Michalina Kazek PhD

Doctor Michalina Kazek completed her master’s degree at the Department of Animal Physiology, University of Warsaw, and her Ph.D. studies at the W. Stefański Institute of Parasitology Polish Academy of Science where she examined the effects of the metabolites produced by entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus on selected physiological processes in the arthropods. In 2017, she was on an eight-month internship at the Laboratory of Analytical Biochemistry and Metabolomics, Biology Centre CAS in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, where she obtained experience with gas (GC/MS) and liquid (LC/MS) chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. She was also on five years (2018-2023) postdoctoral researcher position in Laboratory of Molecular Integrative Physiology in Drosophila, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, group-leader: doc. Mgr. Tomáš Doležal. She obtained experience in gene expression analysis, Drosophila immunology and tissue-specific 13C stable isotope tracing.

From 2005 to 2024, she acted as the principal investigator and/or performer in the grants funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, The National Centre for Research and Development as well as the National Science Centre. In 2020-2023, she was the leader of the European Commission HORIZON2020 grant (H2020-WF-01-2018; grant No. 867430 - IMMUNETREH) - Trehalose as a source for privileged immunity in Drosophila. The manuscript from this work, where Michalina is first author, was published in prestigious Plos Biology journal (IF 9.8 and 200pkt). Since April 2024 she is an adjunct and part of Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Genomics, Centre of Advanced Materials and Technology CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology (Poland).

Currently Dr Kazek is a main performer in two NCN grants Opus-22 “Mast Cell-mediated innate immune response against Candida infections” and Opus-25 “Molecular profiling of soft tissue sarcomas in tumour and peripheral blood in terms of response to treatment and early detection of recurrence or dissemination”. She also obtains Young WUT II competition grant 2023 “Development of an organoid culture method for potential use in predicting the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy during lung cancer treatment”, where she is a principal investigator.

Dr Kazek is a member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) and an author of articles in prestigious journals as well as of reports and presentations at reputable international conferences, index h-12, 338 citations.

