Dean’s Awards of the Faculty of Biology for the authors of the most frequently cited articles

14 04 2026

For the third time, Dean of the Faculty of Biology has awarded the authors of papers with the highest citation counts. This year, the evaluation covered original publications with a leading contribution from researchers affiliated with the Faculty of Biology, published in 2019 and 2020. In total, three papers authored by our researchers were honored:

Palusińska, M., Barabasz, A., Kozak, K., Papierniak, A., Maślińska, K., & Antosiewicz, D. M. (2020). Zn/Cd status-dependent accumulation of Zn and Cd in root parts in tobacco is accompanied by specific expression of ZIP genes. BMC Plant Biology, 20(1), 37.

The efficiency of metal translocation from the root to the shoot determines the optimal supply of micronutrients to the above-ground parts of the plant, which determines its proper growth and development – both under conditions of deficiency and high concentrations in the substrate. This work identifies several key mechanisms regulating this phenomenon. Studies were conducted on tobacco plants growing in the presence of various combinations of mutual concentrations of zinc (Zn; a trace element) and cadmium (Cd; a toxic ballast metal) – low and high. It was demonstrated that the apical, middle, and basal parts of the root play different roles in the accumulation of both metals, depending on their concentration in the substrate. At low concentrations, the greatest amount of Zn accumulated in the apical part, whereas at higher concentrations, the middle and basal parts became the primary sites of Zn and Cd accumulation. The results indicate that this pattern of regulation of metal distribution along the root serves, on the one hand, a protective function for the apical meristematic part (supplying Zn to cells under conditions of deficiency; reducing excess). On the other hand, it is a mechanism for limiting the transfer of excess metals to the photosynthetic tissues of the above-ground parts. The observed differential accumulation of Zn and Cd was accompanied by specific expression patterns of genes encoding metal transporters from the ZIP family. Three categories of these genes were identified, and their expression was specifically modified in each of the examined root parts depending on the concentrations of both metals. Importantly, detailed characterization of the NtZIP5B transporter, induced by zinc deficiency and involved in the uptake of zinc and cadmium from the soil solution, demonstrated its role in the uptake and accumulation of both metals, primarily in the central part of the root. This publication is the result of research within the OPUS8 project, completed in 2021, led by Prof. dr hab. Danuta Maria Antosiewicz.

Link to the publication: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-2255-3

Debiec-Andrzejewska, K., Krucon, T., Piatkowska, K., & Drewniak, L. (2020). Enhancing the plants growth and arsenic uptake from soil using arsenite-oxidizing bacteria. Environmental Pollution, 264, 114692.

This study focused on the biological enhancement of remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils using arsenite-oxidizing bacteria. The authors examined whether introducing beneficial bacteria into soil—bacteria capable of converting the more toxic form of arsenic into a less harmful one—could stimulate plant growth and increase the efficiency of arsenic removal from soil. The experiments were conducted both in soil artificially enriched with arsenic and in naturally contaminated soil. The results showed that the presence of such bacteria promoted plant biomass production and increased arsenic accumulation in plant tissues. At the same time, soil bioaugmentation stimulated the abundance and activity of the native soil microbiota without causing significant disturbances to its structure. The study therefore shows that arsenite-oxidizing bacteria can simultaneously reduce environmental toxicity and support phytoremediation, that is, the remediation of contaminated soil using plants. Its important contribution lies in proposing a practical strategy for soil remediation based on the cooperation of native plants and beneficial microorganisms, without the need to use chemical methods or to implement phytoremediation treatments based on planting specialized species capable of accumulating high concentration of arsenic.

Link to the publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114692

Jabłońska, E., Wiśniewska, M., Marcinkowski, P., Grygoruk, M., Walton, C. R., Zak, D., Hoffmann, C. C., Larsen, S. E., Trepel, M., & Kotowski, W. (2020). Catchment-scale analysis reveals high cost-effectiveness of wetland buffer zones as a remedy to non-point nutrient pollution in north-eastern Poland. Water, 12(3), 629.

This article, in turn, addresses the problem of non-point nutrient pollution of waters with nitrogen and phosphorus originating from agricultural areas. The authors evaluated whether the restoration of wetland buffer zones along watercourses in the lower Narew catchment could effectively reduce nutrient inputs to rivers. Two variants were analyzed: areal buffer zones covering larger wetland patches, and linear buffer zones restored directly along the banks of watercourses. An important aspect of the study was that the problem was addressed at the scale of the entire catchment rather than of individual sites, which made it possible to estimate both environmental effectiveness and implementation costs. The results showed that wetland buffer zones can substantially reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering surface waters, and that the costs of their restoration are relatively favorable when compared with other large public investments. The study makes an important contribution by combining ecological, hydrological, and economic perspectives, showing that water quality protection may rely not only on treatment technologies, but also on appropriate landscape management.

Link to the publication: https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030629

Fot. Mirosław Kaźmierczak