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Postdoctoral position available in the group
Postdoctoral position available in an NCN-funded project “Molecular Weight of Polymers: An Unresolved Aspect of the Biological Activity of Polyamines”. We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic researcher to join our team and contribute to investigations of the biological activity of polymeric materials. The successful candidate should have experience in the synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials, particularly through controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and ionic polymerization techniques, and/or experience in…
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Symbioza 2026 Poster Award for Aleksandra Kowalska
We are delighted to share that Aleksandra Kowalska, a PhD student in our research group, received the Audience Award for Best Poster at the International Biotechnology Symposium (IBS) “Symbioza”, held in Warsaw on 8–10 May 2026. Her poster, entitled “C-Methylated Polytrimethylenimines: Synthesis, Antimicrobial Properties, and the Role of Molecular Mass”, presented our latest research on antimicrobial polymers and attracted strong interest from conference participants. IBS “Symbioza” is a multidisciplinary meeting…
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PhD position available in OPUS NCN project
**Call for Applications for a Doctoral position in a project founded by National Science Centre Poland** **Polymer molecular weight, unresolved issue of polyamines biological activity** Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a serious threat to our health and lives. In this project, we aim to explain why certain polyamines exhibit varying activity depending on the length of their chains. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial before antimicrobial polymers can be effectively used as…
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Phospholipid composition changes in bacterial membranes: A molecular mechanism of antibiotic resistance
A review paper from a collaborative project between our group and the group of Prof. K. Pawlak has just been published in Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, and it examines changes in the bacterial lipid bilayer related to antibiotic resistance.
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Three Minute Thesis Competition Award for Aleksandra Godlewska!
Aleksandra Godlewska, a PhD student from our group, won second prize in the prestigious Three Minute Thesis WUT Competition 2025.Ola presented her research on changes in bacterial cell membrane composition induced by antibacterial polymeric agents, investigated using mass spectrometry. Her project is a collaborative effort with the group of Prof. Katarzyna Pawlak.This is an outstanding achievement. 🥳 Kudos to Ola! 🥳
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PhD Awarded to Julita Pachla, WUT Diploma Granting Ceremony
Julita Pachla was awarded her PhD diploma by the Rector Magnificus, Professor Krzysztof Zaremba. The ceremony took place in the main auditorium of WUT on the 2nd of October 2025. https://www.pw.edu.pl/aktualnosci/swieto-nauki-promocje-doktorskie-i-habilitacyjne-na-naszej-uczelni Congrats to dr inż. Julita Pachla!
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Ferrocene-Grafted Polyethyleneimines, Stimuli Responsive Macromolecules with Antimicrobial Properties
by Eryk Grzechnik, Jolanta Mierzejewska, Karolina Drężek, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Łukasz Górski, Dominik Jańczewski* Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500219 The widespread resistance of pathogenic bacteria to current antimicrobial drugs poses a serious challenge to modern civilization and stimulates the search for novel antibacterial agents. In this work, we investigated a series of stimuli-responsive polymers with antibacterial properties, aiming to modulate the agent’s bioactivity through external redox stimuli. The polymers were…
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2 PhD scholarships in NCN projects
Scholarship 1 **Call for Applications for a Doctoral Scholarship in a project run in collaboration with Jagiellonian University and founded by National Science Centre Poland** **Mechanisms of cytotoxicity and antibacterialactivity of polycations** As part of a project in collaboration with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, we aim to understand the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of polycations in order to develop more effective antibacterial materials. We seek to test the hypothesis…
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Conference Poster award for Aleksandra Kowalska
Our MSc diploma student, Aleksandra Kowalska, received the award for the best poster at the 18th YoungChem Conference, held in Kołobrzeg-Dźwirzyno, Poland, from May 19–22, 2025. Her poster described the synthesis of novel polyamines with antimicrobial properties. This research was co-supervised by Julita Pachla, PhD.You can learn more about the conference here: https://youngchem.ch.pw.edu.pl/ We are very proud of Ola’s achievement! 😊
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Antimicrobial Macrocycles – Synthesis, Characterization and Activity Comparison with their Linear Polycationic Analogues
by Kopiasz, R. J.*; Dranka, M.; Tomaszewski, W.; Kowalska, P.; Butruk-Raszeja, B.; Drężek, K.; Mierzejewska, J.; Ciach, T.; Jańczewski, D.* Biomacromolecles 2024, 25 (12), 7814–7827. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.4c01099 One of the promising candidates for new antimicrobial agents are membrane-lytic compounds killing microbes through cell membrane permeabilization, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic mimics (SMAMPs). Although SMAMPs have been under investigation for nearly 30 years, a few challenges must be addressed…
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PhD Awarded to Dominika Kozon-Markiewicz, WUT Diploma Granting Ceremony
Dominika Kozon-Markiewicz was awarded her PhD diploma by the Rector Magnificus, Professor Krzysztof Zaremba. The ceremony took place in the main auditorium of WUT on the 4th of October 2024. https://www.pw.edu.pl/aktualnosci/promocje-doktorskie-i-habilitacyjne-oraz-wreczenie-odznaczen-panstwowych Congrats to dr inż. Dominika Kozon-Markiewicz!
