The project of the Student Society of Microbiology received funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

06 05 2025

The project titled “Investigation of the occurrence of Prototheca spp. algae in domestic animals and their environment”, submitted by the Student Society for Microbiology at the University of Warsaw, was among 145 projects from across Poland that received funding in the 5th edition of the “Student Scientific Societies Create Innovations” program. This program is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, aimed at supporting the development of students’ scientific activity and enabling them to pursue their own research and development ideas.

The authors of the awarded project are: Angelika Proskurnicka, MSc, Maria Czapigo, Hanna Czerwińska, Dominika Krasoń, Jeremi Sputo, and Julia Suchodolska. The project will be conducted at the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Warsaw, under the scientific supervision of the head of the department and the society’s mentor, Tomasz Jagielski PhD DSc.

The awarded project is the first comprehensive epidemiological study of protothecosis in small animals. The disease is caused by unicellular, colorless algae of the genus Prototheca, which are the only known plant organisms capable of causing opportunistic infections in humans and animals. The project involves conducting a broad screening study to detect carriage and disease in domestic animals (mainly cats and dogs), as well as examining their environment to identify potential routes of disease transmission. In addition, the project will include detailed characterization of the isolated algae, including assessment of their drug susceptibility, which is highly relevant for optimizing treatment in the future.

The project’s results will significantly expand knowledge on the biology of pathogenic algae of the Prototheca genus and the epidemiology of the infections they cause. The conclusions drawn from the project will be valuable for developing new treatment protocols and designing preventive strategies for protothecosis in animals.

The Student Society for Microbiology has been active at the University of Warsaw since 2003. It regularly organizes or participates in national (e.g., the Science Picnic of Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre, Night of Biologists, Warsaw Science Festival) and local popular science events. Five weeks ago, the Society co-hosted the 7th edition of the International Student Biomedical Conference – Biofuzje. In December 2023, the Society celebrated its 20th anniversary by organizing a national conference of student scientific microbiology societies titled “wKoło Mikrobiologii”.

Details about the society structure and activities can be found here:
Facebook: Koło Naukowe Mikrobiologii UW
Instagram: @skn_mikrobiologii_uw

Prototheca wickerhamii, lactophenol cotton blue stain, magnification, 1,000X (Photo by Mariusz Dyląg).