In the fourth year of the two-round competition for MENDELU Ph.D. Talent Supplementary Scholarships for male and female students of doctoral programmes, a total of five students succeeded. Ten PhD students advanced to the second round of the competition, and half of them made it to the final round.
The students who enter the competition will gain invaluable experience in preparing their own scientific research project. They must formulate their ideas and present them in English in a relatively short time to impress the judging panel. “The awardees had perfect presentations and beautiful projects, each thematically different. I believe that their scientific career is well started and success in a competition like this can be a ticket for them in the future in terms of further employment,” assessed Pavlina Adam, Vice-Chancellor for Creative Activities. The four successful PhD students will receive a supplementary talent scholarship of 10,000 per month. They can use the funding for their further development to pursue research to the fullest.
“My work involves the development of advanced lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of cancer. Currently, I am involved in the design and development of enzymatic nanobots, which are special nanoparticles that not only deliver cytostatic drugs to the tumor but also have various enzymes attached to their surface. These enzymes act as miniature motors that power the nanorobots. Thanks to enzymatic propulsion, they can reach tumour cells faster than conventional nanoparticles,” explained Ester Maráková from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Faculty of Agronomy.
Magdalena Malásková from the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at MENDELU is working on the development of nanoparticles that could help improve the treatment of organophosphate poisoning. “Organophosphates are toxic substances that can seriously damage the nervous system by blocking the important enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Current treatments use so-called oximes that restore this enzyme, but the problem is that they have a hard time reaching the brain because of its natural protective barrier. That’s why I’m working on using solid-core lipid nanoparticles that can encapsulate the oximes and help them better penetrate the brain. This would increase the efficacy of the treatment, prolong the effect of the drug and also reduce side effects,” the PhD student listed.
Rostislav Berezjuk, from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, is working on the use of CT scanning of wood for the purposes of log grading and the resulting lumber. The aim is to design models, based on CT scans and acoustic properties of logs, which could be used to estimate the mechanical properties of the products before the logs are processed. “The benefit of the competition was the need to present the project appropriately, with a significant limitation of the maximum number of pages and the subsequent limited time for its presentation. I would definitely recommend submitting an application. Participants will receive valuable feedback from the expert jury in the worst case scenario,” evaluated a PhD student from the Institute of Wood Science and Technology.
Nora Witkovska from the Institute of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics focuses her work on finding alternatives to mitigate antibiotic resistance. “My focus is on developing new antimicrobial agents that can help fight infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens such as golden staphylococcus. In the veterinary sphere, this pathogen is a serious problem, particularly in dairy cows, where it causes inflammation of the mammary gland. By using innovative nanomaterials, I aim to disrupt difficult-to-treat bacterial biofilms, a physical barrier produced by bacteria, and improve the effectiveness of treatment of these chronic infections,” explained the PhD student from the Faculty of Agronomy.
Pavla Přinosilová from the Faculty of Horticulture is working on micropropagation of olive trees using the in vitro method. “In the sterile environment of the laminar box, I work with a scalpel and tweezers, which I use to cut the plant into individual parts and then transfer them to the culture medium. Olive trees naturally grow very slowly, and it is micropropagation that allows them to multiply faster while maintaining genetic uniformity. Even so, it is not easy – their growth under in vitro conditions depends on the phytohormone zeatin, which is very expensive. I am currently investigating whether certain nanoparticles could replace some of the zeatin in the culture medium, while maintaining optimal plant growth,” she explained.