It is a very rare event for two researchers from the same university institute to simultaneously win the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). The Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology is now celebrating this achievement, which to our knowledge is unique at Semmelweis University.

The MTA János Bolyai Research Scholarship is a highly prestigious program that encourages the domestic research of exceptionally talented scientists under the age of 45 and supports their acquisition of an academic doctoral title. The award provides financial support for one to three years so that winners can focus entirely on developing their independent scientific topics.

Éva Laura Gráczer earned the scholarship with her proposal titled, "Structural and functional consequences of rare diseases linked to cytoskeletal actin mutations in cellular models". "The aim of the research is to explore in detail how actin mutations affect cell function. In this framework, we will investigate the cellular and mechanical alterations caused by mutations in dermal fibroblast cells and neurons isolated from patients. Additionally, we will research how the rearrangement dynamics of mutated actin can be modified using actin-binding proteins. Our long-term goal is to identify mechanisms that can contribute to the restoration of damaged cell functions," stated the research fellow of our Institute's Cellular Mechanics research group.

Bálint Kiss was awarded the scholarship for his proposal, "Nanomechanics of bacteriophage-target cell recognition". "As recent pandemics have shown, viruses strongly influence our daily lives. However, there is also growing interest in them as therapeutic tools: certain viruses can destroy antibiotic-resistant pathogens or may be suitable for drug delivery. Our research focuses on the T7 phage, which infects E. coli bacteria. With its flexible tail fibers, it can 'scan' the bacterial surface - a crucial step in the phage's infection cycle, yet we still know very little about this process. During our research, we will uncover the steps of binding using atomic force microscopy; our results hold the potential for developing new therapies," summarized the assistant professor of our Institute's Biophysical Virology research group.

We warmly congratulate our young colleagues on winning the scholarship!