Dr. Monika Gaik, a Postdoctoral Fellow working in the Max Planck Research Group at MCB, was awarded the first edition of POLONEZ grant from National Science Centre (NCN). The project titled “Structural insights into translational control of nanos mRNA by the Sex-lethal repressive complex” is aimed to structurally characterize a novel protein complex (Sex-lethal repressive complex) involved in regulation of stem cells differentiation during fly oogenesis. Understanding how these proteins function requires a detailed knowledge about their three-dimensional architecture and interactions within the complexes. 

First, we plan to obtain a structural insight into RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) architecture that forms protein-RNA complexes (RNPs) to understand their function in stem cells differentiation- says Dr. Monika Gaik. Next, we would like to investigate how individual proteins recognize the respective RNA targets to orchestrate its regulatory binding and subsequently control protein translation. Finally, we want to understand how mRNA transcripts and associated proteins influence important cell fate decisions of stem cells.

Anna Salerno-Kochan (PhD Student) and Anna Kościelniak (Technical Assistant), two highly motivated scientists, have joined Dr. Gaik in her ambitious project.

Want to know more? Visit MCB website -> http://www.mcb.uj.edu.pl/monika-gaik-ncn-polonez-1