Biochemical and biophysical methods of living systems analysis
Part 1 Biochemistry
Main Activity 1: Materials for Highly Specific Adsorption of Biomolecules
Within this activity, new porous materials for the adsorptive separation of organic substances in complex mixtures will be developed and tested. These materials will be characterized by highly specific interactions with selected organic substances such as biomolecules. The materials will be tested for applications in biomolecule analysis (separation and concentration before actual determination) as well as for their removal from aqueous environments (decontamination). The materials will target selected biotic (proteins, nucleic acids, products of the decomposition of living organisms) and abiotic (pesticides, pharmaceuticals) substances.
Main Activity 2: Analytical Use of Nanoparticles for Studying Biologically Significant Macromolecules in Aqueous Environments
This activity will study the interactions of selected nanoparticles (metals, metal oxides, and other materials) with biologically significant molecules (amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids) in aqueous environments. The research will also include the development of new methods for monitoring interactions and exploring their potential applications in biomolecule analysis.
Main Activity 3: Preparation of Selective Adsorbents for Biomolecules and Their Use for Immobilization, Isolation, Quantification, and Detection of Biomedically Significant Markers from Body Fluids and Tissues
This activity builds on Activities 1 and 2 and focuses specifically on the analysis of biomolecules for medical purposes. The research will involve the development, testing, and standardization of new surface treatments of nanomaterials for the immobilization of biomolecules significant in clinical practice (biomarkers in blood, saliva, urine) for the purpose of their identification and quantification.
Main Activity 4: New Study and Academic Programs
As part of this activity, new study programs focused on biochemistry and bioanalytics will be prepared for accreditation. Specifically, a new bachelor's study program in Applied Biochemistry will be developed, the current follow-up master's study program in Analytical Chemistry will be expanded with a specialization in Bioanalytical Chemistry, and subsequently, a doctoral study program in Bioanalytical Chemistry will be prepared.
Part 2 - Biophysics
Main activity 1 - Structural-functional characteristics of membrane systems and macromolecules
Biophysical methods for studying the structure and function of biological systems (primarily based on optical spectroscopy), which have been mainly developed in the context of photosynthetic apparatus studies, have a broad application potential in other biological and biomedical fields. In this main activity, we will focus on the development of biophysical methods for studying the structure and functional state of biological membranes and biomolecules, particularly in the following areas:
- Methods for studying the properties of the lipid phase in biological membranes,
- Structural-functional analysis of biomolecules and their interactions using fluorescence spectroscopy (including time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy) and circular dichroism,
- Methods for detecting oxidative damage to biological membranes and its components at the molecular level.
Activity will be accomplished in several stages:
- Study of the influence of lipid phases, lipid/protein ratio, and lipid composition on the structure and function of membrane systems
- Study of the structural-functional properties of proteins and nucleic acids focusing on changes in their (macro-)organization, stability, and flexibility
Advanced spectroscopic methods for studying the structural-functional state of macromolecules will be developed during this stage, suitable not only for studying proteins and nucleic acids in plant assimilation apparatus but also in other organisms within the scope of biomedical research. - Study of the impact of (oxidative) damage to membrane systems (lipid peroxidation) and macromolecules (protein oxidation) on their structural-functional properties
Main activity 2 - New methodical approaches for assessment of oxidative stress in biological systems
Oxidative stress is important factor affecting basic physiological functions as well pathological processes in living organism – its detrimental action can be observed on the molecular, cellular, and even on whole organism level. The response of organism to oxidative stress is the activation of various defensive mechanisms which tend to avoid or limit the extent of oxidative stress or repair already present oxidative damage of nucleic acids, proteins, or biological membranes. An integral part of complex protective processes which are involved in suppression of oxidative stress are low-molecular antioxidants. The actual research of our group deals with the examination of defensive mechanisms which helps plants to cope with the climatic change and related induction of oxidative stress which often accompanies the plant growth in non-optimal conditions. Current knowledge of the importance and exact roles of individual protective mechanisms in the overall plant oxidative stress tolerance is still limited as well as their potential for cross-acclimation (the situation when one environmental stress factor enhances the tolerance of assimilatory apparatus to another one). Within this main activity we intend to develop new methods and approaches allowing thorough examination of oxidative stress as well as of antioxidant defence systems in various biological systems. The research will be divided into several interconnected areas:
- Development of spectroscopic and chromatographic methods suitable for detection and quantification of primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) and products of their interaction with (bio)molecules (lipids, proteins and nucleic acids), i.e. for the determination of oxidative damage extent in various types of biological material (tissues, cells, cell-cultures, sub-cellular parts etc.)
- Examination of changes induced by oxidative stress at the level of gene expression and the study of signalling pathways leading to activation of processes limiting detrimental effects of oxidative stress
- Examination of changes in metabolic profile in biological systems induced by the action of oxidative stress with focus on low-molecular compounds with expected antioxidant properties
Main activity 3 - New study and academic programs
A new habilitation procedure program with the working title "Biophysics and Physics of nanostructures" will be accredited.
Cooperation with other Research Programs (RPs) and collaborating companies
Due to the very strong interdisciplinary link, the RP2 research team collaborates on some sub-activities with research teams:
Research Program 1 – within the framework of transcriptomic or bioinformatics analyses, we expect cooperation with RP1, further analyzes of structural-functional properties of proteins in the field of molecular biology and nucleic acid genomics will be used
Research Program 3 – use of support for the modelling of intermolecular interactions of macromolecules in biological systems (based on interesting experimental data, main activity 3), modelling of the interaction of adsorbents with target molecules (main activity 2), participation in the accreditation of the new habilitation procedure "Biophysics and Physics of nanostructures"
Research Program 6 – the developed methods of detection of oxidative damage to biological membranes and macromolecules will be used in the experimental part of the hemato-oncology program
In order to prepare the applicability of the research into practice, at the time of the experimental research, at least 2 cooperating companies will be involved, which will participate in the development of new diagnostic tests/analyses.
