About us

Welcome to the Department of Medical Microbiology

Activities of the Department of Medical Microbiology include studies on the acquisition of the necessary knowledge, inspiring researches and laboratory practice in the field of Microbiology and Immunology. We pay a particular attention on development and application of modern methods and techniques used for innovative medicine by analising mechanisms and interactions between different microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, funges, protozoas) and a human body. Effectivity of our studies is shown by publication in medical and journals and by participation in scientific projects, congresses and meetings.

Projects performed by our team are:

  • Monitoring mechanisms of antibiotic resistance of bacterial strains isolated from different clinical materials

  • Role of urogenital mycoplasmas in human infectious diseases

  • Ethiopathogenesis and diagnostic of infections in:

    -  Urogenital system

    -  Gastrointestinal tract

We aimed to include new microbiologic methods and techniques in rapid diagnostic of etiological agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) of infectious diseases.

We are also interested in collaboration with different Depatments in Poland and other countries in order to more effectivelly diagnose infectious diseases for improving human health.

History of our Department

Our Department was founded in 1982 by dividing into 2 parts of Department of Microbiology and Immunology in Zabrze-Rokitnica.

Heads of Department in the years 1949-2023:

Our recent publications:

 

Szarek K, Gąsiorek M, Kabała M, Wąsik TJ. Clostridioides difficile infection recurrence in a 68-year-old patient of the internal medicine ward. Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2025;18(9):1-5. doi: https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm-161839

Szarek K, Frankowska N, Kabała M, Smits WK, Wultańska D, Lalowski P, Pituch H, Iwanicki A, Hinc K, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Wojtyczka R, Wąsik TJ. Dominance of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile strains and the appearance of the emerging PCR ribotype 955 in hospitals in Silesia, Poland. Front. Microbiol. 2025; 16:1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1644051

Smolec D, Aptekorz M, Filipczyk Ł, Gofron Z, Zostawa J, Smolec R, Wąsik TJ, Ekiel A. The quantitative detection of urogenital mycoplasmas in men with urolithiasis. Pathogens. 2025;14(7):670. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14070670

Miklasińska M, Morawiec E, Bratosiewicz-Wąsik J, Serwin K, Pudełko A, Czerwiński M, Bednarska-Czerwińska A, Parczewski M, Wąsik TJ. From Delta to Omicron – genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 (hCoV-19) in Southern Poland. Pathogens. 2025;17(7):1-18. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14070708

Bochenek M, Mendrek B, Kowalczuk A, Wałach W, Jałowiecki Ł, Borgulat J, Płaza G, Kubacki J, Sikora M, Fus-Kujawa A, Sieroń Ł, Gawron K, Oleszko-Torbus N. Designing antibacterial polymeric systems: (co)poly(2-oxazoline) conjugates with acyclic and macrocyclic polyamino polycarboxylic chelators. Biomater Sci. 2025;13(14):3876-3886. doi: https://doi.org/10.1039/d5bm00270b

Zikova J, Szarek K, Kabała M, Wultańska D, Frankowska N, Iwanicki A, Hinc K, Mucha A, Komarnicka J, Jagielska A, Kuijper E, Krutova M, Pituch H. Newly emerging metronidazole-resistant Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype 955 identified in Poland, 2021 to 2023 but not in Czechia, 2012 to 2023 and Slovakia, 2015 to 2023. Euro Surveill. 2025;30(21):pii=2400675. doi: https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917

Frankowska N, Szarek K, Iwanicki A, Wultańska D, Pituch H, Kabała M, Negri A, Obuchowski M, Hinc K. The phi027 bacteriophage influences physiology and virulence of the lysogenic strain of Clostridioides difficile. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):18856. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04106-0

Strzelec K, Dziedzic-Kowalska A, Sieroń Ł, Bereta GP, Stępień KL, Ferenc K, Łazarz-Bartyzel K, Olszewska-Czyż I, Rąpalska I, Aptekorz M, Kaczmarzyk T, Cześnikiewicz-Guzik M, Gawron K. Polymorphic variants of peptidylarginine deiminase gene from P. gingivalis – searching for targets for supportive therapy of periodontitis. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26(4):1-23. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041662

Balcerzyk-Matić A, Iwanicki T, Jarosz A, Nowak T, Emich-Widera E, Kazek B, Kapinos-Gorczyca A, Kapinos M, Iwanicka J, Gawron K, Likus W, Niemiec P. Analysis of the DYNC1H1 gene polymorphic variants association with ASD occurrence and clinical phenotype of affected children. Genes. 2025;16(5):1-12. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16050510

Bratosiewicz-Wąsik J, Wąsik TJ. Genetic variants of IL-10 promoter influence susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease progression in the Polish population: IL-10 polymorphisms and HIV-1. Hum Immunol. 2024;85(5):1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humimm.2024.111086

Iwanicki A, Roskwitalska M, Frankowska N, Wultańska D, Kabała M, Pituch H, Obuchowski M, Hinc K. Insight into the mechanism of lysogeny control of phiCDKH01 bacteriophage infecting clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(11):1-14. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115662

Bratosiewicz-Wąsik J, Miklasińska-Majdanik M, Wąsik TJ. The effect of TRIM5 variants on the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease progression in the Polish population. Ann Hum Genet. 2024;88(2):154-70. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ahg.12536

 

 

Lectures, seminars and laboratory classes for graduate students of:

Medical Faculty International Program:

Microbiology and virology

Immunology

Parasitology

 Medical Faculty European Program:

Microbiology

Immunology

  

Lectures, seminars and laboratory classes for postgraduate students:

  • for physicians of different specialities

  • for microbiologists

  • for epidemiologists (hospital infections) and others

Topics:

  • „Epidemiology of infections in Poland”.

  • „Epidemiology of nosocomial infections, the role of the microbiology laboratory in the detection and monitoring of hospital-acquired infections”.

  • „The etiology, clinical presentation and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections”.

  • „The etiology, clinical presentation and diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections and food poisoning”.

  • „The etiology, clinical presentation and diagnosis of viral infections”.

  • „The etiology, clinical presentation and diagnosis of infections caused by anaerobic bacteria”.

  • „Molecular biology methods in the diagnosis of microbial”.

  • „Microbial resistance to antibiotics: theoretical, laboratory methods for the determination of the susceptibility to antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents, detecting resistance mechanisms”.

  • „Serologic diagnosis of selected bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections”.

  • „Sterilisation, disinfection and disinfestation and control methods of these processes”.

  • „The principles of organization and operation of microbiological laboratories, and building and implementation of quality systems work”.