Team

Aleksandra (Ola) Kołodziejczyk

Team Leader

I completed an international first-level degree in Biotechnology, which was run by a consortium of European universities, at the University of Perugia. During my studies, I trained in the labs of Prof. Fred van Leuven (KU Leuven), Prof. Sir Alan Fersht (MRC LMB, Cambridge), and Prof. Matthias Wilmanns (EMBL). I then completed my MSc Degree in Molecular Biosciences, majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology, at the University of Heidelberg. For my thesis, I worked on chemotaxis towards bacterial autoinducer in the lab of Prof. Victor Sourjik. In 2012, to pursue my PhD, I joined Dr. Sarah Teichmann’s group at EMBL EBI and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, where I worked in the emerging field of single-cell transcriptomics. I focused on the technical aspects of the method while gaining novel biological insights into T cells and mouse embryonic stem cells. I was awarded both the EMBO Long-Term Fellowship and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship, which allowed me to undertake postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute of Science in the group of Prof. Eran Elinav. There, I applied my genomics skills to study the role of host-microbiota interactions in liver diseases. In April 2023, I joined IIMCB as a team leader, where I am establishing the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics. My lab employs cutting-edge 'omics technologies to study host-microbiota interactions and gastrointestinal health.

Dr Anna Sobocińska

As Lab Manager I make sure that Olab works efficiently and stress-free. My role comes down to making sure everyone has tools to work with and feels catered to. I’m a mediator between the needs and wishes of the Olab team and the rules and deadlines of the Administration. I’m also the person to contact when you’re low on your favourite yellow tips and when the machine doesn’t start. Trying my best to keep our space organized (yay, labels!) and ergonomic, while making sure to implement more green solutions, for example tracking and reducing our SUPs usage or equipping the Olab with energy saving and low carbon footprint solutions.

Dr Krzysztof Szczepaniak

Postdoc

I’m a computational biologist with a wet lab background. I completed my MSc in Biotechnology at the University of Warsaw and my PhD in Biology at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS while working at IIMCB. My PhD and first postdoctoral (CENT, University of Warsaw) projects focused on studying relationships between sequence and structure of coiled-coil protein domains. During my second postdoctoral project (MCB, Jagiellonian University) I studied how bacteriophages exchange modules of their proteins. My primary skills are programming, data processing, and visualization, but I also know my way around the experimental lab. I have experience with various tools for protein structural and sequence analysis and machine learning techniques. In my free time, I enjoy bike trips, books (fantasy, s-f, but also social and economics topics), and all nerdy activities. I’m a D&D DM and an aspiring game developer.

Dr Aneta Grymanowska

Postdoc

I am a neuroscientist who graduated PhD at the Mossakowski Medical Research Centre in Warsaw. The focus of my research was to study the atypical shape of neural stem cells nuclei of the adult hippocampal neurogenesis, using advanced microscopy techniques. I have been awarded a Fulbright scholarship which enabled me to conduct my own research project at the University of California San Diego, where I was working on cell line modification using CRISPR-Cas9. I wanted to develop my expertise in functional genomics, therefore I joined a medical start-up Genegoggle, that was offering to work at the Illumina Core Facility in Cambridge, where I was studying the chromatin biology, epigenetics, and mechanism of transcriptional regulation in cancer models. I have joined OLab in October 2024 and I am working on understanding the microbiota-host interactions in different models of liver fibrosis.

Joanna (Asia) Słota

PhD Student

I graduated from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology with a BSc in Biotechnology. My thesis focused on intrinsically disordered proteins and their role in the formation of membrane-less organelles. During my studies, I completed an internship in a biochemistry lab. I then earned my MSc in Bioinformatics at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, where my thesis tackled the analysis of mass cytometry data from breast cancer patients’ blood cells to identify potential diagnostic targets. I also benchmarked different data analysis tools in this area. I joined the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics in May 2023, where I am applying my skills in analyzing single-cell data during my PhD studies. In my research, I aim to use computational analyses to unravel biological principles in the context of human physiology and pathology.

Aleksandra Uryga

PhD Student

I’m a PhD student in Olab since October 2023. I graduated the biotechnology Master’s degree in the University of Wrocław. I worked with DNA and nuclear proteins trying to unravel the secrets of replication stress and related DNA repair. For some time I was involved in a project developing the 3D-printed bionic pancreas. I am keen on learning how diet and various habits influence human microbiota, wellness and mental state. In the free time I read a lot of sf and Korean comics.

Konstancja Gałat

PhD Student

I am a molecular biotechnologist who discovered a strong passion for bioinformatics. I graduated from Jagiellonian University with a BSc in Biotechnology and an MSc in Molecular Biotechnology. During my studies, I completed an internship as a bioinformatician at Eligo Bioscience in Paris and volunteered in Łabaj’s Lab also as a bioinformatician at the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology in Krakow. I have experience in building robust pipelines using Nextflow and Snakemake, as well as expertise in soil microbiome analysis. Throughout my professional career, I have worked with cyanobacteria, plants, fungi, and phages. I have decided to specialize now in human and mouse data during my PhD studies. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching Formula 1 races, and spending time with my cat.

Anna Węgrzycka

PhD Student

I earned my master’s degree in medical biotechnology from Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. My research focused on Western blots, where I analyzed apoptosis-related proteins in mouse intestines. I was awarded a Fulbright stipend in the BioLAB program, which allowed me to spend a year at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City, USA. There, I joined Dr. Plafker’s lab, studying the effects of a ketogenic diet using a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). My role involved investigating how switching to a ketogenic diet during an MS relapse can alleviate symptoms. This experience sparked my interest in the microbiome of immunocompromised mice and the interactions between the gastrointestinal tract and the rest of the body. Outside of work, I enjoy playing RPG games, doing diamond paintings, and watching cat videos online.

Natalia Rzepka

PhD Student

I graduated from University of Wrocław with a BSc in Biotechnology and afterwards I moved to the Netherlands to continue with a MSc in Medical Biotechnology at Wageningen University & Research. During my MSc thesis I specialized in molecular immunology by working on the molecular mechanisms behind NK cell activation. As a part of my studies I also had the opportunity to perform an external research internship at the Department of Immunology at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, where I worked on developing a method to analyse T cell activation in the context of pertussis vaccination. Through my background in immunology I became interested in the role of the gut microbiome in immune regulation and I joined the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics as a PhD student in October 2024. In my free time I like to read fantasy books, go to fantasy/comic conventions, collect herbs in the forest and listen to Taylor Swift.

Karolina Komorowska

technician

Zofia Link

MSc Student

I graduated with a BSc in Biomedicine from the Medical University of Lublin, where I worked on my thesis concerning genetic markers in non-small cell lung cancer. In 2022, I completed an internship at the Experimental Medicine Center of UMLub, where I gained experience in supervising environmental conditions and ensuring animal welfare. In 2023, I interned at VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, where I optimized the production of minicircle DNA vectors. Currently, I am pursuing a master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Warsaw. I joined the Laboratory of Cellular Genomics in December 2023 to conduct my master’s thesis research, focusing on the role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites in host physiology. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, candle making, and practicing Irish dance.

Joanna Siatecka

MSc Student