2023 - present: PhD studies – PhD Programme in Biology at the Jagiellonian University. Supervisor: dr hab. Anna Michalik
2021 - 2023: M.Sc. – Biology at the Jagiellonian University. Thesis title: "High-throughput insect barcoding in microbiome studies: impact of non-destructive DNA extraction on microbiome composition". Supervisor: dr Michał Kolasa
2017 - 2021: B.Sc. – Biology at the Jagiellonian University. Thesis title: "Effects of bisphenols on animal reproduction using two model organisms as an example: Caenorhabditis elegans and Danio rerio". Supervisor: prof. dr hab. Wiesław Babik
Organisms, intricate networks of connections between them, and cascading reactions within embody the essence of life. My fascination with these associations intensified during my undergraduate research, which focused on the effects of bisphenols on organismal reproduction. It was striking to observe at how many stages exposure to the mentioned chemicals can disrupt reproduction. During this period, my interest in the interactions between organisms in nature grew.
I was particularly fascinated by symbiosis – one of the types of interspecies interactions that played a key role in the evolution of life on Earth. Issues related to symbiosis became a central element of my master's and doctoral studies. In my master thesis, I focused on bacterial insect symbionts, and more specifically, on methods that allow for non-destructive DNA extraction from insects for their barcoding based on marker gene amplicon sequences. Thus, such already identified insects can be more carefully selected for studying symbiont composition or function.
Currently, my research is focused on symbioses of insects from Auchenorrhyncha clade. Auchenorrhyncha live in close association with obligatory, nutritional, heritable microorganisms that provide them with essential amino acids and B-vitamins, allowing insects to feed on a limited diet consisting of plant sap. Using molecular techniques, such as amplicon sequencing and metagenomics, microscopy, and range of bioinformatic tools, I aim to contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of insect symbioses, as well as answer questions about the variability of their microbiome and the impact of newly acquired microorganisms on ancestral symbionts.