Molecular Biophysics and Bioenergetics Group

Group Members:

• Prof. dr hab. Květoslava Burda - kierownik
• Dr hab. Renata Szymańska, prof. AGH
• Dr Joanna Fiedor
• Dr Aleksandra Orzechowska
• Dr inż. Agnieszka Trela-Makowej

AGH Priority Research Areas – PRA 5

Materials, technologies, and processes inspired by nature: biotechnology, bioinspirations in engineering and materials science, biosensors, bioenergetics, biocatalysis, biocomputers, and biocomputation

Task:

Studies on the physico-chemical properties of biological systems subjected to external stress factors and exposure to nano(bio)particles.

Keywords:

phototrophic bacteria, bioremediation, anaerobic and aerobic photosynthesis, algae, higher plants, photosynthetic complexes, prenyllipids, vitamins, prooxidants, antioxidants, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, plant secondary metabolites, stress factors, biological membranes, civilisation diseases, red blood cells, haemoglobin, metallic and organic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, bionanotechnologies, bioenergetics

Scope of research:

• electron and energy transport within type II photosystems;
• the influence of the dynamics of photosynthetic complexes on their activity and the kinetics of the processes taking place within them;
• the mechanism of oxygen evolution in photosynthesis;
• the xanthophyll cycle in higher plants and diatoms - modelling;
• molecular mechanisms of bacterial anaerobic photosynthesis;
• bioremediation, phototrophic bacteria in environmental and application research;
• structure, organisation and physico-chemical properties of native and model dye-protein-lipid systems;
• research into self-organising hybrid systems with a potential application in the production of bio-energy;
• effects of heavy metals, selected nanoparticles and ‘anti-fouling’ coatings on the photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria, algae and higher plants, in vitro and in vivo studies;
• non-invasive thermal studies of plants in response to abiotic factor;
• structural and functional characterisation of novel antioxidants from natural sources;
• antioxidant and non-antioxidant properties of vitamin E;
• carotenoids as antioxidants, prooxidants and modulators of the physico-chemical properties of native and modified biological systems, role in oxidative stress;
• nano-carriers for natural antioxidants;
• effects of endo- and exogenous nanoparticles on physico-chemical properties of unchanged and pathological cells;
• impact of metallic and organic nanoparticles on the development of civilisation diseases;
• effects of ionising radiation on the stability and functioning of red blood cells;
• functionalisation of carbon nanotubes and study of their physico-chemical properties and interaction with selected biological systems.