Laboratory of Jan S. Potempa, PhD, DSc
Professor and University Scholar - Department of Oral Immunology & Infectious Diseases
Sidebar
Background
Dr. Potempa earned his PhD and DSc (habilitation) in Biochemistry in 1982 and 1993, respectively, from Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. In 1985-1988 he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia and from 1989 to 2008, he worked there as a Senior Research Scientist.
From January 2009, Dr. Potempa was recruited to the University of Louisville Dental School as a Professor and Academic Scholar. Simultaneously, Dr. Potempa maintained his teaching and research position at the Jagiellonian University since 1983, where he was head of Department of Microbiology since 2001 and promoted to Research Professor in 2005. His current scientific interest revolves around proteolytic events in the pathogenicity of infectious diseases.
Dr. Potempa’s research achievements are highly recognized internationally as indicated by more than 9,900 citations of his publications (h-index:54). Of note, for a decade (1995-2005) he was the second most cited scientist in Poland.
Research interests and current projects
Dr. Potempa’s investigations are focused on proteolytic enzymes of bacterial pathogens that play important roles in the deregulation of a number of physiological pathways and evasion of host immunity. Specifically, studies in Dr. Potempa’s laboratories concentrate on proteolytic systems of bacteria, including predominantly staphylococci and periodontal pathogens. He discovered new families of proteinase inhibitors and proteinases, referred to as staphostatins and gingipains, respectively. Furthermore, he found out that Porphyromonas gingivalis-derived gingipains could not only activate coagulation, fibrinolysis, and kinin pathways and signal through protease activated receptors in an unrestricted manner, but also deregulate host proteinase inhibitors through specific cleavage within their reactive site loops, thereby allowing for the additional involvement of host proteinases in the disease process.
Dr. Potempa’s current research has expanded to enzymes from Prevotella intermedia and Tannerella forsythia. In addition to the pathophysiological significance of establishing new traits in microbial pathogenesis, these studies have led to discovery of unique proteinases in these two species of bacteria. Dr. Potempa’s other interests are focused on bacterial pathogens interaction with the innate immunity system, a mechanistic link between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis, the characterization of new enzymes and elucidation of a novel protein secretion system (PerioGate) used by periodontopathogens to secrete their virulence factors.
Memberships
- International Proteolysis Society (IPS) (Member)
- Polish Biochemical Society (PTBioch) (Member)
- Graduate Faculty, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- The Editorial Boards member: Biological Chemistry (since 2003), Current Protein and Peptide Science (since 2004), The Open Biochemistry Journal (since 2007), Journal of Innate Immunity (since 2008), Molecular and Oral Microbiology (previously Oral Microbiology and Immunology) (since 2010) Journal of Oral Microbiology (since 2013), and FEBS
Honors and awards
- Prime Minister of The Republic of Poland Award for Extraordinary Academic Achievements, Warsaw, Poland, 2001
- The Professor’s Subsidy, Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), Warsaw, 2004
- The Team Program Laureate, Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), Warsaw, 2010
- Foundation for Polish Science Prize for discovery and characterization of gingipains as virulence factors and targets for drug development to treat periodontitis (the most prestigious award for scientific achievements in Poland) (FNP, Warsaw, 2011)
- Honorary doctorate (Doctorate Honoris Causa), University of Lund, Lund, Sweden (2012)
Support staff
- Barbara Potempa - Research Coordinator, M.Sc., April 2009 – present
- Miroslaw Ksiazek - Visiting Scholar, March 2014 - present
- Anna Lasica – Visiting Scholar, October 2014 – present