Department of Animal Physiology

Department of Animal Physiology specializes in research concerning the essentials of various biological processes in a living animals. We seek the answers for still up-to-date questions about the interactions between animals and environment and about mechanisms of adaptive changes of physiological functions. Study and research work is conducted both on vertebrates, as well as on invertebrates: laboratory rats and mice, Djungarian hamsters, snails, honey bees and cockroaches. We use both standard and up-to-date research methods and techniques, such as: telemetry, spectrophotometry, respirometry, immunocytochemistry, PCR, HPLC, immunoenzymatic tests, biochemical and behavioural tests.

Our academic stuff conduct research concerning:

• adaptive mechanisms in land snails (antioxidants, cryoprotection)
• insects physiology, ecophysiology and ethology
• integrative physiology, especially concerning cooperation between thermoregulation system and other regulatory systems (defense against anoxia)
• animal stress and neuroplasticity (neurotrophic factors)
• thermoregulation of small mammals and chronobiology (rhythmicity of physiological processes: body temperature, animals activity)
• ecological physiology and behavior of small mammals (animal personality)
• role of TRP receptors in perception of ambient temperatures in insects
• toxicity of pesticides and factors that modify toxicity

Research interest

Head of the Department
Justyna Rogalska, PhD, Associate Professor

• The effect of body temperature during perinatal asphyxia on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in rat brain, the role of deferoxamine in defense against anoxia-induced oxidative stress; the role of HIF-1? and BDNF in neuroprotection.
• The impact of low frequency electromagnetic field (50 Hz) (ELF-MF) on stress systems in the organism; especially the determination whether ELF-MF exhibits hormesis, it means bidirectional action depending on field strength (magnetic induction) and elucidation the mechanism of this phenomenon on animal model.

Michał Caputa, Professor

• Integrative physiology, interoperability of the thermoregulation system with other regulatory systems in defense against anoxia and infections; mechanisms of defense against brain overheating; winter torpor in invertebrates

Małgorzata Jefimow, PhD, Associate Professor

• Animal personality, temperature regulation in small heterothermic mammals (rodents, bats) and birds, nonshivering thermogenesis, heterothermy, behaviour, phenotypic flexibility, chronobiology

Anna Nowakowska, PhD,  Assistant Professor

• Adaptive mechanisms during winter torpor, estivation in ectothermic animals in the context of oxidative stress defense. HSP proteins in the control of activity/torpor cycle in land snails. Cryoprotection in selected species of animals. Land snails as bioindicators of environmental pollution.

Przemysław Grodzicki, PhD

• Physiology, ecophysiology and ethology of insects; electrophysiology of the honeybee Apis mellifera flight muscle, thermoregulatory behaviour of insects (honeybee Apis mellifera, American cockroach Periplaneta americana, blowflies Calliphora vomitoria and Protophormia terraenovae and mealworm Tenebrio molitor). Ongoing research concerns exogenous and endogenous factors that modify thermoregulatory behaviour of insects, the relationship between social and thermoregulatory behaviour of bees, the effect of photoperiod and olfactory stimuli on thermal preferences; the effect of lightening on thermal preferences of individuals and small groups of blowflies.
• The effect of plant protection products (PPP) on the honeybees and their transfer from crops to the honeybee hives, distribution of PPP active ingredients inside the hive. The search for the attractant used in traps for slugs.

Hanna Kletkiewicz, PhD

• The influence of body temperature during perinatal hypoxia on the level of neurotrophic-derived factor (BDNF) and the spatial memory in rats.

Justyna Maliszewska, PhD

• TRP channels in insects thermoreception, effect of alkaloids and natural toxins on cockroach behavioral thermoregulation, natural factors that modify pesticides toxicity, toxic substances in food

Anna Przybylska, MSc

• Thermoregulation of small heterothermic mammals, daily torpor sexual differences in thermoregulation, animal personality, relationship between physiology and behaviour