Personal composition

Dr hab. Eng. Adam Kuzdralinski, prof. PJAIT

Adam Kuzdralinski is a specialist in biotechnology and bioinformatics. His scientific activities focus on creating innovative solutions in bioinformatics, molecular diagnostics and DNA technologies, with an emphasis on their practical application in various industrial sectors. He is also an active red teamer working with OpenAI and Anthropic.

Selected scientific publications:

Kuzdralinski, A. (2025). PrimeSpecPCR: Python toolkit for species-specific DNA primer design and specificity testing. SoftwareX, 31, 102249.
Kuzdralinski, A., Miśkiewicz, M., Szczerba, H., Mazurczyk, W., Nivala, J., & Księżopolski, B. (2023). Unlocking the potential of DNA-based tagging: current market solutions and expanding horizons. Nature Communications, 14(1), 6052.
Miśkiewicz, M., Kuzdraliński, A., Rusinek, D., & Księżopolski, B. (2019) DNA Based Cryptographic Key Storage System With a Simple and Automated Method of Primers Selection. Maria Curie-Sklodowska University Press. Selected Topics in Applied Computer Science.
Szczerba, H., Komoń-Janczara, E., Krawczyk, M., Dudziak, K., Nowak, A., Kuzdraliński, A., ... & Targoński, Z. (2020). Genome analysis of a wild rumen bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes LU2-a novel bio-based succinic acid producer. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1986.

Selected projects:

2018-2023: Member of the project team: POIR.01.01.01-00-0849/17-00
2020-2021: CSO project team member: POIR.01.01.01-00-0627/19-00
2015-2019: Project Manager LIDER/014/263/L-5/13/NCBR/2014.

Patents:

He is the author of numerous patents (UPRP 230741, 230742, 230743, 232070, 232090, 232091, 232092, 232093, 232094, 431159, 431160, 431170, 430261, 430260), including for molecular methods of detecting microorganisms and new bacterial strains used in the production of organic acids.

Dr. Anna Wąsowska, M.D.

ORCID, Scopus ID, LinkedIn

D., master's degree in biotechnology and biomedical engineer, specializing in advanced analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. She has been involved in bioinformatics for more than 12 years. Her experience includes DNA analysis, NGS diagnostics and managing the laboratory for non-invasive prenatal genetic testing (NIPT) at Genomed S.A. She has performed numerous bioinformatics analyses covering topics of microbiome analysis, RNA expression, and whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). She has co-authored two patents and authored one patent application. She has 7 scientific publications, and her research has been presented at numerous conferences, both domestic and international.

Selected scientific publications:

Fundus Image Deep Learning Study to Explore the Association of Retinal Morphology with Age-Related Macular Degeneration Polygenic Risk Score. Sendecki A, Ledwoń D, Tuszy A, Nycz J, Wąsowska A, Boguszewska-Chachulska A, Mitas AW, Wylęgała E, Teper S. Biomedicines. 2024 Sep 13;12(9):2092. IF: 3.9
Association of Genetic Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Morphological Features of the Retinal Microvascular Network. Sendecki, A.; Ledwoń, D.; Tuszy, A.; Nycz, J.; Wąsowska, A.; Boguszewska-Chachulska, A.; Wylęgała, A.; Mitas, A.W.; Wylęgała, E.; Teper, S. Diagnostics. 2024; 14(7):770. IF:3.6
Polygenic Risk Score and Rare Variant Burden Identified by Targeted Sequencing in a Group of Patients with Pigment Epithelial Detachment in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Anna Wąsowska, Adam Sendecki, Anna Boguszewska-Chachulska, Slawomir Teper. Genes. 2023, 14(9), 1707. IF: 3.5
Polygenic Risk Score impact on susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration in Polish patients. Anna Wąsowska, Slawomir Teper, Ewa Matczyńska, Przemysław Łyszkiewicz, Adam Sendecki, Anna Machalińska, Edward Wylęgała, Anna Boguszewska-Chachulska. J Clin Med. 2023, 12(1), 295. IF: 4.964

Research projects:

2015-2019: project team member STRATEGMED1/234261/2/NCBR/2014
2016-2018: project team member RPMA.01.02.00-14-6209/16
2013-2015: member of the project team UDA-POIG.01.04.00-14-246/11

Patents and applications:

PAT.222649: "Method of detecting the R2237X mutation within the NF1 gene associated with neurofibromatosis type I."
PAT.227811: "Diagnostic kit and method for simultaneous detection of mutations within the NF1 gene for a group of patients with suspected Recklinghausen's disease"
Patent application P.445969: "Diagnostic kit for screening risk analysis of age-related macular degeneration in patients of Polish ancestry."

