The Institute’s director informs that the competition for the position of bioinformatician-data analyst in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology has been settled and the following were selected:
dr Tomasz Molcan
EN
Ph.D. Students at the Department of Hormonal Action Mechanisms
Department of Hormonal Action Mechanisms at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research Polish Academy of Science (IARFR PAS) offers a position for one Fellow interested in molecular and cell biology, motivated to develop a career in the interdisciplinary team of prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek.
Deadline for applications: February 20, 2023
Preferred job starting date: no later than March 1st, 2023.
Institution:
IARFR PAS is located in Olsztyn and is one of the top ranked Polish research institutes that performs interdisciplinary research in agricultural and biological sciences, booth basic and applied. The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, has excellent core facilities and supportive administration. IARFR provides stimulating scientific environment, especially due to its cooperative, multidisciplinary character. Collaborations and exchange of knowledge and techniques between scientists from different disciplines is common and encouraged.
City:
Olsztyn would be a good choice if you appreciate close contact with nature and quiet life. Within the administrative bounds of the city you will find more than 10 lakes with a very well-developed tourist and sport infrastructure, as well as leisure facilities. Each year the calendar is filled with a number of cultural and sports events (more @ Wikipedia).
Team interests:
Research of the prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek team is focuses on the mechanisms assuring successful reproduction in mammals. We are especially interested in understanding the molecular communication between mother and embryo/newborn leading to healthy offspring. More info at Kaczmarek’s Lab web page and Molecular Biology Laboratory – core facility page.
Project description:
Within the OPUS grant „Milky Way to reproductive success: role of leptin in the programming of reproductive functions over generations” we aim to decipher the multiple layers of signaling pathways leading to lactocrine-based programming of reproductive performance over generations using mouse model. Because parental investment is one of the environmental conditions that can directly influence the development of offspring we decided to test how malnutrition of mother during lactation affects reproductive performance of next generations. In order to reach set specific aims of the project a combination of molecular biology, cell biology and high-throughput screening of transcriptome and epigenome will be used. We provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations within the team, in the institute, as well as with the national and international partners.
Requirements:
- M.Sc. degree in biology, biotechnology or related area of science;
- Eligibility for Ph.D. studies in Poland under the supervision of prof. Kaczmarek;
- High motivation, independent thinking, good analytical and interpersonal skills, collaborative attitude;
- Have very good written and oral communication in English;
- Previous experimental experience in one or more of the following areas – molecular and cell biology, animal reproduction, neurobiology and rodent studies will be advantageous.
We offer:
- Full-time scholarship for 16 months;
- min. 3500 PLN of full stipend cost per month;
- Position with 100% focus on research (no teaching obligations);
- Full technical, administrative and organizational support;
- Participation in courses, scientific training, support from peers, and academic mentoring.
Additional information:
The Ph.D. student will be selected from candidates in an open competition, according to the procedure complying the rules for granting scholarships for young scientists in research projects funded by the National Science Centre (NCN Council Resolution No. 96/2016 dated October 27, 2016 r.) and to the rules of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers as a part of HR Excellence in Research strategy.
How to apply?
Interested candidates are kindly asked to contact prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek by e-mail (m.kaczmarek@pan.olsztyn.pl) and provide CV, a short motivation letter, a description of your key achievements, contacts to at least two potential referees (including one of your supervisors) and copy of the diploma by 20.02.2023.
The deadline for applications may be extended until suitable candidates who fulfills all requirements are found.
In your CV, please include a consent clause for the processing of personal data in the recruitment process:
„I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in the application documents by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, 10-748 Olsztyn, ul. Tuwima 10, in order to carry out the recruitment process and publishing the full results of the competition on the Institute’s website.”
Information clause:
- The administrator of personal data processed as part of the recruitment process is the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, 10-748 Olsztyn, ul. Tuwima 10, phone no. 89 523 46 86, e-mail: instytut@pan.olsztyn.pl.
- Contact with the personal data protection officer is possible at the above-mentioned address.
- The provided personal data will be processed in order to carry out the current recruitment process and kept until its completion on the basis of expressed consent (in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) of the GDPR).
- You have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing which was carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.
- You have the right to access your personal data, request their rectification or removal. Submitting a request to delete data is tantamount to resignation from participation in the recruitment process. In addition, you have the right to request the restriction of processing in the cases specified in art. 18 GDPR.
