What do biotechnology at the UPWr and cannabinoids have in common?

• Sylwia Ciałek became interested in cannabinoids during her studies
• – I've always wanted to do something that is practical and benefits others – says the UPWr biotechnology graduate
• Dr. Radosław Gniłka was associated with UPWr not only as a student, but also as a scientist
• What do science and business have in common, and what distinguishes them?
• Cannabinoids – THC or CBD

Healthcann is a biotechnology company located in Wrocław, based in the Wrocław Technology Park. It is currently implementing four high-tech projects worth PLN 5.3 million, which are expected to provide technologies to increase the effects and performance of cannabinoids and enable the creation of new, commercially unavailable end-products containing these compounds. Technologies that have already developed have been registered for international patents, for example the AdvanDrop® technology for the oral administration of cannabinoids. This technology addresses the issue of the low solubility of cannabinoids in aqueous solutions, and thus their low bioavailability and short-term retention of the desired cannabinoid concentration in the body. Healthcann employees include biotechnology graduates from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

Cannabinoids and yeast

Sylwia Ciałek already dealt with cannabinoids in her engineering thesis in biotechnology - with Dr. Adam Dobrowolski from the Institute of Environmental Biology of the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. Her thesis looked at the production capabilities of CBD in yeast cells, and Dr. Dobrowolski deals with metabolic engineering - which, figuratively speaking, involves programming cells and therefore altering their DNA in such a way as to create the compounds we desire. When the time came to choose a topic for my thesis, Dr. Dobrowolski suggested that I choose a substance that I am interested in. I figured I'd give it a go with CBD.

The UPWr biotechnology graduate admits that she chose her field of study quite by chance, as is often the case. She had always been fond of chemistry, although when she came to university she didn't hide the fact that she hated organic chemistry.

– I just didn't get it, and it wasn't until my studies that I was able to understand what it is all about. In fact, they broadened my horizons, especially since the courses I attended were of a very high standard - says Sylwia Ciałek, adding that her studies at the UPWr enabled an Erasmus trip to Israel, where the Ort Bradue College that she attended featured cannabinoids as a hot scientific topic. – Another advantage of my studies were the students' societies. The Molecular Cuisine and Org-Chem student science clubs gave me the opportunity not only to meet interesting people, but also enter the world of scientific work by participating in research projects – says Sylwia.

Sylwia was a student of, among others, Professor Czesław Wawrzeńczyk. She passed her exams with flying colours, even though everyone said that he is one of the strictest professors around. Today she says that her studies in biotechnology enabled her to understand many of the principles of nature, and she has developed an interest in molecular biology. Her engineering thesis was purely theoretical, but when she completed her master's degree in 2020, once again with Dr. Dobrowolski as her supervisor, they converted the model used in her engineering thesis for laboratory use and changed the target molecule. Genes encoding enzymes that would allow the formation of vanillin from ferulic acid were introduced into yeast cells, and the plan was to convert agricultural product waste into a compound that is a flavouring additive.

– It would be synthetic, but in line with the zero-waste concept, i.e. using waste to make something useful out of it and thus entering into environmentally safe biochemical processes – explains Sylwia, for whom the most important thing in her work are tangible results, and moreover, because this is not heavy chemistry, such a method would have a lot of benefits.

Do something that benefits others

She ended up at Healthcann after reading an ad in which they were looking for biotechnologists. She applied a year ago and today she is developing new forms of cannabidiol administration.

– We transform them into nanoparticles so that the bioavailability of these compounds is significantly increased. This makes our product stand out in the market, as traditional CBD oils fare very poorly in this context – emphasises Sylwia Ciałek, adding that research on cannabinoids has been going on for at least 50 years, and that there is a scientific revival of the interest in these compounds. And thanks to the fact that CBD is safe, as it has no psychoactive effects, there is a lot of hope in this compound for psychiatric treatment, treatment of depression, etc.

– I like doing things that are beneficial to others, and therefore have a practical aspect. That's my goal. I enjoy working with different scientific disciplines, and I find combining my knowledge of chemistry and molecular biology techniques a great way to develop cutting-edge technologies for medicines and dietary supplements – says Sylwia, adding with a smile that what she does in the lab is simply manipulating our metabolism in such a way as to make the supplements we take simply work.

– In our field, most experiments are usually unsuccessful. And this is our biggest challenge, because we cannot predict the results, even though we have the tools. In the case of molecular biology, bioinformatics collects, processes and analyses a lot of data regarding DNA or RNA, and there are ready-made kits for the genetic modification of microorganisms. It all seems to be ready, validated, and all you have to do is design a sequence, insert it into the genome, and you're done. But it doesn't work that way, because living organisms are unpredictable, which is what makes it really fascinating – says Sylwia Ciałek.