Dr. Tomasz Ociepa, Eng.

ORCID, Scopus ID, LinkedIn

Tomasz Ociepa is a specialist in biotechnology and bioinformatics, involved in numerous research projects related to genomics, transcriptomics and phenomics. He serves as a manager and contractor in numerous research projects funded by institutions such as the National Science Center (NCN), the National Center for Research and Development (NCBiR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). His main area of interest is the broad analysis of biological data from next generation sequencing (NGS) taking into account Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), de novo sequencing, amplicon sequencing and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) methods. His current research work focuses on describing plant-fungal pathogen interactions in more detail, investigates the role of non-coding RNA structures in such interactions, and seeks and describes new sources of fungal disease resistance in plants. He is currently co-author of 17 scientific publications, 24 conference reports, 2 chapters in a scientific monograph and 2 patents.

Selected scientific publications:

Ociepa T., Okon S. Chromosomal location of Pm12-a novel powdery mildew resistance gene from Avena sterilis. Genes 2022 Vol. 13 Issue 12 Article number 2409, ills, bibliogr., sum. DOI: 10.3390/genes13122409
Ociepa T., Okon S., Nucia A., Leśniowska-Nowak J., Paczos-Grzęda E., Bisaga M., 2020. Molecular identification and chromosomal localization of new powdery mildew resistance gene Pm11 in oat. Theor. Appl. Genet. 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03449-3.
Ociepa, T. (2019). The oat gene pools - review about the use of wild species in improving cultivated oat. Journal of Central European Agriculture, 20(1), 251-261. https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/20.1.2044
Okon S.M., Ociepa T., 2018 Effectiveness of new sources of resistance against oat powdery mildew identified in A. sterilis. J. Plant Dis. Prot. 1-6.
Okon S., Paczos-Grzęda E., Ociepa T., Koroluk A., Sowa S., Kowalczyk K., Chrząstek M. 2016. Avena sterilis L. genotypes as a potential source of resistance to oat powdery mildew. Plant Dis., 100 (10), pp. 2145-2151.

Chapters in the monograph:

Ociepa T., Genome sequencing as a tool for understanding microorganisms. In Microbial genetics Boca Raton/Abingdon 2024, CRC Press, pp. 61-71, 978-1-032-35841-3. DOI: 10.1201/9781003328933
Ociepa T., Metagenomics: a road to novel microbial genes and genomes. In Microbial genetics Boca Raton/Abingdon 2024, CRC Press, pp. 52-60, 978-1-032-35841-3. DOI: 10.1201/9781003328933

Selected research projects:

2024-2027 head of SONATA 19 project entitled "Impact analysis and identification of non-coding RNA (miRNA and lncRNA) sequences in transcriptomes of oat (Avena sativa L.) plants induced by Blumeria and Puccinia fungal infection." Funded by the National Science Center,
2021-2026 Contractor of the project entitled "Development of new biotechnological tools for effective assessment of sugar beet resistance to rush and selection of parental forms for heterosis breeding of this species" funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
2016-2018 contractor for the project entitled "Identification and localization of DNA markers for selected genes for resistance to powdery mildew in oats and pyramidization of effective resistance genes in the oat genome," funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
2015-2017 contractor of the project entitled "Identification of new effective genes for fungal disease resistance in oats and development of DNA markers for their identification", funded by the National Center for Research and Development.

Patents:

Pat. 235114 (A pair of oligonucleotide primers for identification and a method for identifying the dominant allele of the Pm9 gene determining resistance of oats (Avena sativa L.) to powdery mildew
Pat. 235115 (Two pairs of oligonucleotide primers for detecting the allelic system of the Pm9 gene determining resistance of oats (Avena sativa L.) to powdery mildew, and a method for detecting the allelic system of the Pm9 gene

Agata Raczyńska, PhD, Eng.

