zdjęcie przedstawiające parę naukowców w laboratorium — dr Agata Piecuch and dr hab. inż. Rafał Ogórek, prof. UWr (photo: dr Jakub Suchodolski)

UWr and PAS scientists on the way to another patent

The Polish Patent Office has accepted an application to grant the research team another important patent for an invention. This is the result of collaboration between researchers from the Department of Mycology and Genetics at the University of Wrocław and the Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Institute of Low Temperature and Structural Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) in Wrocław.

Two years ago, the Polish Patent Office issued a decision to grant patent no. P.436311, titled “Krzemianowy związek o strukturze hydroksyapatytu domieszkowany jonami srebra, sposób jego wytwarzania i zastosowanie”. The inventors were members of the Department of Mycology and Genetics at the University of Wrocław, led by dr hab. inż. Rafał Ogórek, prof. UWr, namely dr Agata Piecuch and dr Katarzyna Przywara, as well as researchers from the team of prof. dr hab. Rafał Wiglusz at the PAS Institute of Low Temperature and Structural Research: dr inż. Sara Targońska and dr Justyna Rewak-Soroczyńska.

The cooperation between the teams of Dr hab. Eng. Rafał Ogórek and Prof. Dr hab. Rafał Wiglusz has been exemplary and has once again resulted in another patent!

On 30 October 2025, the Polish Patent Office accepted an application for a new invention, patent no. P.453597, titled “Związek o strukturze chlorohydroksyapatytu domieszkowany jonami ceru, sposób jego otrzymywania i zastosowanie”.

The inventors listed in the patent application from the UWr Department of Mycology and Genetics are dr Agata Piecuch and dr hab. inż. Rafał Ogórek, and from INTiBS PAS in Wrocław: prof. dr hab. Rafał Wiglusz, dr Paulina Sobierajska and dr Katarzyna Szyszka. The subject of protection is the method of synthesising the compound and its antifungal activity against strains belonging to Candida albicans, Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis.

– Our inventions are used primarily in the implantation of bone and dental defects, and their antifungal activity reduces hospital-acquired infections, thereby offering a significant therapeutic benefit – explains dr hab. inż. Rafał Ogórek, expressing his gratitude to prof. dr hab. Rafał Wiglusz for their collaboration, which besides the patents mentioned, has also resulted in numerous scientific publications in prestigious journals.

It is worth noting that members of the UWr Department of Mycology and Genetics also conduct research in the fields of classical, forensic and construction mycology, speleomycology, aeromycology, as well as fungal molecular biology and genetics. Molecular biology techniques are also applied in studies of fungal susceptibility and resistance mechanisms to xenobiotics, as well as in the biological evaluation of new potential fungicides and cytostatics, including assessments of their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity.

Congratulations to the whole team and we wish them continued fruitful collaboration!