Laboratory of Intracellular Ion Channels
Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences
On March 18–19, 2026, Piotr Koprowski participated in the Sophion User Meeting Europe 2026, held at Sophion headquarters in Copenhagen/Ballerup, Denmark. The meeting brought together researchers and users of automated patch-clamp technology for two days of scientific talks, hands-on workshops, poster sessions, and discussions focused on ion channel research and high-throughput electrophysiology. The programme provided an …
We are pleased to share that in our lab, a novel method was developed for isolating mitochondria specifically from rodent cardiomyocytes, ensuring high purity and preservation of their structural and functional integrity. Unlike conventional techniques based on harsh mechanical homogenization, our approach uses gentle mechanical disruption, allowing for the recovery of mitochondria from both subsarcolemmal …
In this study, we show that red and near-infrared light (620–820 nm) directly modulates theactivity of the mitochondrial BKCa potassium channel in glioblastoma cells. Using patch-clamp recordings, we demonstrate that light-dependent effects are linked to the redox stateof the respiratory chain, most likely mediated by cytochrome c oxidase (COX).Our results reveal a new mechanism connecting: …
In early February 2026, the 30th edition of the School of Pure and Applied Biophysics, organized by the Italian Society for Pure and Applied Biophysics (SIBPA) and the Venetian Institute for Sciences, Arts and Humanities (IVSLA) took place at the historic Palazzo Franchetti in Venice, overlooking the Canal Grande. With the central theme “Ion channels: …
The Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Warsaw is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its establishment this year. The ceremony, held on 21 November 2025, brought together numerous representatives of the academic community and scientific institutions, highlighting the Faculty’s significant scientific, educational, and organizational achievements, as well as its contributions to the development of …
A new review titled “Mitochondrial potassium channels: mitochondria-specific mechanism of regulation” by Intracellular Ion Channels Lab at Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS and collaborating centers has just been published in Biophysical Reviews. The article provides an up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge on potassium channels located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (mitoK) and the unique regulatory mechanisms that distinguish them …
The first joint exploratory meeting between the Laboratory of Intracellular Ion Channels of the Nencki Institute, headed by Prof. Adam Szewczyk, and the Department of Physics and Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), headed by Prof. Piotr Bednarczyk, took place 18th November at SGGW in Warsaw. The meeting was also attended …
Researchers from the Intracellular Ion Channels Laboratory of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, presented their latest results at the 16th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria, held on October 22–24, 2025, in Berlin, and organized by the World Mitochondria Society. Professor Adam Szewczyk delivered Keynote Lecture „Targeting Mitochondrial Channels: Update and Strategies”. His talk summarized current knowledge on various mitochondrial ion channels—including potassium, …
Researchers from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with teams from Sapienza University of Rome, and Technical University of Denmark, have developed a new experimental cellular model to study mitochondrial potassium channels—key regulators of cellular energy metabolism and protection against stress. The study, published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports, describes the creation of …
From September 17th to 20th, the Belgian city of Leuven was once again home to the International TRP Meeting. The event, held there every five years since 2005, aims to gather researchers from around the world to discuss the biology, structure, and medical relevance of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels. The meeting was organized …