• Kazek M., Lehr K., Chodakova L., Moos M., Simek P, Dolezal T. (2023). Metabolism of glucose and trehalose by cyclic pentose phosphate pathway is essential for effective immune response in Drosophila. Plos Biology DOI:10.1101/2023.08.17.553657 IF-9.8 200 pkt
• Boguś M. I., Kazek M., Drozdowski M., Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A. (2023). The Entomopathogenic Fungus Conidiobolus coronatus Has Similar Effects on the Cuticular Free Fatty Acid Profile of Sensitive and Resistant Insects. Insects 2023, 14(11), 895; IF- 4.0 100 pkt
• Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A. K., Kazek M., Boguś M. I. (2022). Octanoic Acid-An Insecticidal Metabolite of Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomopthorales) That Affects Two Majors Antifungal Protection Systems in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera): Cuticular Lipids and Hemocytes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23(9):5204 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095204 IF - 6.208 140 pkt
• Wrońska A.K., Kaczmarek A., Kazek M., Boguś M.I., (2022). Infection of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) Larvae With the Entomopathogenic Fungus Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomophthorales) Induces Apoptosis of Hemocytes and Affects the Concentration of Eicosanoids in the Hemolymph. Frontiers in Physiology 12 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.774086 IF - 4.566 100 pkt
• Kazek M., Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A.K., Boguś M.I., (2021). Dodecanol, metabolite of entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus, affects fatty acid composition and cellular immunity of Galleria mellonella and Calliphora vicina. – Scientific Reports 11(1):15963 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95440-6 IF- 4.379100 pkt
• Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A. K., Kazek M., Boguś M. I., Gliniewicz A., Mikulak E., Motławska M. (2021). The type of blood used to feed Aedes aegypti females affects their cuticular and internal free fatty acid (FFA) profiles. PlosOne 16(4) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251100 IF - 3.752 70 pkt
• Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A. K., Kazek M., Boguś M. I., (2020). Metamorphosis‑related changes in the free fatty acid profles of Sarcophaga (Liopygia) argyrostoma (Robineau‑Desvoidy, 1830). Scientific Reports 17337(10) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74475-1 IF- 4.379 100 pkt
• Gizińskaa M., Staniszewska M., Kazek M., Koronkiewicz M., Kuryk Ł., Milner-Krawczyk M., Baran J., Borowiecki P., Staniszewska M. (2020). Antifungal Polybrominated Proxyphylline Derivative Induces Candida albicans Calcineurin Stress Response in Galleria mellonella. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127545. IF-2.24 70 pkt.
• Kaczmarek A., Boguś M., Kazek M. et al, (2020).The interaction between cuticle free fatty acids (FFAs) of the cockroaches Blattella germanica and Blatta orientalis and hydrolases produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus. PlosOne 10.1371/journal.pone.0235785. IF-2.740 100 pkt
• Kazek M., Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A.K., Boguś M. I. (2020). Conidiobolus coronatus induces oxidative stress and autophagy response in Galleria mellonella larvae. PlosOne DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228407. IF-2.740 100 pkt
• Staniszewska M., Sobiepanek A., Gzińska M., Peña-Cabrera E., Arroyo-Córdoba I.J., Kazek M., Kuryk L., Wieczorek M., Koronkiewicz M., Kobiela T., Ochral Z (2020). Sulfone Derivatives Enter the Cytoplasm of Candida albicans Sessile Cells. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112139 IF-4.8 140 pkt
• Krejcova G., Danielova A., Nedbalova P., Kazek M., Strych L., Chawla G., Tennessen J., Lieskovska J., Jindra M., Dolezal T., Bajgar A. (2019). Drosophila macrophages switch to aerobic glycolysis to mount effective antibacterial defense. eLife DOI: 10.7554/eLife.50414 IF-7.5 200 pkt
• Staniszewska M., Gizińska M., Kazek M., González-Hernández R. , Mora-Montes H. M., Ochal Z. (2019). New Antifungal 4-chloro-3-nitrophenyldifluoroiodomethyl Sulfone Reduces the Candida albicans Pathogenicity in the Galleria mellonella Model Organism. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. IF-2.857 70 pkt
• Kazek M., Wrońska A.K., Kaczmarek A., Boguś M. I. (2019). Diet influences the bacterial and free fatty acid profiles of the cuticle of Galleria mellonella larvae. PlosOne 10.1371/journal.pone.0211697. IF-2.7 100 pkt
• Wrońska A.K., Kazek M., Kaczmarek A., Boguś M. I. (2018). Harman and norharman, metabolites of entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomopthorales), disorganize development of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) and affect serotonin-regulating enzymes. PONE-D-18-11288R3. IF-3.350 100 pkt
• Piotr Bebas, Bronislaw Cymborowski, Kazek M, Marta Anna Polanska (2018). Effects of diapause and the juvenile hormone analog, fenoxycarb, on testes development and spermatogenesis in the wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). European Journal of Entomology IF- 1.061 70 pkt
• Wrońska A. K., Boguś M. I., Włóka E., Kazek M., Kaczmarek A., Zalewska K., Ligęza-Żuber M. (2018). Cuticular fatty acids of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) inhibit fungal enzymatic activities of pathogenic Conidiobolus coronatus. PONE-D-17-37054R1. IF-3.350 100pkt
• Staniszewska M., Bondaryk M., Kazek M., Gliniewicz A., Braunsdorf Ch., Schaller M., Mora-Montes H.M., Ochal Z. (2017). Effect of serine protease KEX2 on Candida albicans virulence under halogenated methyl sulfones. Future Microbiology vol. 12 no. 4, 285-306, IF-3.190 100 pkt
• Boguś M., Włóka E., Wronska A., Kaczmarek A., Kazek M., Zalewska K., Ligęza-Żuber M., Gołebiowski M. (2016). Cuticle hydrolysis in four medically important fly species by enzymes of the entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus. Medical and Veterinary Entomology doi: 10.1111/mve.12202. IF- 2,663 100 pkt
• Kaczmarek A., Kazek M., Wrońska A., Zalewska K., Ligęza-Żuber M., Włóka E., Boguś M. (2015). Effect of octanoic acid and 2,6-dimethylphenol on life processes of selected insects belonging to the order Diptera and Lepidoptera. Mała Wielka Nauka, Innowacje i idee przyszłości. ISBN: 978-83-7283-704-2 p. 59 – 68.
• Kazek M., Kaczmarek A., Wrońska A., Zalewska K., Ligęza-Żuber M., Włóka E., Boguś M. (2015). Effects of benzyl alcohol and 2-phenylophenol on selected physiological processes in insects. Mała Wielka Nauka, Innowacje i idee przyszłości. ISBN: 978-83-7283-704-2 p. 69 – 78.
• Kamut M., Jezierski T. (2014). Ecological, behavioral and economic effects of insects on grazing farm animals. Animal Science Papers and Reports vol. 32 (2014) no. 2, 107-119. IF- 0,814