Dr Urszula Zarzecka from the Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, UG, has been awarded the European grant ‘FEBS Booster Fund 2024’, funded by the Federation of European Biochemical Societies/FEBS.

The Federation of European Biochemical Societies supports young researchers by awarding one-off grants of €25,000 for a one-year project. The funding will allow dr Urszula Zarzecka to continue her research on the role of periplasmic proteases in the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

Periplasmic proteases are an interesting and important object of research. They may have functions inside the bacterial cell, but many are also exported outside the cell. Extracellular fractions of proteases can come into direct contact with host cells and influence the efficacy of infection. In addition, many key processes take place in the periplasm, including the transport of nutrients and virulence factors.

‘The proper functioning of proteases is crucial for maintaining the proteostasis of the entire bacterial cell, including controlling processes related to the response to stress conditions, such as the presence of antibiotics. This is an important aspect of the research, as a major and growing obstacle to the use of antibiotics in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori is the increasing resistance of this bacterium to antibiotics. H. pylori infects more than half of the world's human population and in some cases leads to the development of gastric cancer, which is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Research indicates that effective eradication of H. pylori is of great importance for the prevention and treatment of gastric diseases,’ explains dr Urszula Zarzecka. ‘Thus, understanding the role of periplasmic proteases may help to better understand the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and to counteract its development.’

More information: FEBS Booster Fund Recipients 2024 - FEBS