Department of Molecular Microbiology (ZM)

Personnel:

Head of the Department: Marek Gniadkowski, Assistant Professor
tel.: +48-22-851 43 88; +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230

Joanna Empel, Ph. D.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 206
Ewa Sadowy, Ph. D.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230
Anna Baraniak, M. Sc.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230 Wojciech Duljasz, M. Sc.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230
Janusz Fiett, M. Sc.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230
Radosław Izdebski, M. Sc.; tel.: +48-22-851-43 88, +48-22-841-40-71 ext. 230
Małgorzata Kravanja; tel.: +48-22-841-33-67 ext. 201
Jadwiga Grotkowska; tel.: +48-22-841-57-69 ext. 208

Activities:

Educational activity:

  • Polish and international postgraduate courses on microbiology and molecular typing of pathogenic bacteria;
  • Vacation practices of students of the Warsaw University, Warsaw University of Life Sciences;
  • Bachelor and M. Sc. diploma works of students of the Warsaw University;
  • Lectures and seminars during meetings of scientific societies;

Research

  • epidemiological analysis of pathogenic bacterial populations circulating in Poland with the use of molecular biology techniques (PFGE, RAPD, PCR-RFLP, MLST).
  • detection and characterization of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms using phenotypic, biochemical and genetic methods, focused mostly on:
    • resistance of Gram-negative rods to newer generation beta-lactams
    • resistance of enterococci to glycopeptides
    • resistance of pneumococci to beta-lactams, macrolides, fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines.
  • development of new strategies of the analysis of resistance and virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria.
  • adaptation and development of molecular typing methods.

Research grants:

Grants from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education from 2003 to 2007:
  • Clonality and molecular basis of antimicrobial resistance in pneumococci causing invasive infections in Poland.
  • Molecular studies of beta-lactam resistance mechanisms in P. mirabilis recovered from infections in Poland. Serological types of drug-resistant strains and their sensitivity to bactericidal activity of the complement.
  • Analysis of the clonal structure of the population of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Poland with the use of the multilocus sequence typing (MLST).
  • Molecular analysis of serine glutamylendopeptidase SprE, the putative virulence factor of Enterococcus faecalis, and the polymorphism of its gene in the population of E. faecalis isolated from infections in Poland.
  • Clonal structure and resistance mechanisms in tetracycline-non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • Dynamics of the Polish population of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Biology and biotechnology of bacteriophages - research net
  • Mobile genetic elements in bacteria - molecular analysis and construction of new tools for biotechnological industry.
Other grants:
  • Grant from the European Commission (the 6th Framework Programme): Combating resistance to antibiotics by broadening the knowledge on molecular mechanisms behind resistance to inhibitors of cell wall synthesis (COBRA).
  • Grant from the European Commission (the 6th Framework Programme): Approaches to control multi-resistant enterococci: studies on molecular ecology, horizontal gene transfer, fitness and prevention (ACE).
  • Grant from the European Commission (the 6th Framework Programme): Mastering hospital antimicrobial resistance and its spread into the community (MOSAR).
  • KETEK project: "Telithromycin: European epidemiological study in adult patients"
  • Pseudomonas 2 project: "Multicenter survey of antimicrobial susceptibility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing infections in Polish hospitals

Cooperation:

  • nstitute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
  • Center for Quality Control in Microbiology in Warsaw.
  • Microbiology departments of medical universities in Poland.
  • Clinical microbiology laboratories in Polish hospitals.
  • Faculty of Biology of the Warsaw University and Faculty of Chemistry of the Warsaw Technical University (students' practices, Bachelor and M. Sc. diploma works).
  • Research institutions in other countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Russia).

Services:

  • molecular typing of microorganisms for epidemiological investigations.
  • surveys of antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria.

Equipment:

  • DNA ABI PISM 310 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems);
  • DNA 3100 Avant Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems);
  • GeneAmp PCR System 9700 (Applied Biosystems);
  • PTC-200 Peltier Thermal Cycler (MJ Research);
  • CHEF-DR II PFGE System (BioRad);
  • CHEF-DR III PFGE System (BioRad);
  • GENE PULSER II (BioRad);
  • SONIFIER 250 (Branson);
  • - 86oC FREEZER (Forma Scientific) (x2);
  • - 70oC VX350 Series 2 freezer (Jouan);
  • various electrophoresis units (BioRad, Kodak);
  • Gel Documentation System - Gel Logic 200 Imaging System (Kodak)
  • Lambda 25 Spectrophotometr (PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Science)

