The annual BioLAB program offers around 40 students from biological and medical fields at Polish universities the opportunity to gain experience in research work at one of four American institutions. The recruitment process is multi-stage, and scholarships are awarded only to the most promising candidates.
Jakub Filipek is scientifically interested in protein structure research, computational methods for analyzing their structures, and applying this knowledge to describe the functioning of living organisms at the molecular level. He describes the recruitment process for the BioLAB program:
I had to prepare a comprehensive CV, describe my previous experiences and scientific dreams, justify my choice of the most interesting projects, and obtain recommendation letters from researchers I had worked with. I was then invited for interviews with the program coordinators. The interview is a crucial stage of recruitment. I cannot find words to describe the shock and happiness I felt when I read the email informing me of my acceptance into the project at The University of Chicago—a center considered the most prestigious among program participants. Until now, I had not heard of any student from the Lodz University of Technology who had gone there for an internship as part of the BioLAB program in recent years. I feel that this is a tremendous honor. It shows that the Lodz University of Technology is a suitable place from which determined and curious students could start their scientific careers. Within three months of receiving my recruitment results, I found myself on the other side of the ocean—in 'the windy city,' Chicago, at a university with over 130 years of tradition.
Since July, he has been working in Professor Robert Keenan's group. This laboratory specializes in protein identification and describing the structure of their complexes responsible for one of the most critical cellular processes—translation, or biosynthesis, of membrane proteins, their insertion into cell membranes, and catalyzing essential post-translational modifications for their functioning. In recent years, they have published research results in prestigious journals such as Nature.
Regarding his research, he states:
Each protein is made up of amino acids linked together in a specific sequence. Huge molecules called ribosomes are responsible for linking them according to instructions encoded in DNA. My role now involves identifying specific proteins involved in modifying newly synthesized membrane proteins and ultimately describing the structure formed by them and human ribosomes using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), which allows observing complex biological structures at the molecular scale. Since July, I have been learning new laboratory techniques, working with human cell lines, undergoing training on independently preparing samples for electron microscopy, imaging them, and analyzing obtained images. The research I am participating in will help understand the biophysical foundations of essential cellular processes that—when specific mutations occur—fail and lead to improper development of human organs, organ systems, and other severe congenital defects. Perhaps in the future, it will be possible to prevent such diseases precisely thanks to knowledge gathered in studies like this one in which I participate.
So far, Jakub Filipek has completed internships at the Polish Academy of Sciences, participated in the Student Scientific Circle of Biotechnologists "Ferment," co-authored two publications in journals on the Philadelphia list, and attended national scientific conferences.