Agnieszka Razim, PhD (Assistant Professor) – Group Leader

THE GROUP OF BACTERIAL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES

Laboratory of Microbiome Immunobiology

Research interests:

Agnieszka Razim, PhD, (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5471-7013) trained in biotechnology (MSc, University of Wrocław) and holding a PhD in Biology from the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy PAS (2020), has built a research portfolio at the interface of microbiology, immunology and translational medicine. Her earlier work focused on mucosal vaccines, nanoadjuvants and antigen epitope mapping – projects that resulted in multiple peer-reviewed articles and a granted patent on a vaccine for Clostridioides difficile. Next, her interests shifted towards probiotics and their usage in the therapy of allergy. As an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Medical University of Vienna (2022–2024) she expanded into detailed multi-platform studies of bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEV), publishing mechanistic and translational studies on BEV biology, immunomodulatory properties and potential as intranasal postbiotics.

Bacterial extracellular vesicles

The group focuses on BEVs, investigating their biogenesis, comprehensive physicochemical and molecular characterization, and functional testing across cellular and animal models. Research emphasizes mechanisms of BEV production, cargo selection and release, standardized isolation and multi-omics profiling, and assays of immunomodulatory, metabolic and signaling activities. A central theme is the role of BEV in bacteria–host communication under diverse physiological and pathological contexts, with particular interest in how undernutrition alters BEV production, composition and impact on host immunity and microbiota resilience.

Collaboration

The laboratory welcomes collaboration and offers comprehensive EV isolation and characterization from diverse sources. We have experience studying EVs in contexts such as phage release, pregnancy and other physiological states. Available infrastructure includes IZON Automatic Fraction Collector (SEC), ultracentrifuges, Zetasizer Ultra and access to TEM facilities, enabling standardized isolation, size/charge analysis, multi-omics downstream workflows and functional assays. Interested collaborators are invited to contact us to discuss joint projects and service/support options.

Current group members:

PhD student – Subhasree Venkatasubramaniyan

Member of scientific societies:

International Society for Extracellular Vesicles – member of Microbial EVs Task Force, co-chair of Microbial session during ISEV Annual Meeting 2025 in Vienna, co-author of MISEV.

Marie Curie Alumni Association – member of Polish and Austrian chapters, attendee of the MCAA Annual Conference (Milan 2024, Kraków 2025)

Women’s Health Research Cluster

European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Funding:

On-going funding:

2026 – 2027 Bile-driven modulation of bacterial extracellular vesicles: Production, composition, and functional impacts on host and microbiota. Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, (BPN/BAT/2025/1/00010) 30 000 PLN. Role: PI

2024 – 2027 The Impact of Undernutrition on Host Microbiome: the Messenger Role of Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles. National Science Centre, Poland, SONATA (2023/51/D/NZ7/02220) 1 999 000 PLN. Role: PI

2023 – 2026 Extracellular vesicles produced by Bifidobacterium as novel approach for treatment of allergy diseases. National Science Centre, Poland (304 k€). LAP, joint polish-czech project. Role: co-author, project contractor.

Past funding:

2022 – 2024 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow: Immunomodulatory properties of L. plantarum extracellular vesicles in airway allergy. European Commission, (grant no. 101066450) 199 000 EUR. Role: PI

2022 – 2025 Epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infections in long-term-care facilities, analysis of disease mechanisms and immune response with the characteristics of strains and their prevalence using molecular epidemiology surveillance methods. National Science Centre, Poland (380 k€). Role: co-author, project contractor.

2020 – 2022 Research on obtaining a novel vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease. National Centre for Research and Development, Poland (1 mln €). Role: project contractor.

2020 – 2022 Innovative medicinal product against Clostridioides difficile based on IgY antibodies. National Centre for Research and Development, Poland (55 k€). Role: co-author, project contractor.

2018–2023 The structure and biological role of Bifidobacterium components in allergy disease development. 2017/26/E/NZ7/01202, National Science Centre, Poland (400 k€). Role: project contractor.

2017 – 2021 Epitope mapping of Clostridium difficile surface proteins with characteristics of protective properties of epitope conjugated with carrier protein in combination with novel nanoadjuvant. National Science Centre, Poland (200 k€). Role: co-author, project contractor.

2016 – 2019 The characterization of physical and chemical properties of prototype emulsion-based nanoadjuvant and its impact on the uptake and processing of the antigen by antigen presenting cells. National Science Centre, Poland, PRELUDIUM 2015/17/N/NZ6/03512 (33 k€). Role: PI

Publications:

