monument atomu przy wydziale chemii — photo: Alina Metelytsia

MAPS Multilateral Academic Projects grant for our researcher!

We are pleased to announce that the project “Magic Bullet Gels: Unleashing Antimicrobial Peptide Metal Complexes”, led by professor Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek from the Faculty of Chemistry, has been awarded funding through the MAPS (Multilateral Academic Projects) programme. The competition is organized by the Swiss National Science Foundation as part of Swiss-European scientific cooperation.

What is the project about?

Prof. Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek (Biologically Active Metallopeptides [BAM] Research Group) responds – our focus is the synergy between antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antimicrobial rhenium complexes. Although both of these classes of compounds have been extensively studied as potential antimicrobial drugs, they have never before been combined. We intend to change that.

Project objectives:

To study, for the first time, the structure, affinity, and binding mechanisms of rhenium complexes with antimicrobial peptides.
To understand the coordination properties of retro-inverso peptides.
To investigate how complexation affects the biological activity and stability of AMPs.
To verify whether the encapsulation of such compounds in microcarriers (hydrogels) results in a synergistic antimicrobial effect that exceeds the sum of the individual components’ actions.

Who is working with whom?

Prof. Fabio Zobi (University of Fribourg, Switzerland) – synthesis of rhenium compounds.
Prof. Magdalena Rowińska-Żyrek (Biologically Active Metallopeptides [BAM] Research Group, University of Wrocław) – elucidating how rhenium compounds coordinate with AMPs.
Prof. Loredana Nița (Petru Poni Institute, Romania) – formulation of complexes into biocompatible hydrogels.

Why is this important?

The rise of drug resistance necessitates the development of new therapeutic strategies. This project aligns with the concept of the “magic bullet” — a treatment that is precisely targeted, effective, yet non-toxic and stable. Such therapies could prove particularly useful in treating skin or mucosal infections.

The researchers believe that this project will not only make a significant contribution to the development of bioinorganic chemistry and the study of microbial resistance but may also pave the way for a completely new approach to designing effective, selective, and durable antimicrobial therapies.

MAPS (Multilateral Academic Projects) is a competition launched by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for multilateral research projects conducted by Swiss scientists in cooperation with teams from Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania. The projects are funded through the so-called Swiss Funds, which Switzerland allocates to support the development of several EU Member States (including Poland), under a bilateral agreement with the European Union.

Scientists participating in the MAPS competition were eligible to apply for grants for multilateral basic research projects across all fields of science. Each international consortium had to include at least two partner teams from the participating countries, in addition to the Swiss lead team. MAPS projects could run for 36 to 48 months. The maximum amount of funding available to a single team from each country was 350,000 Swiss francs. All costs of the Polish part of the project are covered by the SNSF under the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme. The competition is not co-financed by the NCN or any other Polish institution.

In total, the SNSF received 334 applications in the MAPS competition. Sixteen of them were deemed formally ineligible, and 318 eligible applications underwent substantive evaluation: 140 in the Science and Technology (ST) group, 111 in the Life Sciences (NZ) group, and 67 in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts (HS) group. Of these, 29 projects were awarded funding: eight in the HS group, eight in the NZ group, and thirteen in the ST group. Eleven of the funded projects included a partner institution from Poland. The total value of the financed projects exceeds 29 million Swiss francs.

How were the applications evaluated?

The substantive evaluation of applications in the MAPS competition was conducted in several stages. In the first stage, each application was independently reviewed by at least two external experts. In the second stage, the applications were assessed by three expert panels — one for each discipline group: Science and Technology, Life Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. These panels prepared ranking lists based on the merit of the proposals. The final list of funded projects was compiled by the Funders Forum, taking into account the budgetary allocations available in each participating country. The formal funding decisions were made by the MAPS Steering Committee.

Publication date: 7.05.2025
Added by: M.K

Translated by Zuzanna Sobkowiak (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.