From 3 to 7 June 2025, Dr. Mina Popovic from Union–Nikola Tesla University in Belgrade visited the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. The visit took place thanks to the support of and within the activities of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR).
Dr. Popovic delivered a lecture titled “Two Novel Hafnia Strains from Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) as Potential Probiotics with Microplastic Biodegradation Capabilities”, as part of the ongoing seminar series News in Biomedical Research, intended for students and the broader scientific community. During her stay, she explored potential collaboration opportunities with the research group of Dr. Martin Sztacho (LOCCA, IBEO), particularly in the context of ongoing projects and future directions for joint research.
The main topic of discussion was the possibility of integrating the expertise of both teams in the field of plastic nanoparticle impact on cancer cells. Dr. Sztacho’s group focuses on aberrant protein organization in cancer cells. “Due to their surface properties, plastic nanoparticles may act as condensation nuclei and adversely affect critical cellular processes such as DNA repair or gene expression regulation,” hypothesized Dr. Sztacho. Dr. Popovic and her team are working on enzymes capable of degrading such nanoparticles.
Together, they raised the question of whether plastic nanoparticle degradation could, at least in vitro, mitigate malignant transformations in these cells. “The outcome of the visit is a plan for further collaboration, including the preparation of joint project proposals – all under the auspices of NICR, which once again reaffirms its role as a key driver of cutting-edge oncological research in the Czech Republic,” added Dr. Sztacho.