Razim A. et al. Extracellular vesicles as indicators of environmental stress response in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: a multi-platform study” (2025) preprint BioRxiv doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.21.689665
Kozakiewicz D., Razim A., Schabussova I. Górska S. Immunomodulatory properties of probiotic extracellular vesicles- do they have the potential to fill the gap in therapeutic strategies for allergies? Cell Communication and Signalling 23, 549 (2025) doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02532-1
Razim A., et al. „Bacterial extracellular vesicles as intranasal postbiotics: Detailed characterization and interaction with airway cells.” Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 13.10 (2024): e70004.
Razim A., Pacyga-Prus K., Kazana W., Zabłocka A, Macała J, Ciepłucha H., Gamian A., Górska S. “Differential patterns of antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid epitopes detected in sera from patients in acute phase of COVID-19, convalescents and pre-pandemic individuals” Pathogens and Disease (2024) doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftae025
Welsh, Joshua A., et al. „Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches.” Journal of extracellular vesicles 2 (2024): e12404. (MISEV consortium)
Schmid AM, Razim A., Wysmołek M., et al. „Extracellular vesicles of the probiotic bacteria E. coli O83 activate innate immunity and prevent allergy in mice.” Cell Communication and Signaling 21.1 (2023): 297.
Pacyga-Prus K., Jakubczyk D., Sandström C., Šrůtková D., Pyclik M.J., Leszczyńska K., Ciekot J., Razim A., Schwarzer M., Górska S.,, „Polysaccharide BAP1 of Bifidobacterium adolescentis CCDM 368 is a biologically active molecule with immunomodulatory properties.” Carbohydrate Polymers (2023): 120980.
Razim A., Górska S., and Gamian A. „Non-Toxin-Based Clostridioides difficile Vaccination Approaches.” Pathogens 12.2 (2023): 235.
Razim A., Górska S., and Myc A.. „Efektywne szczepionki śluzówkowe–możliwości i wyzwania.” Postępy Biochemii 68.2 (2022): 179-188. (polish)
Piekarz, I., Górska, S., Razim, A., Sorocki, J., Wincza, K., Drab, M., & Gruszczyński, S. Planar single and dual-resonant microwave biosensors for label-free bacteria detection. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2022, 351, 130899. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2021.130899
Pyclik, M. J., Srutkova, D., Razim, A., Hermanova, P., Svabova, T., Pacyga, K., Schwarzer, M., Górska, S. Viability Status-Dependent Effect of Bifidobacterium longum longum CCM 7952 on Prevention of Allergic Inflammation in Mouse Model. Frontiers in immunology 2021, 2800. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.707728
Razim A., Pacyga K., Naporowski P., Martynowski D., Szuba A., Gamian A., Górska S. Identification of linear epitopes on the flagellar proteins of Clostridioides difficile. Scientific Reports 2021 11(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89488-7
Razim A., Pyclik M., Pacyga K., Górska S., Xu J., Olszewski M.A., Gamian A., Myc A. Silicone Oil-Based Nanoadjuvants as Candidates for a New Formulation of Intranasal Vaccines. Vaccines 2021, 9, 234. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9030234
Lemoine C., Thakur A., Krajišnik D., Guyon R., Longet S., Razim A., Górska S., Pantelić I., Ilić T., Nikolić I., Lavelle E.C., Gamian A., Savić S., Milicic A. Technological Approaches for Improving Vaccination Compliance and Coverage. Vaccines 2020, 8, 304. doi: 10.3390/vaccines8020304
Pacyga K., Razim A., Martirosian G., Aptekorz M., Szuba A., Gamian A., Myc A., Górska S. The Bioinformatic and In Vitro Studies of Clostridioides Difficile Aminopeptidase M24 Revealed the Immunoreactive KKGIK Peptide. Cells 2020 May 7;9(5):E1146. doi: 10.3390/cells9051146.
Razim A., Pacyga K., Martirosian G., Szuba A., Gamian A., Myc A., Górska S. Mapping Epitopes of a Novel Peptidoglycan Cross-Linking Enzyme Cwp22 Recognized by Human Sera Obtained from Patients with Clostridioides difficile Infection and Cord Blood. Microorganisms 2019, 7 (11). doi: 10.3390/microorganisms7110565
Razim A., Pacyga K., Aptekorz M., Martirosian G., Szuba A., Pawlak-Adamska E., Brzychczy-Włoch M., Myc A., Gamian A., Górska S. Epitopes identified in GAPDH from Clostridium difficile recognized as common antigens with potential autoimmunizing properties. Scientific reports, 2018 8 (1), 13946. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32193-9
Ziaco M., Górska S., Traboni S., Razim A., Casillo A., Iadonisi A., Gamian A., Corsaro M.M., Bedini E. Development of Clickable Monophosphoryl Lipid A Derivatives toward Semisynthetic Conjugates with Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens. J Med Chem. 2017 14;60(23):9757-9768. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01234.
Górska S., Dylus E., Rudawska A., Brzozowska E., Srutkova D., Schwarzer M., Razim A., Kozakova H., Gamian A. Immunoreactive proteins of Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCM 7952 and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum CCDM 372 identified by gnotobiotic mono-colonized mice sera, immune rabbit sera and nonimmune human sera. Front. Microbiol. 2016. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01537
Mehlich A., Górska S., Myc A., Gamian A. Wybrane aspekty zakażeń Clostridium difficile. Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej, 2015 69, 598-611.

Book chapters:

Adjuvants, immunomodulators, and adaptogens in Vaccinology and Methods in Vaccine Research (ISBN 978-0-323-91146-7). Elsevier 2022

Granted patents:

Vaccine for the prevention and treatment of C. difficile infections and the use thereof, US12194085B2, 14.01.2025. : MYC Andrzej, RAZIM Agnieszka, GÓRSKA Sabina, GAMIAN, Andrzej

Activity popularizing science:

Initiatives:

Nauka m https://www.kopernik.org.pl/nauka-ma-glosa głos

Dolnośląski Festiwal Nauki https://www.festiwal.wroc.pl/

Podcasts:

Zdrowa Rozmowa Gazety Wyborczej

A o tym PAN słyszał? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLGpttPXrk

Published articles:

https://forumakademickie.pl/dr-agnieszka-razim-musimy-byc-pierwsi/

https://academia.pan.pl/mikroskopijni-sprzymierzency-jak-bakterie-wplywaja-na-nasze-cialo-i-umysl/

https://forumakademickie.pl/co-ma-gender-do-alergii-moj-plan-na-erc/

Awards and Scholarships:

Finalist of the POLITYKA scientific awards

Laureate of START2022 scholarship granted by Foundation for Polish Science

Ludwik Hirszfeld Scholarship (2018-2019) awarded by the Mayor of Wrocław as part of the Student Scholarship Program of Wrocławskie Centrum Akademickie