Education and Employment

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01.01.2020 - now - post-doctoral researcher, Biological Inorganic Chemistry Research Group, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław (NCN SONATA BIS 7 nr 2017/26/A/ST5/00364: „Interaction of antimicrobial peptides with metal ions - understanding the relationship between coordination chemistry, structure, thermodynamics and mode of action"

 

01.05.2017-31.12.2019 - post-doctoral researcher, Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław (NCN OPUS 11 nr 2016/21/B/NZ1/02847; „The role of cross-domain allosteric communication in the Rad50 protein in the control of genome stability by the Mre11 complex"

 

2017 – PhD in chemistry (with summa cum laude), University of Wrocław, Faculty of Chemistry, Bioinorganic and

Biomedical Chemistry Group Title of PhD thesis: „The role of poly-his-tags in synthetic and natural proteins in metal ion binding", Supervisor: Prof. Henryk Kozłowski

 

2012 – M.Sc. in chemistry at University of Wrocław, Faculty of Chemistry, specialty: chemistry, Title of MSc thesis „Thermodynamic characterization of interactions Bi(III) and Zn(II) with fragment of HypA protein from Helicobacter pylori”, Supervisor: Dr hab. Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek

 

2010 B.Sc. in chemistry at University of Wrocław, Faculty of Chemistry, specialty: biological chemistry

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List of publications: 

1. Witkowska Danuta, Szebesczyk Agnieszka, Wątły Joanna, Braczkowski Michał, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
A comparative study on nickel binding to Hpn-like polypeptides from two Helicobacter pylori strains
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, 22, 13210/1-13210/15
10.3390/ijms222413210 
 

2. Piec Kamila, Wątły Joanna, Jerzykiewicz Maria, Kłak Julia, Plichta Andrzej, John Łukasz
Mono-substituted cage-like silsesquioxanes bound by trifunctional acyl chloride as a multi-donor N,O-type ligand in copper(II) coordination chemistry: synthesis and structural properties.
New Journal of Chemistry, 2021, 45, 4156-4163
10.1039/d0nj05425a 
 

3. Wątły Joanna, Miller Adriana, Kozłowski Henryk, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Peptidomimetics – An infinite reservoir of metal binding motifs in metabolically stable and biologically active molecules.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2021, 217, 111386/1-111386/17
10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111386 
 

4. Wątły Joanna, Łuczkowski Marek, Padjasek Michał, Krężel Artur
Phytochelatins as a dynamic system for Cd(II) buffering from the micro- to femtomolar range.
Inorganic Chemistry, 2021, 60, 4657-4675
10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c03639 
 

5. Miller Adriana, Matera-Witkiewicz Agnieszka, Mikołajczyk Aleksandra, Wątły Joanna, Wilcox Dean, Witkowska Danuta, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Zn-enhanced Asp-rich antimicrobial peptides: N-terminal coordination by Zn(II) and Cu(II), which distinguishes Cu(II) binding to different peptides.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, 22, 6971/1-6971/20
10.3390/ijms22136971 
 

6. Hecel Aleksandra, Ostrowska Małgorzata, Stokowa-Sołtys Kamila, Wątły Joanna, Dudek Dorota, Miller Adriana, Potocki Sławomir, Matera-Witkiewicz Agnieszka, Domínguez-Martín Alicia, Kozłowski Henryk, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Zinc(II)—the overlooked éminence grise of chloroquine’s fight against COVID-19?
Pharmaceuticals, 2020, 13, 228/1-228/29
10.3390/ph13090228 
 

7. Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena, Więch Anna, Wątły Joanna, Wieczorek Robert, Witkowska Danuta, Ożyhar Andrzej, Orłowski Marek
Copper(II)-binding induces a unique polyproline type II helical structure within the ion-binding segment in the intrinsically disordered F-domain of ecdysteroid receptor from Aedes aegypti.
Inorganic Chemistry, 2019, 58, 11782-11792
10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01826 
 

