Marta Sałek

Marta Sałek is a researcher at the University of Warsaw's Department of Biology, focusing on microbial ecology and protist-bacteria interactions. She leads projects such as the MicroDivEr grant examining freshwater microbial communities and the SYMBIOSEM initiative exploring algal-endosymbiont interactions. Her work integrates single-cell genomics and advanced microscopy techniques.

Research Projects:

• Principal Investigator (PI) for NCN OPUS Grant MicroDivEr (2024)
• PI of Trans-National Access project SYMBIOSEM (completed 2024)
• PI of intramural grant PMB analyzing dystrophic lake biodiversity (completed 2022)

Research Interests: Freshwater ecosystems, protist-prokaryote interactions, symbiosis mechanisms, and environmental genomics. She employs cutting-edge techniques like CARD-FISH microscopy and single-cell transcriptomics to study microbial communities in extreme environments.

Key Contributions: Published findings on novel endosymbiont species (Candidatus Grellia alia) in Protist (2024). Active in international conferences, including the 2024 PSA-ISOP-ISEP Joint Meeting and EMBO meetings.

Awards:

• 2024 Holz-Conner Travel Grant
• 2022 Second Prize at Jírovec’s Protozoological Days

Training & Collaboration: Trained in advanced microscopy techniques (e.g., FISH, electron microscopy) at institutes like the University of Vienna and the Biology Centre CAS. Engaged in EMBO workshops and international schools.

Labs & Teams: Associated with the Eukaryotic Microorganisms Genomics lab under Prof. Anna Karnkowska. Part of the EXCITE consortium and SymbNET network.