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Mechanisms of cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of polycations
In the joint collaborative project with Jagiellonian University we aim to answer several lingering questions related to polycations, in particular, what mechanisms of polycation action cause their toxicity to human cells. This will allow us and other researchers to design better polycations with desired properties. Project funded under the OPUS scheme by National Science Center, Poland.
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PhD degree for Julita Pachla!
Julita Pachla concluded her research efforts with a PhD degree in Chemical Sciences (dr inż. in Polish). The defense ceremony was held on the 20th of September 2024, and the degree was awarded by the Scientific Council of Chemical Sciences of WUT (Politechnika Warszawska) on the 26th of September 2024. Congrats to dr inż. Julita Pachla! Publications of Julita: Iuliano, A.; Kukuć, M.; Pachla, J.; Jańczewski, D.; Mierzejewska, J.; Drężek,…
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Our Research Highlighted on the Journal Cover
Our recent paper, published in Macromolecular Bioscience, was highlighted on the journal cover. The cover features the polymeric structure we investigated and Candida albicans cells affected by this novel antibacterial agent. Kudos to all the authors! Kurzyna, J. M.; Kopiasz, R. J.; Paul, M.; Flont, M.; Baranowska, P.; Mierzejewska, J.; Drężek, K.; Tomaszewski, W.; Jastrzębska, E.; Jańczewski, D. Macromol. Biosci. 2024, 24(9), 2400032.
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Lactide oligomers modified with linear polyethyleneimine for antibacterial coatings
by Iuliano, A.*; Kukuć, M.; Pachla, J.; Jańczewski, D.; Mierzejewska J.; Drężek, K. Polym.Chem. 2024 https://doi.org/10.1039/d4py00605d Lactide oligomers were synthesized in the presence of glycidol via ring opening solution polymerization and used in the addition reaction with linear polyethyleneimine (L-PEI). Detailed analysis of the lactide oligomerswas conducted using 1H NMR, GPC and MALDI-ToF. L-PEI with different molecular weight (2.5 and 4.0 kg mol−1) was introduced to the addition reaction with…
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Unlocking the Potential: PEGylation and Molecular Weight Reduction of Ionenes for Enhanced Antifungal Activity and Biocompatibility
by Kurzyna, J. M.; Kopiasz, R. J.; Paul, M.; Flont, M.; Baranowska, P.; Mierzejewska, J.; Drężek, K.; Tomaszewski, W.; Jastrzębska, E.; Jańczewski, D. Macromol. Biosci. 2024, 24(9) 2400032. https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202400032 Numerous synthetic polymers, imitating natural antimicrobial peptides, have demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity, positioning them as potential candidates for new antimicrobial drugs. However, the high activity of these molecules often comes at the cost of elevated toxicity against eukaryotic organisms. In this study,…
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PhD scholarship available – deadline extended to 15 of August 2024
!!Important update!!, application deadline is extened to 15 August 2024 **Call for Applications for a Doctoral Scholarship in a project founded by National Science Centre Poland** **Controlled Post-Polymerization Modification Method and Its Application in Producing Polymer Agents That Disrupt Cell Wall Structure (ConPPM)** Chemical modification of polymers after the polymerization stage (post-polymerization modification, PPM) is an important tool that allows changes in the macromolecular structure. These changes are typically unattainable…
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L-PTMI-Co-L-PEI Copolymers Obtained through Copolymerization of Cyclic Imino Ethers and Their Chain Modification: Antibacterial Properties and Cytotoxicity
by Pachla, J.; Kowalczyk, S.; Tomaszewski, W.; Gnyszka, A.; Flont, M.; Grzechnik, E.; Drężek, K.; Plichta, A.; Mierzejewska, J.; Jastrzębska, E.; Jańczewski, D. Eur. Polym. J. 2024, 213, 113088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.113088 Polymeric antimicrobial agents are intensively investigated as potential novel antibiotics. In this work we use copolymerization of 2-propyl-2-oxazine (PrOzi) and 2-methyl-2-oxazoline (MeOx) combined with hydrolysis of the polymer side chains as a tool to obtain various linear polymeric derivatives of…
