Natalia Karolak, M.Sc.

PhD student

Tenure

2017/10 to 2023/11

Natalia was a PhD student enrolled in the interdisciplinary TRIBIOCHEM PhD programme, affiliated with the Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw (Górna/Dominiak groups) and the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science (Anna Filipek laboratory). Natalia's PhD project regards the structure of multi-IFIT complexes which act against viruses.

Previously, Natalia joined our laboratory as an R&D assistant to work on biotechnological applications of IFITs in the LIDER project (Oct 2017 - Feb 2018).

In December 2023, Natalia took up a postdoctoral fellow position at CeTPD, University of Dundee, to work as a structural biologist on R&D projects in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.

Education

PhD in Natural Sciences (Chemical Sciences), University of Warsaw, Faculty of Chemistry, thesis: Studies of the structure and function of human antiviral IFIT protein complexes (2018-2023)
Master of Science, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, field: biotechnology, specialization: Molecular Biotechnology, thesis: HuR phosphorylation in regulation of BRCA1 translation in chronic myeloid leukemia cells (2014-2016)
Bachelor of Science, University of Gdańsk – Medical University of Gdańsk, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, field: biotechnology (2009-2012)

Scientific experience

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Laboratory of Cytometry, Warsaw, Poland (master intern, 10.2014-06.2016)
Aarhus University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus, Denmark (Erasmus intern, 07-09.2017)
Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology University of Gdańsk- Medical University of Gdańsk, Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Gdańsk, Poland (volunteer student and member of TEAM program: Cellular functions of molecular chaperones , 10.2011-02.2013)

Publications

Kramer S, Karolak NK, Odenwald J, Gabiatti B, Castañeda Londoño PA, Zavřelová A, Freire ER, Almeida KS, Braune S, Moreira C, Eder A, Goos C, Field M, Carrington M, Holetz F, Górna MW, Zoltner M. A unique mRNA decapping complex in trypanosomes. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023 Jun 13:gkad497. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkad497.
Nowacka M, Latoch P, Izert MA, Karolak NK, Tomecki R, Koper M, Tudek A, Starosta AL, Górna MW. A cap 0-dependent mRNA capture method to analyze the yeast transcriptome. Nucleic Acids Res. 2022 Dec 9;50(22):e132. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac903.
Leśniak W, Bohush A, Maksymowicz M, Piwowarczyk C, Karolak NK, Jurewicz E, Filipek A. Involvement of CacyBP/SIP in differentiation and the immune response of HaCaT keratinocytes. Immunobiology. 2023 May;228(3):152385. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152385.
Budniak UA, Karolak NK, Kulik M, Młynarczyk K, Górna MW, Dominiak PM. The Role of Electrostatic Interactions in IFIT5-RNA Complexes Predicted by the UBDB+EPMM Method. J Phys Chem B. 2022 Nov 17;126(45):9152-9167. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04519.

Patent Applications

P.430151 (05.06.2019) PCT/IB2020/055263 (04.06.2020)
Górna MW, Nowacka M, Izert MA, Kowalska M, Karolak N, Klimecka M, Młynarczyk K. A method of RNA selection and/or enrichment, a RNA molecule and use thereof.