8. Więch Anna, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena, Wątły Joanna, Czarnota Aleksandra, Hołubowicz Rafał, Szewczuk Zbigniew, Ożyhar Andrzej, Orłowski Marek
The intrinsically disordered C-terminal F domain of the ecdysteroid receptor from Aedes aegypti exhibits metal ion-binding ability.
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2019, 186, 42-55
10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.09.008 
 

9. Wątły Joanna, Hecel Aleksandra, Wieczorek Robert, Świątek-Kozłowska Jolanta, Kozłowski Henryk, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Uncapping the N-terminus of a ubiquitous His-tag peptide enhances its Cu2+ binding affinity.
Dalton Transactions, 2019, 48, 13567-13579
10.1039/c9dt01635j 
 

10. Hecel Aleksandra, Wątły Joanna, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena, Świątek-Kozłowska Jolanta, Kozłowski Henryk
Histidine tracts in human transcription factors: insight into metal ion coordination ability.
Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 2018, 23, 81-90
10.1007/s00775-017-1512-x 

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11. Wątły Joanna, Hecel Aleksandra, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena, Kozłowski Henryk
Impact of histidine spacing on modified polyhistidine tag : metal ion interactions.
Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2018, 472, 119-126
10.1016/j.ica.2017.06.053 
 

12. Wątły Joanna, Hecel Aleksandra, Kołkowska Paulina, Kozłowski Henryk, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Poly-Xaa sequences in proteins - biological role and interactions with metal ions : chemical and medical aspects.
Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2018, 25, 22-48
10.2174/0929867324666170428104928 
 

13. Remelli Maurizio, Brasili Davide, Guerrini Remo, Pontecchiani Fabio, Potocki Sławomir, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena, Wątły Joanna, Kozłowski Henryk
Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes with poly-histidyl peptides derived from a snake venom.
Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2018, 472, 149-156
10.1016/j.ica.2017.05.070 
 

14. Zamariola Giulia, Wątły Joanna, Gallerani Eleonora, Gavioli Riccardo, Guerrini Remo, Kozłowski Henryk, Remelli Maurizio
AGHLDDLPGALSAL : a hemoglobin fragment potentially competing with albumin to bind transition metal ions.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2016, 163, 301-310
10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2016.04.001 
 

15. Remelli Maurizio, Ceciliato Carlo, Guerrini Remo, Kołkowska Paulina, Krzywoszyńska Karolina, Salvadori Severo, Valensin Daniela, Wątły Joanna, Kozłowski Henryk
DOES hemopressin bind metal ions in vivo ?
Dalton Transactions, 2016, 45, 18267-18280
10.1039/c6dt03598a 
 

16. Walencik Paulina K., Wątły Joanna, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Fungal zinc homeostasis - a tug of war between the pathogen and host.
Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2016, 23, 3717-3729
10.2174/0929867323666160817163834 
 

17. Kołkowska Paulina, Hecel Aleksandra, Kędzierska Dorota, Ostrowska Małgorzata, Walencik Paulina K., Wątły Joanna, Zdyb Karolina, Spodzieja Marta, Rodziewicz-Motowidlo Sylwia, Potocki Sławomir, Łuczkowski Marek, Gumienna-Kontecka Elżbieta, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
HENRYK - an endless source of metal coordination surprises.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2016, 163, 258-265
10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2016.02.030 
 

18. Brasili Davide, Wątły Joanna, Simonovsky Eyal, Guerrini Remo, Barbosa Nuno A., Wieczorek Robert, Remelli Maurizio, Kozłowski Henryk, Miller Yifat
The unusual metal ion binding ability of histidyl tags and their mutated derivatives.
Dalton Transactions, 2016, 45, 5629-5639
10.1039/C5DT04747A 
 

19. Wątły Joanna, Potocki Sławomir, Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Zinc homeostasis at the bacteria/host interface : from coordination chemistry to nutritional immunity.
Chemistry-A European Journal, 2016, 22, 15992-16010
IF: 5.317
10.1002/chem.201602376 
 

