Dr. Urszula Zielenkiewicz | Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS | Poland
Dr. Urszula Zielenkiewicz is an accomplished biologist and biochemist at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where she serves as an adjunct researcher and long-standing member of the scientific community. She holds a D.Sc. (Habilitation, 2015) in Biology from the University of Warsaw, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (2001) from the same Institute, and an M.Sc. in Biology with a specialization in microbiology from the University of Warsaw (1980). Her early academic experience includes advanced training at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Zielenkiewicz’s research career spans over three decades, beginning as a biologist in 1993 and evolving through roles as a research assistant and later adjunct scientist. Her work has significantly advanced the understanding of bacterial toxin–antitoxin systems, mobile genetic elements, and microbial biodiversity. Since 2007, she has led the research group “Microorganisms Potentially Useful in Bioremediation,” conducting influential projects in metagenomics, environmental microbiology, and microbial communities inhabiting metal-polluted soils, agricultural ecosystems, hydrogen-producing bioreactors, and methanogenic sludge. She has authored 41 original research articles, three review papers, and two book chapters, achieving a cumulative impact factor exceeding 123 and over 1,000 citations, with an h-index of 17. Her publications span high-impact journals such as Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Scientific Reports, Genome Biology and Evolution, Frontiers in Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, and International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Her scholarly contributions also include pioneering insights into apoptosis evolution, soil microbial ecology, extremophilic biofilms, and protein–protein interaction inhibitors relevant to SARS-CoV-2. Widely recognized for her interdisciplinary expertise bridging molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, and environmental biotechnology, Dr. Zielenkiewicz continues to shape contemporary understanding of microbial adaptation, metabolic diversity, and biotechnological applications of microorganisms.
Featured Publications
Wolińska, A., Kuźniar, A., Zielenkiewicz, U., Izak, D., & Szafranek-Nakonieczna, A. (2017). Bacteroidetes as a sensitive biological indicator of agricultural soil usage revealed by a culture-independent approach. Applied Soil Ecology, 119, 128–137.
Sikora, A., Błaszczyk, M., Jurkowski, M., & Zielenkiewicz, U. (2013). Lactic acid bacteria in hydrogen-producing consortia: On purpose or by coincidence? In Lactic acid bacteria – R & D for food, health and livestock purposes (pp. 488–514).
Zielenkiewicz, U., & Cegłowski, P. (2001). Mechanisms of plasmid stable maintenance with special focus on plasmid addiction systems. Acta Biochimica Polonica, 48(4), 1003–1023.
Tomczyk-Żak, K., & Zielenkiewicz, U. (2016). Microbial diversity in caves. Geomicrobiology Journal, 33(1), 20–38.
Zielenkiewicz, U., & Cegłowski, P. (2005). The toxin–antitoxin system of the streptococcal plasmid pSM19035. Journal of Bacteriology, 187(17), 6094–6105.
Chojnacka, A., Szczęsny, P., Błaszczyk, M. K., Zielenkiewicz, U., Detman, A., & others. (2015). Noteworthy facts about a methane-producing microbial community processing acidic effluent from sugar beet molasses fermentation. PLoS ONE, 10(5), e0128008.