Renata Grzela, PhD

Research interests

• Research on the regulation of RNA degradation. Understanding the mechanism of interactions of the decapping complex with signal transduction factors.
• Studies of innate immune response induced in vitro by transcribed RNA.
• Biological studies of modified RNA molecules.

We invite students interested in the above topics. We offer interesting thesis projects (BSc, MSc).

Education and professional experience

2001	MSc in Biology, discipline: biochemistry
2001 - 2007	Institut de Biologie Structurale JP Ebel, Grenoble, France, PhD student
2001 - 2007	Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, research assistant
2007	Doctor of Biological Sciences, discipline: biochemistry, specialty: molecular biology
2007 - 2009	Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology, Marseille, France, postdoctoral fellow
2010 - 2014	Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, postdoctoral fellow
2014 - 2021	Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, assistant professor
2021 -	Biophysics Division, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, assistant professor

Research collaboration

• Prof. Marzena Jankowska-Anyszka – Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw
• Prof. Mirosław Janowski – University of Maryland, USA
• Prof. Piotr Walczak – University of Maryland, USA
• Prof. Joanna Trylska – CeNT, University of Warsaw
• Prof. Beata Wielgus-Kutrowska - Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw
• Prof. Agnieszka Korgul – Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw
• Prof. Victoria Cowling – University of Dundee, UK
• Ti-COM – biotech company