20. Wątły Joanna, Simonovsky Eyal, Barbosa Nuno A., Spodzieja Marta, Wieczorek Robert, Rodziewicz-Motowidlo Sylwia, Miller Yifat, Kozłowski Henryk
African viper poly-his tag peptide fragment efficiently binds metal ions and is folded into an α-helical structure.
Inorganic Chemistry, 2015, 54, 7692-7702
10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b01029 
 

21. Kozłowski Henryk, Kołkowska Paulina, Wątły Joanna, Krzywoszyńska Karolina, Potocki Sławomir
General aspects of metal toxicity.
Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2014, 21, 3721-3740
10.2174/0929867321666140716093838 
 

22. Wątły Joanna, Simonovsky Eyal, Wieczorek Robert, Barbosa Nuno A., Miller Yifat, Kozłowski Henryk
Insight into the coordination and the binding sites of Cu2+ by the histidyl-6-tag using experimental and computational tools.
Inorganic Chemistry, 2014, 53, 6675-6683
10.1021/ic500387u 

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Research grants/awards:

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1. Award in the Ludwik Hirszfeld Student Scholarship Program in the field of Biological and Medical Sciences,

Wroclaw, Poland, 11.2015

2. New Journal of Chemistry Poster Prize at XIII International Symposium on Inorganic Biochemistry, Karpacz, Poland, 09.2015

3. Award for the best poster - poster session of PhD students at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, Poland, 5-15.12.2016.

4. PhD Thesis with summa cum laude, 24.01.2017

5. Training grant winner: CPD16 INSTRUCT workshop at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, 13 15.09.2016.

6. Conference Grant of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC) for Young Researchers at 13th European Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 05.2016

7. Grant Academy of Development as the Key To Strengthen Human Resources of the Polish Economy co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund, 01.12.2014-30.11.2015

8. Grant Development of potential and the education offer of the University of Wrocław - chance to increase the competitiveness of universities co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund,

01.10.2014-28.02.2015

9. Training grant: COST-TS-ECOST-TRAINING_SCHOLL-CM1003-060914-046836 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium,

07-14.09.2014r.

10. Fellowships for the PhD students from the University of Wroclaw, 01.10.2012-30.09.2016

11. Fellowships for the best PhD students from the Rector of University of Wrocław, 01.10.2013-30.09.2015

12. Pro-quality Fellowship for the best PhD students from the University of Wroclaw, 01.10.2014-30.09.2015

Scientific experience/training

1. Post-doc, Faculty of Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Biology, University of Wrocław, 05.2017-12.2019

2. Internship, Faculty of Chemistry, Kiev National Taras Shevchenko University, Kiev, Ukraine, 27.02-30.03.2015

3. Summer School: Advanced Lecture course chemistry of metals in biological systems. Catholic University of Louvain la Nouvelle, Louvain la Nouvelle, Belgium, 07-14.09.2014

4. Summer School: Bioinorganic Chemistry. Universita degli studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, 06-13.09-2013

5. Course teaching and pedagogical practices, Wrocław, Opoczno, Poland, 2007-2011

 

Additionally:

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Work for the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Wrocław:

1. Member of the Faculty Council of Doctoral Students, 05.2015-10.2016

2. Member of the Faculty Team for the Quality of Education, 10.2014-10.2016

3. Doctoral Students' Council of the University of Wrocław: Representative in the Peer Court, 10.2014-10.2016

4. Co-organization of two international scientific conferences, International Symposium on Metal Complexes (ISMEC2015) and XIII International Symposium on Inorganic Biochemistry, 2015

Participation in scientific societies:

1. Member of The Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry

2. Member of the Polish Biochemical Society and the Polish Chemical Society

3. Group coordinator in the XVII and XVIII Lower Silesian Science Festival, 2014 and 2015 (chemical workshops in schools)

 

 

Author of 20 published papers with a total impact factor of over 70 (2 further ones are currently under review); Hirsch index 7, cited more than 170 times.

ORCID: 0000-0003-3770-5189

List of papers: https://chem.uni.wroc.pl/pl/pracownik/1240

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Hobbies: knitting, cooking and gardening ;)