- You have the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office against the unlawful processing of his personal data. This authority will be competent to consider the complaint, provided that the right to file a complaint concerns only the lawfulness of the processing of personal data, and not the recruitment process.
- Your data will not be profiled or made available to entities or third countries. The recipients of the data may be institutions authorized by law.
- Providing your personal data is not obligatory, but it is a necessary condition to participate in the recruitment process.
Scientists use flaxseed oilcake to enrich gluten-free bread
Dr. Urszula Krupa-Kozak from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biodynamics at our Institute and dr. Łukasz Łopusiewicz from the West Pomeranian University of Technology is working on a new recipe for gluten-free bread. They use flaxseed oilcake, the residue left after pressing oil from oilseeds.
The food industry generates vast amounts of waste and by-products, most of which go unused. Some of them may be useful for their nutritional value and health-promoting properties. One example is oilcake, which are the residues from oilseed oil pressing. They can be raw materials for various food industries.
Due to their content of valuable biopolymers and bioactive components, one of the uses of oilcake (or pomace), proposed by scientists from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn and the West Pomeranian University of Technology, could be to enrich baked goods for particular dietary purposes.
„Gluten-free baked products, compared to conventional bread, are characterized by lower quality due to unsatisfactory texture, bad taste, reduced nutritional value, and short shelf life. The need to improve their quality and enrich them with nutrients prompted us to study the potential of flaxseed cake, as a natural source of valuable protein, minerals, and antioxidants, in the context of improving the qualities of gluten-free bread.” – wrote the researchers in their latest publication, which appeared in the journal Molecules.
„People who go on a gluten-free diet for medically justified reasons (celiac disease, non-celiac gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, or gluten allergy) can only consume gluten-free products. This is because the elimination diet is the only effective therapeutic method in this case,” says the study’s lead author, dr. Urszula Krupa-Kozak in an interview with PAP. – Consumers on a gluten-free diet have the right to expect that the quality of gluten-free products available commercially, rolls, pastries, etc., will be similar to conventional products. However, this is difficult to achieve and poses a significant challenge for food technologists and manufacturers.”
„Younger children diagnosed with the gluten-dependent disease, who have to start therapy and switch to a gluten-free diet, have it a little easier because they have not yet become so accustomed to the taste of traditional bread (wheat, wheat-rye) and are not so attached to it. More difficult are adult patients who have established eating habits and preferences. They are often very disappointed with the taste, texture, and even appearance of these products.” – he adds.
That’s why she and her colleagues, dr. Krupa-Kozak is trying to develop gluten-free products in such a way as to improve their quality. „It is often significantly lower compared to gluten-containing counterparts. The elimination of this visco-elastic protein, which is important in bread technology, entails the need to look for substitutes. Therefore, ingredients that mimic the characteristics of gluten are often used, making it possible to impart the right dough texture and consistency to baked goods: hydrocolloids, gums, emulsifiers,” the specialist explains.
The latest study by a team from the Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the University of Science and Technology (ZUT) looked at flax seed cake’s use to enrich the gluten-free bread composition. With flaxseed cake extract, the scientists replaced water (from 25 to 100 percent of its original content).
„I have been involved in research for years on improving the quality of gluten-free baking products, among other things. Those commercially available are often low in dietary fiber, for being excessively sweet and fatty. This translates negatively into the quality of the diet and the health of a secret group of consumers. When developing new recipes, I use both naturally gluten-free raw materials and supplements, i.e., prebiotics, minerals, proteins of plant and animal origin,” she says. – tells the publication’s author.
She adds, „This year, I have established an interesting cooperation with dr. Łukasz Łopusiewicz from ZUT in Szczecin researches oilseed pomace daily. We managed to find a common denominator for our rather distant scientific interests, which resulted in the creation of an idea for an innovative gluten-free bread with linseed cake extract. Dr. Łopusiewicz shared his knowledge and experience on the method developed by his team to extract water extract from flaxseed cake.”
As dr. Krupa-Kozak explains, „The extraction above results in a product resembling flax 'milk.’ And it was this extract, rich in valuable substances, that we used to develop a new formula for gluten-free bread. The research included recipe development, pilot baking, and final product characterization, from nutritional evaluation, through analysis of various technological and functional parameters to sensory quality testing.”