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Membrane Lytic Activity of Antibacterial Ionenes, Critical Role of Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and Cardiolipin (CL)
by Kozon-Markiewicz, D.; Kopiasz, R. J.; Głusiec, M.; Łukasiak, A.; Bednarczyk, P.; Jańczewski, D. Colloids Surf. B Biointerfaces 2023, 229, 113480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113480 Understanding the mechanism by which an antibacterial agent interacts with a model membrane provides vital information for better design of future antibiotics. In this study, we investigated two antibacterial polymers, hydrophilic C0-T-p and hydrophobic C8-T-p ionenes, known for their potent antimicrobial activity and ability to disrupt the integrity…
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Highly Potent Antibacterial Agents with Activity and Toxicity Modulated by the Polymer Molecular Weight
by Pachla, J.; Kopiasz, R. J.; Marek, G.; Tomaszewski, W.; Głogowska, A.; Drężek, K.; Kowalczyk, S.; Podgórski, R.; Butruk-Raszeja, B.; Ciach, T.; Mierzejewska, J.; Plichta, A.; Augustynowicz-Kopeć, E.; Jańczewski, D. Biomacromolecules 2023, 24 (5), 2237–2249 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00139 Cationic polymers have been extensively investigated as apotential replacement for traditional antibiotics. Here, we examined theeffect of molecular weight (MW) on the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, andhemolytic activity of linear polytrimethylenimine (L-PTMI). The resultsindicate that the…
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Main-Chain Flexibility and Hydrophobicity of Ionenes Strongly Impact Their Antimicrobial Activity: An Extended Study on Drug Resistance Strains and Mycobacterium.
by Kopiasz, R. J.; Zabost, A.; Myszka, M.; Kuźmińska, A.; Drężek, K.; Mierzejewska, J.; Tomaszewski, W.; Iwańska, A.; Augustynowicz-Kopeć, E.; Ciach, T.; Jańczewski, D. RSC Adv. 2022, 12 (40), 26220–26232 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA04121A The spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and the resurgence of tuberculosis disease are major motivations to search for novel antimicrobial agents. Some promising candidates in this respect are cationic polymers, also known as synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides (SMAMPs), which…
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Influence of PEG Subunit on the Biological Activity of Ionenes: Synthesis of Novel Polycations, Antimicrobial and Toxicity Studies
by Kopiasz, R. J.; Kulbacka, N.; Drężek, K.; Podgórski, R.; Łojszczyk, I.; Mierzejewska, J.; Ciach, T.; Augustynowicz‐Kopeć, E.; Głogowska, A.; Iwańska, A.; Tomaszewski, W.; Jańczewski, D. Macromol. Biosci. 2022, 22 (7), 2200094. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mabi.202200094 An alarming increase of antibiotic resistance among pathogens creates an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial agents. Many reported polycations show high antimicrobial activity along with low hemolytic activity. Unfortunately, most of those molecules remain highly cytotoxic…
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Controlled post-polymerization modification method and its application for construction of macromolecular membrane-lytic agents
The post-polymerization modification (PPM) is an approach to change the structure of a polymer at the final stage of synthesis when the polymerization process is already completed. Project funded under the OPUS scheme by National Science Center, Poland.
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Amphiphilic polymers for the controlled disruption of the cell membrane: stimuli responsive action, activity against Mycobacterium
This project aims to research the mechanisms by which specific antimicrobial amphiphilic polymers interact with cell membranes, with a focus on redox responsive polymers disrupting lipid bilayer. Project founded under the SONATA-Bis scheme by National Science Center, Poland.