A summary of three years of the activity of POB Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering
Major events since 2020
To support PW research teams in conducting research at the highest level, POB BIB selected 43 projects from among all applications under 3 competitions for POB research grants.
As part of the BIOTECHMED-2 Start research grant, a team of scientists led by Anna Sobiepanek, PhD, consisting of representatives of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Warsaw University of Technology, the Centre for Advanced Materials Technology of the Warsaw University of Technology, and the Medical University of Warsaw, assumed the task to investigate the interactions between mast cells and selected cell types, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, as well as squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. The research focused on two research paths: observation of the mechanism of mast cell degranulation in real time and analysis of the effect of metabolites released from mast cells on other cells present in the skin. More about conducted research >>>
As part of the grant from POB BIB, a team consisting of scientists from the Warsaw University of Technology, the Polish Academy of Sciences and the University of Warsaw worked on solutions that aim to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and improve the quality of life of a glioblastoma multiforme patients. Experiments conducted by an interdisciplinary team aimed to develop a liquid drug carrier in the form of a multiple emulsion (a system with a "drop-in-drop" structure suspended in a continuous phase) containing, in addition to the classic chemotherapeutic agent, gene-silencing molecules involved in the process of tumorigenesis. More about research results >>>
Specialists from the Faculty of Chemistry of the Warsaw University of Technology and the Centre for Advanced Materials and Technology of the Warsaw University of Technology investigated whether it was possible to reprogramme probiotic yeast so that its extracellular vesicles could become an enteral carrier of medicinal agents. Thanks to a grant from the BIOTECHMED-2 competition, Professor Jolanta Mierzejewska, head of the project, together with her scientific team, purchased a whole series of healthy and cancer cell lines that were derived from the human intestine. The cells were used by the researchers to check whether the vesicles isolated from probiotic yeast were not cytotoxic to human cells. In addition, they found that by using these vesicles, we can deliver an anti-cancer compound to cells. More about the project >>>
Strategic activities
To expand the research infrastructure, POB BIB announced the BioTechMed_LAB competition. Six projects were submitted for funding, including: “Particle size analyser”, “Subpixel resolution camera” and “Multi-purpose station for quantitative and morphological assessment of human cell populations as biological models in nanomaterial research and therapeutic procedures”.
POB BIB was the initiator of the MedTech-Athon marathon, during which teams of PhD students faced the task of creating a concept of a practical solution and demonstrator in the field of biomedical engineering. The winning projects included one involving the creation of a portable monitoring system for people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which measures the level of selected air pollutants particularly dangerous for people with this disease and issues warnings about exceeded standards.
In addition, POB took care of the promotion of its achievements. For several years a catalogue of POB BIB teams was created, among other things, in which the subject of some research groups operating within this area was presented and scientific seminars were organised.