„Along with flaxseed cake, we introduce numerous proteins and polysaccharides into the bread recipe, which are responsible, among other things, for the formation of the characteristic mucilage that we probably all associate with cooking flaxseed. In this case, they give the bread the desired cohesiveness, porosity, structure, or in a word, improve its technological properties.” – dr. Łukasz Łopusiewicz adds.
He explains that the same compounds are also responsible for improving the color of the bread (crust and flesh) and aroma. „The previously mentioned proteins and polysaccharides react with each other during baking. This results in forming compounds responsible for, among other things, the perception of aroma.” Meanwhile, both of these aspects are often as important to consumers as other characteristics of bread.
The researchers’ goals were twofold: first, to study what effect replacing part of the water with flaxseed „milk” would have on the technological parameters of the bread, and second, to increase the content of nutritional and bioactive compounds in the final product, which would have a potential nutraceutical effect on the human body.
„And this was successful,” says the Olsztyn scientist. – Proportionally to how much of the water we replaced with the maca extract, the content of protein and minerals, especially potassium and magnesium, increased. The use of flax 'millet’ had a particularly positive effect on the sensory quality of the bread, which we believe could enrich the daily diet of gluten-free bread consumers with both valuable nutrients and ingredients with health-promoting potential.”
Detailed analyses of the bread’s composition showed an increased nutritional profile (it contained more protein and much higher concentrations of essential minerals) and antioxidant properties.
Dr. Krupa-Kozak stresses that a highly favorable result would be an increase in the freshness of the bread. „The disadvantage of the gluten-free one is its crispness. It quickly loses its moisture content, and its crumb disintegrates,” she says. – Manufacturers are making efforts to improve its quality and slow the blackening, such as using packaging with a modified composition of the atmosphere inside to keep the tasty product longer.”
„We are currently investigating whether the addition of flax 'milk’ could affect extending the freshness of our bread. In addition, it will be interesting to test the microbiological stability of this product, that is, how quickly it goes moldy compared to bread without adding the cake extract.” – he adds.
For the time being, the team’s research from IARFR PAS and ZUT is in the pilot stage. „Already at this stage, we are delighted with the results obtained. So much so that we will continue the research perhaps using other oilcake, extracted from more 'exotic’ oil plants,” – dr. Krupa-Kozak says.
„After all, depending on the plant species, oilcake can contain very different macronutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive substances,” adds dr. Łopusiewicz.
The researcher recalls that, for the moment, oilseed plant extraction waste is practically not used in any way. The exceptions are rare cases of adding them to animal feed or using them for fuel.
„And their potential is enormous. My team and I have been running a project for a few years now, in which we are trying to use the extract (milk) mentioned here to make fermented vegan foods, such as yogurt and kefir or camembert-type cheese,” – he mentions.
„Our study presents an auspicious way to use the by-product, which, due to its high content of proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, and antioxidants, can significantly increase the value of gluten-free baked goods.” – Dr. Krupa-Kozak concludes.
Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences with a state grant
The scientific quarterly Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences has received funds from the Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Poland as a part of the program “Development of scientific journals” (project no. RCN/SP/0520/2021/1). The program aims at improving the level of publishing and editing practices, increasing the impact of scientific journals on science development, and extending the international range of scientific journals.
The financing is planned for 2022-2024 and amounts to 120,000 PLN.
Scientific and practical aspects of horse reproduction – conference
On February 23-25, 2023, the Walewice Horse Stud will host the 1st Conference entitled „Scientific and practical aspects of equine reproduction.” The Committee of Veterinary Sciences and Reproductive Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Hippiatric Society have assumed scientific patronage of the event. One of the organizers of the conference is our Institute.
The conference’s main objective will be to exchange scientific and practical experience and integrate the community of researchers and practitioners: zootechnicians and veterinarians dealing with equine reproduction in Poland. The conference will be divided into two parts: scientific and practical.
The scientific discussion will focus on the genetic basis of equine reproduction, biotechniques and biotechnology of equine reproduction, and the physiology and pathology of these animals. Oral presentations and poster sessions are planned. The practical workshop is divided into theoretical and practical parts. Workshop participants will learn about various aspects of stallion reproduction with particular emphasis on issues related to semen collection and preparation for insemination.
The conference is organized by the Department of Team of Reproductive Pathology and Translational Medicine of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn; the Department of Animal Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics of the Agricultural University in Cracow; the Department of Reproduction with the Clinic of Farm Animals of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Wrocław University of Life Sciences; and the Center for Equine Reproduction in Walewice.