Selected publications

• Geng J, Chrabaszczewska M, Kurpiejewski K, Stankiewicz-Drogon A., Jankowska-Anyszka M, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*. Cap-related modifications of RNA regulate binding to IFIT proteins. – RNA 2024
• Nagaraj S, Stankiewicz-Drogon A, Darzynkiewicz E, Wojda U*, Grzela R*. miR-483-5p orchestrates the initiation of protein synthesis by facilitating the decrease in phosphorylated Ser209eIF4E and 4E-BP1 levels. Scientific Reports 2024
• Kurpiejewski K., Stankiewicz-Drogon A., Piecyk K., Rajkowska E., Skrzypczyk P., Geng J., Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*, Jankowska-Anyszka M*. The potential of N2-modified cap analogues for precise genetic manipulation through mRNA engineering. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2024
• Andrzejewska A, Grzela R, Stankiewicz-Drogon A, Rogujski P, Nagaraj S, Darzynkiewicz E, Lukomska B, Janowski M. Mesenchymal stem cell engineering by ARCA analog-capped mRNA. Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids 2023 17;33:454-468
• Kurpiejewski K, Jankowska-Anyszka M*, Grzela R*. N2 modified cap analogues as translation inhibitors and substrates for preparation of therapeutic mRNA. European Biophysics Journal 2023, 52(6-7):511-519
• Grzela R, Piecyk K, Stankiewicz-Drogon A, Pietrow P, Lukaszewicz M, Kurpiejewski K, Darzynkiewicz E, Jankowska-Anyszka M. N2 modified dinucleotide cap analogues as a potent tool for mRNA engineering. RNA. 2022
• Nagaraj S, Stankiewicz-Drogon A, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*. RNA sensor response in HeLa cells for transfected mRNAs prepared in vitro by SP6 and HiT7 RNA polymerases: A comparative study. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2022
• Wojciechowska M, Macyszyn J, Miszkiewicz J, Grzela R, Trylska J. Stapled anoplin as an antibacterial agent. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021
• Chrabaszczewska M, Winiewska-Szajewska M, Ostrowska N, Bojarska E, Stepinski J, Lukaszewicz M, Trylska J, Taube M, Kozak M, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*. Insight into the binding and hydrolytic preferences of hNudt16 based on nucleotide diphosphate substrates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Galloway A, Kaskar A, Ditsova D, Atrih A, Yoshikawa H, Moriera-Gomez C, Suska O, Warminski M, Grzela R, Lamond AI, Darzynkiewicz E, Jemielity J, Cowling VH. Upregulation of RNA cap methyltransferase RNMT drives ribosome biogenesis during T cell activation. Nucleic Acids Research. 2021 June
• Dobieżyńska A, Miszkiewicz J, Darżynkiewicz ZM, Tyras M, Stankiewicz-Drogoń A, Trylska J, Darżynkiewicz E, Grzela R*. Development of bis-ANS-based modified fluorescence titration assay for IFIT/RNA studies. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication. 2020 Sep.
• Galloway A, Atrih A, Grzela R, Darzynkiewicz E, Ferguson MAJ, Cowling VH. CAP-MAP: Cap Analysis Protocol with Minimal Analyte Processing, a rapid and sensitive approach to analysing mRNA cap structures. Open Biology. 2020;10(2):190306.
• Miedziak B, Dobiezynska A, Darzynkiewicz ZM, Bartkowska J, Miszkiewicz J, Kowalska J, Warminski M, TyrasM, Trylska J, Jemielity J, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*. Kinetic analysis of IFIT1 and IFIT5 interaction with different native and engineered RNAs and its consequences for designing mRNA-based therapeutics. RNA. 2020; 26(1):58-68.
• Kocmik I, Piecyk K, Rudzinska M, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R*, Jankowska-Anyszka M*. Modified ARCA analogs providing enhanced translational properties of capped mRNAs. Cell Cycle. 2018; 17(13):1624-1636.
• Grzela R*, Nasilowska K, Lukaszewicz M, Tyras M, Stepinski J, Jankowska-Anyszka M, Bojarska E, Darzynkiewicz E. Hydrolytic activity of human Nudt16 enzyme towards dinucleotide cap analogs and short capped oligonucleotides. RNA. 2018; 24(5):633-642.
• Grzela R, Nusbaum J, Fieulaine S, Lavecchia F, Desmadril M, Nhiri N, Van Dorsselaer A, Cianferani S, Jacquet E, Meinnel T, Giglione C. Peptide deformylases from Vibrio parahaemolyticus phage and bacteria display similar deformylase activity and inhibitor binding clefts. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Proteins and Proteomics. 2018; 1866(2):348-355.
• Grzela R, Nusbaum J, Fieulaine S, Lavecchia F, Bienvenut WV, Dian C, Meinnel T, Giglione C. The C-terminal residue of phage Vp16 PDF, the smallest peptide deformylase, acts as an offset element locking the active conformation. Nature Scientific Reports. 2017; 7(1):11041.
• Kulik M, Markowska-Zagrajek A, Wojciechowska M, Grzela R, Wituła T, Trylska J. Helix 69 of Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA as a peptide nucleic acid target. Biochimie. 2017; 138:32-42.
• Strenkowska M, Grzela R, Majewski M, Wnek K, Kowalska J, Lukaszewicz M, Zuberek J, Darzynkiewicz E, Kuhn AN, Sahin U, Jemielity J. Cap analogs modified with 1,2-dithiodiphosphate moiety protect mRNA from decapping and enhance its translational potential. Nucleic Acids Research. 2016; 44(20):9578-9590.
• Mardirossian M, Grzela R, Giglione C, Meinnel T, Gennaro R, Mergaert P, Scocchi M. The host antimicrobial peptide Bac71-35 binds to bacterial ribosomal proteins and inhibits protein synthesis. Cell Chemical Biology (Chemistry & Biology). 2014; 21(12):1639-47.
• Claverie JM, Grzela R, Lartigue A, Bernadac A, Nitsche S, Vacelet J, Ogata H, Abergel C. Mimivirus and Mimiviridae: giant viruses with an increasing number of potential hosts, including corals and sponges. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 2009; 101(3):172-80.
• Byrne D, Grzela R*, Lartigue A, Audic S, Chenivesse S, Encinas S, Claverie JM, Abergel C. The polyadenylation site of Mimivirus transcripts obeys a stringent 'hairpin rule'. Genome Research. 2009; 19(7):1233-42.
• Grzela R, Szolajska E, Ebel C, Madern D, Favier A, Wojtal I, Zagorski W, Chroboczek J. Virulence factor of potato virus Y, genome-attached terminal protein VPg, is a highly disordered protein. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2008; 283(1):213-21.
• Grzela R, Strokovska L, Andrieu JP, Dublet B, Zagorski W, Chroboczek J. Potyvirus terminal protein VPg, effector of host eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4E. Biochimie. 2006; 88(7):887-96.