Important publications since 2003:

  • E. Sadowy, J. Zhou, E. Meats, M. Gniadkowski, B. G. Spratt, W. Hryniewicz. 2003.
    Identification of multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in Poland by multilocus sequence typing.
    Microb. Drug Resist. 9: 81-86
  • J. Fiett, I. Letowska, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2003.
    The new strategy for allele identification of the genes coding for pertussis toxin subunit S1 (ptxS1) and pertactin (prn) in Bordetella pertussis.
    J. Microbiol. Methods 55: 651-666
  • E. Literacka, J. Empel, A. Baraniak, E. Sadowy, W. Hryniewicz, M. Gniadkowski. 2004.
    Four variants of the Citrobacter freundii AmpC-type cephalosporinases, including two novel enzymes, CMY-14 and -15, in a Proteus mirabilis clone widespread in Poland.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48: 4136-4143
  • J. Fiett, K. Kucharczyk, M. Gniadkowski. 2004.
    A new method of DNA preparation for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis.
    J. Microbiol. Methods 59: 433-436
  • A. Baraniak, J. Fiett, A. Mrówka, J. Walory, W. Hryniewicz, M. Gniadkowski. 2005.
    Evolution of TEM-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases in clinical strains of the family Enterobacteriaceae in Poland.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 1872-1880
  • E. Sadowy, R. Izdebski, A. Skoczyńska, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2005.
    High genetic diversity of ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Poland.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 2126-2129
  • E. Sadowy, A. Skoczyńska, J. Fiett, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2006.
    Multilocus sequence types, serotypes and variants of the surface antigen PspA in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from meningitis in Poland.
    Clin. Vaccine Immunol. 2006 13: 139-144
  • J. Fiett, A. Baraniak, A. Mrówka, M. Fleischer, Z. Drulis-Kawa, Ł. Naumiuk, A. Samet, W. Hryniewicz, M. Gniadkowski. 2006.
    Molecular epidemiology of the acquired metallo-Β-lactamase-producing bacteria in Poland.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50: 880-886
  • J. Fiett, M. Gniadkowski.
    Analiza genetyczna w bakteriologii i epidemiologii zakażeń. Biologia molekularna w medycynie.
    J. Bal (red.). Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa, 2006.
  • E. Sadowy, R. Izdebski, A. Skoczyńska, P. Grzesiowski, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2007.
    Penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae in Poland - phenotypic and molecular analysis.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 40-47
  • M. Kawalec, Z. Pietras, E. Daniłowicz, A. Jakubczak, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz, R. J. L. Willems. 2007.
    Clonal structure of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from Polish hospitals: the characterization of epidemic clones.
    J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 147-153
  • D. M. Livermore, R. Canton, M. Gniadkowski, P. Nordmann, G. M. Rossolini, G. Arlet, J. Ayala, T. M. Coque, I. Kern-Zdanowicz, F. Luzzaro, L. Poirel, N. Woodford. 2007.
    CTX-M: changing the face of ESBLs in Europe.
    J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 59: 165-174
  • R. Izdebski, E. Sadowy, J. Fiett, P. Grzesiowski, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2007.
    Clonal diversity and resistance mechanisms in Streptococcus pneumoniae nonsusceptible to tetracyclines in Poland.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 1155-1163
  • M. Kawalec, J. Kędzierska, A. Gajda, E. Sadowy, J. Węgrzyn, S. Naser, A. B. Skotnicki, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz. 2007.
    Hospital outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci caused by a single clone of Enterococcus raffinosus and several clones of Enterococcus faecium Clin.
    Microbiol. Infect. 13, 893-901
  • J. Empel, K. Filczak, A. Mrówka, W. Hryniewicz, D. M. Livermore, M. Gniadkowski. 2007.
    Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections with PER-1 extended-spectrum β-lactamase in Warsaw, Poland: further evidence for an international clonal complex.
    J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 2829-2834
  • M. Gniadkowski. 2008. Evolution of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) by mutation.
    Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 14 (Suppl. 1): 11-32
  • R. Izdebski, J. Rutschmann, J. Fiett, E. Sadowy, M. Gniadkowski, W. Hryniewicz, R. Hakenbeck. 2008.
    Highly variable penicillin resistance determinants PBP2x, PBP2b and PBP1a in isolates of two Streptococcus pneumoniae clonal groups, Poland23F-16 and Poland6B-20.
    Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 1021-1027.