From science to business

Dr. Radosław Gniłka, Director of R&D at Healthcann, is a graduate of biotechnology from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, but was also a researcher at the Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis for several years. He has over 4 years of experience in the dietary supplement and functional food industry, and as Quality Control Laboratory Coordinator at Oleofarm he was responsible for maintaining the highest quality of manufactured products (he is very familiar with European food law issues). He participated in the launching of several food products on the Polish and foreign markets. At ŁUKASIEWICZ-PORT he participated in the development and commercialisation of the technology for obtaining green solvents, at the Centre for Materials Engineering he was involved in fundamental research on heterometallic clusters, and as the manager of the Chemical Analysis and Spectroscopy Laboratory he was the scientific representative in contacts with business.

– I spent eight years in the Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis, the former Department of Chemistry at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. I pursued my master's thesis there, then my doctoral thesis, and for a while I also worked as assistant to Professor Wawrzeńczyk – says Dr. Radosław Gniłka, admitting that he had considered studying biotechnology, but medicine was his first choice.

– On the one hand I had planned for option B, but on the other I was not so sure about medicine. It ultimately proved to be a good choice, with tremendous development potential, and both my studies and my work at the university meant a lot to me – admits Healthcann's R&D Director.

By a lot I mean the opportunity to work as a scientist, doing research that does not necessarily result in a patent and implementation, but which nevertheless broadens one' s knowledge. It also showed me that you can tell a professor that they are wrong if they simply don't have knowledge in a particular field. And that the professor will not be offended, because they know that no one in science knows everything.

More than just absinthe and thujone

In his master's thesis and later his PhD, Dr. Radosław Gniłka dealt with biotransformations – microbiological and chemical transformations. He looked into thujone isolated from a variety of cedar, which was present in absinthe called the 'green fairy' by the Parisian bohemia of the late 19th century.

– Thujone was considered to be the substance that caused the psychoactive states attributed to the consumption of absinthe. I must admit that I have poured enormous amounts of thujone, inhaled it and never experienced such states – says Dr. Gniłka, adding that by the end of his PhD many papers had already been written describing the anti-cancer effects of thujone, which activates B lymphocytes and supports the immune system. And it has no psychoactive properties. So how should we interpret the accounts from over a century ago?

– The absinthe at the time was badly distilled and contained a lot of impurities, including sulphur, methanol and 70% ethanol, one of the most addictive substances, still legal today. In the bohemian milieu of the time, everyday there was a 'green hour' when these artists simply drank alcohol. If you add to this the solvents inhaled from the paints and varnishes they used, it is clear that they were intoxicating themselves further with organic solvents – explains the Director of R&D at Healthcann, who, however, left the university at one point. Continuing his academic work involved a two-year placement abroad. He had not even considered a shorter period, while at the same time he was starting a family.

– And I asked myself where I wanted to be in five years. I decided that until I was 50 I wanted to prove myself in different areas, and explore various ways of working. And so I left academia for industry. I did it in order to gain experience – says Radosław Gniłka, who admits that during the first year in his new job it was not easy and he had to gain new competences. 

Today we can say that industry understands science, but it does not understand the academic approach – starting with the clash with practicality. This is because industry is the real world, with strict legal frameworks, requirements, and accountabilities. 

Industry is highly accountable and cannot afford to make mistakes, as the penalty for failing to meet standards or neglect testing is up to 2 percent of revenue, and every stumble has financial consequences that directly affect the performance of the company concerned. Therefore, the responsibility for making decisions is greater, I would even say it is enormous – says Dr. Gniłka, adding that the decision to release a product, i.e. to send it from the production stage, after research and risk analysis, to the market is always a serious decision.  

Today, when asked what his biotechnology studies at the UPWr and his work at the university gave him, he says that first and foremost he was lucky enough he ended up in a great department.

– We were like a family there, and at the same time I learned how to gain scientific knowledge, process it, and pay attention to details. General knowledge is not enough to be an expert, you need to go deeper, dig into the details. On the one hand you need a helicopter view, but on the other you need to recognise the important details that make up the whole. This is what science taught me - emphasises Dr. Radosław Gniłka, adding that science also made him understand that authorities are important, but that to be authentic you should be not afraid to say that you do not know something, because you need to get to know things to be able to make assessments.

CBD – for a healthy sleep, appetite and nerves

Cannabinoids are a group of chemical substances - their name derives from the plant they were originally isolated from, i.e. hemp – cannabis. They are highly soluble in non-polar solvents (fats and alcohols), but are insoluble in water. There are more than 110 substances known that belong to the cannabinoid group. The most researched are the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol – THC and its isomer cannabidiol – CBD. The latter interacts with our internal cannabinoid system, whose receptors are mainly located in the brain and regulate our sleep, appetite, perception of pain and the functioning of our immune system. For this reason, most research into the effects of CBD is conducted in the context of nervous system disorders. In 2018 the first CBD-based drug – for epilepsy patients – was approved. CBD oil supplementation can positively contribute to fighting depression, panic attacks, neurosis, arthritis or sleeping disorders. It also has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and helps tackle acne. In vitro studies show that it has neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and protective properties with regard to our circulatory system. CBD can also support the treatment of addictions, Lyme disease, or endometriosis. 

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