Dr hab. Monika Adamczyk-Popławska is a molecular microbiologist and academic researcher at the University of Warsaw, where she has worked since 2000. She received her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France, in 1998, and her habilitation in Biological Sciences from the University of Warsaw, Poland in 2016.

Her research focuses on host–pathogen interactions, bacterial molecular biology, bacteriophages and their applications, and the mechanisms underlying bacterial pathogenicity, with particular emphasis on Neisseria gonorrhoeae. She has also been involved in research on phage-based antibacterial strategies and molecular virology. She is a co-author of numerous international scientific publications and a co-inventor of a diagnostic patent based on Raman spectroscopy for the detection of sexually transmitted pathogens.

At the University of Warsaw, she combines research with teaching in Molecular Biology, Virology, Bacterial Genetics, Microbiology and Virological Diagnostics.

Dr Adamczyk-Popławska is also actively involved in science communication and education. For many years, she has been a member and co-organiser of the Polish Biology Olympiad and has participated in numerous public science events, including lectures on vaccination, phage therapy and modern approaches to combating pathogenic bacteria.

Her contributions to teaching have been recognised with several awards from the University of Warsaw, including the 2025 Student Award for Teaching Excellence.

Research interests: host–pathogen interactions • Neisseria gonorrhoeae • bacteriophages • phage therapy • molecular virology • bacterial genetics • antimicrobial strategies

Dr hab. Monika Adamczyk-Popławska is a molecular microbiologist and Associate Professor at the University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on host–pathogen interactions, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, bacterial molecular biology, bacteriophages and their therapeutic applications. She has authored numerous international scientific publications and is a co-inventor of a Raman spectroscopy-based diagnostic patent for sexually transmitted pathogens. Alongside her research, she teaches molecular biology, virology, bacterial genetics and microbiology, and is actively involved in science communication and education.

Bacteriophage -Derived Strategies Against Drug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Gonorrhea, caused by the sexually transmitted pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, remains a major global public-health challenge. Although infections can often be asymptomatic, untreated or inadequately treated gonorrhea may lead to severe complications, including among others infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and disseminated gonococcal infection. The clinical burden of gonorrhea is increased by the capacity of N. gonorrhoeae to persist in the human host, evade immune responses and acquire genetic determinants associated with antimicrobial resistance.

The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including strains with reduced susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and other last-line antibiotics, has significantly limited treatment options. This highlights the urgent need for alternative or adjunctive therapies to complement existing antibiotics and help control the spread of resistant gonococci.

Bacteriophages, and phage-derived enzymes are promising candidates in the search for new antibacterial approaches. Phages have been investigated as therapeutic agents against several bacterial pathogens, including members of the ESKAPE group. Their potential advantages include highly specific targeting of bacterial cells, self-amplification and the possibility of combining phage therapy with conventional antibiotics. Phage-derived enzymes, endolysins are peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes produced during the late stage of the phage replication cycle. By hydrolysing the bacterial cell wall, they can contribute to bacterial lysis and may also interfere with the development or stability of bacterial biofilms.

Our research focuses on the discovery and characterization of lytic bacteriophages active against N. gonorrhoeae from wastewater and environmental samples. To improve the efficiency of phage isolation, we disarmed bacterial anti-phage defense mechanisms such as  restriction–modification systems in order to reduce the degradation of phage DNA. In parallel, we attempt to cure bacterial cells of integrated prophages. These approaches are designed to generate more permissive gonococcal hosts that may facilitate the recovery and study of lytic phages that would otherwise remain undetected.

In addition, we exploit the genetic diversity of gonococcal prophage sequences as a source of novel antibacterial enzymes or enzybiotics. Through the analysis of prophage regions integrated into the N. gonorrhoeae genome, we identified genes encoding putative endolysins. These enzymes are being evaluated as potential tools for disrupting the gonococcal cell wall.

Our results indicate that purified gonolysin affects the development of N. gonorrhoeae biofilms. In particular, it interferes with processes associated with biofilm formation, including the establishment of bacterial microcolonies, and influences interactions within mature biofilm structures. Our findings suggest that prophage-encoded endolysins may have activity beyond direct bacterial lysis and could serve as anti-biofilm agents or components of combination therapies. Their use may be especially valuable in situations in which bacterial cells are protected within biofilm communities and are less susceptible to conventional antimicrobial treatment.