ORCID, LinkedIn

Agata Raczyńska, PhD – graduate of a dual Polish-French doctoral program in chemical sciences and microorganism and enzyme engineering, specializing in protein analysis using chemoinformatics methods. A bioinformatician by education, she has experience in protein design, molecular dynamics simulations, molecular docking, and evolutionary analysis. Author and co-author of 15 scientific publications, she has presented her results at numerous conferences. She is a co-creator of software for analyzing the flow of molecules through macromolecules (AQUA-DUCT), the R package for protein evolutionary analysis (BALCONY), and a web server for creating three-dimensional fragments of synthetic polymers (PUR-GEN). She has experience in conducting research projects and effective collaboration in interdisciplinary, international teams.

Selected scientific publications:

Raczyńska, A., Góra, A., & André, I. (2024). An overview on polyurethane-degrading enzymes. Biotechnology Advances, 77, 108439. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108439)
Szleper, K., Cebula, M., Kovalenko, O., Góra, A., & Raczyńska, A. (2025). PUR-GEN: A web server for automated generation of polyurethane fragment libraries. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 27, 127–136. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2024.12.004)
Raczyńska, A., Kapica, P., Papaj, K., Stańczak, A., Shyntum, D., Spychalska, P., Byczek-Wyrostek, A., & Góra, A. (2023). Transient binding sites at the surface of haloalkane dehalogenase LinB as locations for fine-tuning enzymatic activity. PLoS ONE, 18(2), e0280776. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280776)
Bzówka, M., Mitusińska, K., Raczyńska, A., Skalski, T., Samol, A., Bagrowska, W., Magdziarz, T., & Góra, A. (2022). Evolution of tunnels in α/β-hydrolase fold proteins – what can we learn from studying epoxide hydrolases? PLoS Computational Biology, 18(5), e1010119. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010119)
Bzówka, M., Mitusińska, K., Raczyńska, A., Samol, A., Tuszyński, J., & Góra, A. (2020). Structural and evolutionary analysis indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is a challenging target for small-molecule inhibitor design. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(9), 3099. (https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21093099)

Magdziarz, T., Mitusińska, K., Bzówka, M., Raczyńska, A., Stańczak, A., Banas, M., Bagrowska, W., & Góra, A. (2020). AQUA-DUCT 1.0: Structural and functional analysis of macromolecules from an intramolecular voids perspective. Bioinformatics.

Płuciennik, A., Stolarczyk, M., Bzówka, M., Raczyńska, A., Magdziarz, T., & Góra, A. (2018). BALCONY: An R package for MSA and functional compartments of protein variability analysis. BMC Bioinformatics, 19(1), 300. (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-018-2294-z)

Research projects:

2020–2024: project manager and principal investigator in the Diamond Grant program, Silesian University of Technology (no. 0169/DIA/2020/49),
2025: contractor in the EIC/Horizon Europe project "Teaching Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases to do Cytochrome P450 Catalysis" (DOI: 10.3030/101046815),

2016-2020: contractor in Role of the gates and anchoring residues in enzymes activity and selectivity (no. 2013/10/E/NZ1/00649),

2016-2020: contractor in Reversible modification of enzyme activity and substrate specificity by engineering of the ligand exchange pathways (no. 2015/18/M/NZ1/00427).

Cooperation:

Dr. Marek Miśkiewicz

ORCID, SCOPUS Author Identifier: 6701451663

D. in theoretical physics. He currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Cyber Security and Computational Linguistics at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin (UMCS). He is passionate about interdisciplinary research at the interface of computer science and biotechnology. In his scientific work, he focuses primarily on analyzing the possibility of using DNA as a key component of modern security systems. He is a researcher specializing in advanced technologies for marking objects with DNA. His work focuses on developing systems that combine biotechnology and computer science to authenticate, identify and protect the physical properties of objects. A key area of his research is the development of tamper-proof tagging methods that exploit the unique characteristics of DNA, as well as the development of cryptographic algorithms in the context of the security of data secured by DNA tags. He also conducts research related to the level of public awareness of cyber-security and the use of AI technologies by school-aged youth. As an academic who teaches at both UMCS, PJAIT and Leon Kozminski Academy, he has many years of teaching experience. He is also the author of numerous educational materials on cyber security and cryptography.