OPUS NCN grant for research on the biological “arms race” between phages and bacteria

29 12 2025

Dr Piotr Golec, from the Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology UW, has received funding from the National Science Centre (NCN) in the amount of PLN 1,881,850 under the OPUS 29 call for the project entitled “Interactions between lytic phages and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: impact on pigment metabolism, virulence regulation, and the formation of phage-resistant mutants”, which focuses on analysing the potential use of phages in therapy.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are currently one of the biggest threats to human health worldwide. One of the most dangerous of them is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for severe infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems and in patients suffering from chronic lung diseases. The problem is that this bacterium is increasingly not responding to commonly used antibiotics, so scientists are actively looking for new ways to fight it.

One of the most promising solutions to antibiotic resistance is bacteriophages, often called phages for short. These are viruses that naturally infect and destroy bacteria. Although phages can kill bacteria very effectively and are already used in treatment, we still know little about how exactly they influence bacterial functioning.

The aim of this project is to study in detail how bacteriophages interact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The mutual interactions and adaptation of bacteria and phages are often described as a biological “arms race”: bacteria develop defence mechanisms, and phages develop new ways to overcome them. Dr Golec’s team will examine how phage infection affects bacterial behaviour, including the production of characteristic pigments, the activity of genes related to virulence, and the development of bacterial resistance to phages. The team will also investigate how the phages themselves change during infection when bacteria try to defend against them.

The planned research has great practical importance. The results may contribute to the development of a safer and more effective phage therapy, which could help treat infections resistant to antibiotics. A better understanding of the relationship between bacteria and phages will make it possible to control the development of resistance more effectively and increase patients’ chances of successful treatment with phages.

We warmly congratulate on the obtained funding and wish fruitful research and success in securing support for future projects.

Details of the OPUS 29 call are available on the NCN website:
www.ncn.gov.pl/konkursy/wyniki/2025-11-28-opus-preludium