More information on the Conference can be found on the website.
Prof. Agnieszka Wacławik recipient of the SRF Academic Scholarship
Prof. Agnieszka Wacławik from our Institute has been awarded the prestigious SRF Academic Scholarship by one of the world’s oldest scientific societies specializing in human and animal reproductive biology.
The Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF) has awarded prof. Agnieszka Wacławik from the Department of Mechanisms of Hormone Action, the SRF Academic Scholarship for Reproduction and Fertility. Prof. Wacławik received a grant to continue her research program on „Novel role for estradiol-17β in embryo-maternal crosstalk”.
The project’s goal will be to study the role of estradiol, an embryonic signal in the pig, in regulating the function of the cells from which the placenta develops – the embryonic trophoblast and endometrial cells. New signaling pathways involved in embryo implantation and placental development will be investigated.
The Society for Reproduction and Fertility is one of the oldest international scientific societies related to human and animal reproductive biology, dating back to the 1940s. The SRF organizes annual conferences and publishes the journals Reproduction and Reproduction & Fertility, among others.
For more information, visit the SRF website.
Innovative buffers will extend the shelf life of fish semen
Existing methods of storing fish semen are not perfect. Researchers at our institute, Dr. Radosław Kowalski and Agnieszka Brzyszcz, MSc., have developed special diluents that will significantly improve the process while protecting the sperm.
Climate change has led to the desynchronization of male and female spawning. It is now common for males to mature much earlier than females, hence the need for methods of storing the semen used for fertilization. Under the direction of Radosław Kowalski, Ph.D., researchers from our Institute have created special buffers for carp and trout that can improve this process. The project „Method of storing fish semen under production conditions” was carried out under the Innovation Incubator 4.0 program.
We asked Dr. Radoslaw Kowalski about the significance of his research and what it could change among fish farmers.
How is fish semen currently stored?
Dr. Radosław Kowalski: In hatchery practice, semen taken directly from the fish is stored in a container or bag with oxygen – such methods work well within hours of collection. Keeping undiluted semen risks declining quality immediately, as urine contamination is dangerous. Fish semen has the property that it is activated by low osmotic pressure so that it can be accidentally activated by urine. Long-term storage of semen with oxygen is also not good – our studies have shown that oxidative changes bring more harm than benefit.
What can be done to improve existing methods?
RK: We have developed special immobilizing liquids for storage. If, during sperm retrieval, it becomes contaminated with urine, sperm movement will not be activated after dilution in the immobilizing fluid. In the favorable environment created by the buffer, sperm „recharge their batteries,” that is, rebuild their energy reserve in the form of ATP, which positively affects their motility. Thanks to diluents, we can regenerate any sperm – from 0 to even 90% of mobile sperm.
Does such a method also work in the long run?
RK: When we store sperm in a buffer for a long time, about 5 percent of the resulting offspring develop into embryos with severe deformities, such as heart defects or other physiological changes… It turned out that sperm stored for a long time had oxidative changes in DNA (at the level of the epigenome) that caused permanent genetic changes. Old sperm can be responsible for lower-quality offspring, as we see throughout the natural world.
Can this cellular aging be stopped?
RK: As part of the Innovation Incubator 4.0 project, we used antioxidant additives to protect sperm from oxidative changes within the genetic material. We used three different antioxidants and observed how they worked – vitamin E was the best. We studied two species of the most popular fish in Poland – carp and rainbow trout. These are two extreme examples – trout is a cold-loving fish, and carp is warm-loving. Trout have spermatozoa resistant to oxidative changes in the genome due to the presence of protamines as chromatin-stabilizing proteins. Carp spermatozoa are more sensitive to these changes because their genome is stabilized by histones, which are less efficient at packing DNA.
Our study compared the differences in sperm quality and motility after a designated storage period – in trout for a month and carp two weeks after harvesting. We also analyzed the quality of offspring obtained from fertilization using semen stored in this way. In both cases, we used mixtures of antioxidants, and vitamin E performed best.
What else is in the buffers?
RK: The composition of the buffers was patented back in 2014. I can’t reveal the concentrations of antioxidants, but the basic composition of the buffers itself is public. The most critical substances are sodium and potassium. There is also magnesium, calcium, and a pH stabilizer. In addition, we were the first in the world to enrich the composition of buffers with thickening polysaccharides (alginates, carrageenans, and xanthans), which prevents gravitational sedimentation of sperm and their consequent sinking to the bottom of the containers. Sedimentation is a process by which, after just 48 hours, more than 90% of sperm can be permanently damaged.
