for food (called foraging – ed.). Unfortunately, a high percentage of the larvae, never begin to take up food, which eventually leads to them dying of starvation – explains Rosella Debernardis.
Budget: PLN 140 000
The third PRELUDIUM 23 awarded project is entitled “Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs): Novel biomarkers for assessing sperm fertilizing ability in Eurasian perch”.
The project leader is Abhipsa Panda from the Fish Development and Reproduction Team.
– Currently, numerous morphological, biochemical and physiological parameters are taken into account when assessing semen quality, including motility, viability, sperm concentration and the integrity of their DNA. In our study, we have shown that none of these parameters correlate directly with fertilisation success in European perch (Perca fluviatilis), hence the need to identify new indicators of sperm fertilisation capacity in this species – concludes Abhipsa Panda.
Budget: PLN 70 000
Congratulations to all the laureates!
