During the 5th BIO2023 Congress in Szczecin (September 13-16, 2023), the Polish Biochemical Society award Mozolowski Award for the best poster presentation. One on the Award was given to Joanna Jasinska from Laboratory of Intracellular Ion Channels. The Awards were funded by Dr. hab. Piotr Chomczyński (Molecular Research Center USA).
The presentation was entitled “The role of infrared light in modulation of mitochondrial large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel”. Mitochondria are able to absorb infrared (IR) light. Particularly intriguing is the absorption of specific wavelengths in IR band: 820 nm and 760 nm by metal centers of cytochrome c oxidase (COX): oxidised CuA and reduced CuB, respectively. In oxidizing conditions induced by ferricyanide, we observed an inhibition of mitoBKCa channel. However, when he channel was illuminated with 820 nm wavelength, its activity was restored. Importantly, this restorative effect was immediate and durable. This study was supported by the Polish National Science Centre MAESTRO grant No. 2019/34/A/NZ1/00352.
