Research:
My research is focused on developing a subunit vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa using novel techniques. We are looking for antigens and epitopes in the outer cell membrane using a Reverse Vaccinology approach. Work is mostly done now on vaccine designing at molecular level with following plans for immunological and clinical studies. Vaccine candidates were already tested with patients' sera with good results.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium, commonly present in the environment, that causes serious health problems when it infects humans and is resistant to many antibiotics and treatments. Patient groups at risk for acquisition of P. aeruginosa infections include those with cystic fibrosis (which almost always leads to chronic airway infection), paraplegic, burn, and immunocompomised patients. Prevention of infection by vaccination is desirable, but until today no vaccine has yet obtained market authorization.
Education background:
PhD
I started my PhD in 2013 at Department of Protein Evolution at Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen (Germany) and in late 2014 my group moved to University of Oslo (Norway) where I continue my PhD research at Department of Biosciences. My supervisor is Prof. Dr. Dirk Linke, together with my second supervisor Prof. Dr. Inger Sandlie.
Master
I did my master degree at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin (Poland) where I was working with Rhizobium leguminosarum, investigating effect of environmental factors on expression of pss genes engaged in exopolysaccharide synthesis. Work was done at Department of Genetics and Microbiology. I spent part of my master time at Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic) were I was involved in another project focused on mutations in 1 - 5 histidine phosphotransfer proteins (AHP) genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (project was supervised by Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jan Hejátko, Ph.D.).
My bachelor degree was also done at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University and was focused on practical use of biotransformation of organic compounds.
List of attended conferences and meetings:
2013:
3rd International Symposium of the Collaborative Research Centre 766 (SFB), Kloster Irsee/Kaufbeuren, Germany
3rd Max Planck PhD Retreat, Kempten, Germany (poster and talk)
3rd Norwegian Microbiology Meeting (NoMi-13), Larvik, Norway (poster)
2014:
9th GBM Transport Colloquium, Rauischholzhausen, Gernany (poster)
DZIF Summer School on Infection Research, Dresden, Germany (talk)
Symposium of the DGHM/VAAM group "Microbial Pathogens", Bad Urach, Germany (poster)
2015:
51st Norwegian Biochemical Society Contact Meeting, Svalbard, Norway (poster)
EVOGENE section retreat, Finse, Norway
6th FEMS Microbiology Congress 2015, Maastricht, Netherlands (poster)
Top Gear in Science 2015 (Infection biology and neurobiology in the 21st century), Oslo, Norway
2016:
Symposium of the DGHM-VAAM workgroup, Bad Urach, Germany
14th Finnish Microbial Pathogenesis Days, Helsinki, Finland
Regional Inflammation Network (RiRNet) seminar 27-28 October at Lysebu Hotel, Oslo, Norway
2017:
Regional Inflammation Network (RiRNet) seminar 11-12 May at Scandic Holmekollen Park hotel, Oslo, Norway
14th Annual Norwegian Stem Cell Network 30-31 October at Conference Soria Moria Hotel and Conference Center, Oslo, Norway
National Graduate School in Infection Biology and Antimicrobials meeting 13-14 November at Thon Hotel Opera, Oslo, Norway
Out of work:
Most of my free time I actively spend on different type of sports. Beside this I am trying to improve my electronic and programming skills at home (which also helped me to automatize my home brewing process). I like constructing everything from scratch (DIY) where I learn how the things works (drones, 3D printers, PID controllers etc.).