Can the composition of buffers be further improved?
RK: Antioxidants of natural origin change their color under different pH. My research goal is to create additives that indicate changes in pH by color. I want to develop a buffer that, on the one hand, would protect sperm and, on the other hand, through its color, would show how advanced the aging changes of sperm are. Such a solution would make life much easier for fish breeders, who could tell from the color changes whether or not to use a given sperm.
Research on cryopreservation of fish semen of our scientists with award from PAS Division II
Scientists from our Institute have received an award from Division II of Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Their contribution to developing and improving protocols for the cryopreservation of salmonid and perch fish semen was awarded.
On November 24, 2022, during the plenary meeting of Division II of Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, it was decided to award the honor to the scientific team from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, consisting of:
- Prof. Andrzej Ciereszko;
- Sylwia Judycka, Ph.D.;
- Joanna Nynca, Ph.D.;
- Mariola Dietrich, PhD.
The award was given to a series of works on the research issue about: „Development of a standardized method for cryopreservation of fish semen and its implementation in salmonid breeding improvement programs”.
Importance of the research work
Cryopreservation is the process of storing biological material (cells, tissues, embryos) at low temperatures (-196 ºC). Under such conditions, all biological activity stops. Theoretically, the viability of natural material stored in liquid nitrogen should be maintained for at least 3000 years. Cryopreserved semen is widely used in cattle breeding and assisting human reproduction, but the practice has not been introduced to fish breeding.
This study focused on developing a procedure for cryopreserving semen from salmonids (rainbow trout, alpine pilchards, grayling, rainbow trout, and brook trout) and perch (perch and zander), which can be used to create semen banks. Researchers from our Institute focused on learning about the changes in fish sperm that occur during cryopreservation. The study also showed that the following factors significantly affect the success of cryopreservation: the final concentration of sperm, the final concentrations of glucose and methanol in the diluent, and the time of equilibration of semen in the diluent before cryopreservation. The developed standardized semen cryopreservation procedure, once implemented in hatchery practice, should significantly improve selection work in fish farming.
At the plenary meeting of Division II of Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, a total of one award and four honorable mentions were given to scientific teams from institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences and other units. The complete list of awardees can be found here.
Dr. Sylwia Judycka awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science scholarship
Dr. Sylwia Judycka, from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, has been awarded a scholarship in the 22nd edition of the prestigious „L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science” program.
Each year, the „L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science” program awards 6 outstanding Polish female researchers for their exceptional contributions to science and their passion and commitment to their work.
Dr. Sylwia Judycka was recognized for her research on developing and optimizing procedures for the cryopreservation of fish semen. The jury appreciated the level of her scientific achievements, the originality of her research, her innovative approach, and her ability to apply the results of her research in practice.
Dr. Judycka’s research concerns effective methods of preserving the biodiversity of native fish species, which is extremely important today in the face of climate catastrophes. In her research, she uses the cryopreservation technique, which involves storing fish semen at low temperatures, but ensuring that sperm remain viable after thawing. She and her team have demonstrated the effectiveness of this technique for salmonid and perch species. The point of the developed procedures has been confirmed by the high results of egg fertilization using cryopreserved semen.
I dream that the results of my research will be put into practice in the future and help fish reproduction. I am pleased that our standardized methodology for cryopreservation of rainbow trout semen has proved successful so that semen banks can be established, providing an unlimited amount of semen to support fish reproduction. This is important in increasing water pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing, and climate change. My research will help protect the gene pool of natural fish populations and preserve native species – Dr. Sylwia Judycka says about her research.
The goal of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Program for Women and Science, conducted since 2001, is to promote the scientific achievements of talented female researchers, encourage them to continue their work aimed at advancing science, and provide financial support. Partners of the program are the Polish Committee for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and UNGC Network Poland.
The decision to award the scholarships is made annually by an independent Jury of 18 prominent scientists. Each of the jurors represents a different scientific field and research center across Poland. The jury is chaired by Prof. Ewa Łojkowska.
By 2022, 117 female scientists will have been awarded in Poland.
Dr. Judycka is the second finalist in the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program at our Institute. In 2017, this honor went to Anna Michalska-Ciechanowska.
More information about the competition is here.
