AZUMA - Key Persons
Daniel is now pursuing his master's degree in Molecular Biotechnology at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His scientific interests center around protein biochemistry and artificial supramolecular systems with emergent unique features. To explore these interests, he had an internship training in supramolecular complex analysis at Jagiellonian University Medical College's Department of Medical Biochemistry, studying carrier-antitumor drug delivery complexes. For his bachelor's project at the Department of Physical Biochemistry, he investigated how transcription factor YY1 dimerization depends on interaction with zinc ions. Being aware of the importance and necessity of constantly acquiring new knowledge and deepening those already gained, he is confident that the expertise he is about to receive in the Azuma group will definitely contribute to his future scientific life. Once he's not in the lab, he's caring about his garden on windowsill, doing some artwork or DIY, hiking in the Tatra Mountains, or delving into the philosophical meanders.
Agnieszka joined us as a postdoctoral researcher at the beginning of October 2020. Although originally coming from Poland, she spent almost five years in Norway: first as an Erasmus student at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and then as a member of the research lab of Prof. Trygve Brautaset at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology where she successfully obtained her PhD in biotechnology in summer 2020. As her PhD position was primarily affiliated with the ERASysAPP funded project LEANPROT, her graduate work focused on engineering Escherichia coli for enhanced translational and secretory capacities for efficient heterologous protein productions in bacteria. Currently, she is involved in research on encapsidic production of difficult-to-express proteins and she is excited to utilize her postdoctoral training in the Azuma group as an opportunity to learn more about protein engineering and directed evolution. As a nature enthusiast, Agnieszka enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports, especially climbing, hiking or ski touring. You can find out more about her on research gate and LinkedIn.
Michael joined our group as a postdoc researcher at the beginning of April 2022. Previously, he attended a higher technical college in Austria with very applied chemical knowledge. During this stay, he specialized in biochemistry and genetics. Later, he studied earth sciences and put his focus on spectroscopy at the University of Vienna. In his PhD, he has dealt with the metabolic changes of protists (foraminifera) in response to changes in the environment. In parallel with his doctorate, he also completed two more master's programs: Ecology and Ecosystems, and Zoology. The results of his previous researches were presented at various conferences and he received several requests for guest lectures in research centers abroad. With his innovative ideas, a number of grants were successfully applied for, which enabled him to establish many contacts with research centers across Europe. In the Azuma group, he now focuses on the vitamin B2 biosynthetic compartment riboflavin synthase/lumazine synthase complex and investigate in detail the mechanism of guest packaging. In his free time, he enjoys travelling and snorkeling. He is particularly enthusiastic about culinary excursions to the Mediterranean Sea.
Job Titles:
- Technician ( from the Cell Biology Core Facility )
Michał joined us a part-time technician to be in charge of our flow cytometry experiments beside his main position as the head of our cell biology core facility. For many years, he has been active in the animal and human male fertility field. During his PhD, he had trained with flow cytometry technique in sperm biology research. He intensely worked to develop advanced sperm examination methods including DNA damages, apoptotic changes, oxidative stress and its relations to sperm cell functionality. In his previous position at the National Research Institute of Animal Production, he led a Polish/Austrian/US pre-commercial project to introduce an animal sex regulation method based on sophisticated high speed sperm cells sorting to Poland. After moving to MCB, he has been responsible for the well-equipped flow cytometry laboratory. He takes charge of a wide range of cellular, bacterial and nanoparticle investigations for many research groups at MCB as well as other institutes.
BTW, if you meet his ArcticaTwin motorbike resting sometimes next to the MCB building, say *him* ‘Hello!' ‘coz he's seen pretty big piece of the world.
Job Titles:
- Co - Funded by Marie Skłodowska - Curie Actions )
Jędrzej is currently a master's student at the Jagiellonian University, majoring in Molecular Biotechnology. During his bachelor study, he gained both wet and dry-lab experience at the Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry at FBBB and the Structural and Functional Genomics Lab at MCB. In 2021, he joined our group as an NCN scholarship awardee to participate in research on encapsidic production of difficult to express proteins. He feels confident that the training in protein engineering and directed evolution he will receive in Azuma group would be an invaluable experience for his future scientific adventures. Outside the lab, he is training painstakingly for The World's Strongest Man 2070 and spends definitely too much time in the forests.
Magdalena joined the Azuma Group in September 2022 as a Lab Manager / Technician. Her primary roles are maintaining smooth laboratory work within the Azuma's group, mentoring researchers for their good laboratory practices, and providing administrative support to ongoing projects. Apart from her tasks in the Azuma group, Magdalena has worked at the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology of Jagiellonian University since 2021 as a Specialist and a Grants Officer in the Max Planck Research Group, where she analyzes projects from a financial perspective, scrutinizes budgets and financial data, verifies expenditure, and provides administrative support to projects within the group. Previously, Magdalena worked for many years in the private sector where she was in charge of financial and environmental health and safety audits for organizing and managing foreign projects and construction sites. She is also a certified accountant, an human resource specialist, a certified health and safety officer, and an internal auditor. She likes to travel, read books, watch movies, and spend time with friends in her free time.