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Robert Penchovsky's Website
Robert's Research
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Computational Design of Allosteric Ribozymes
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Engineering Gene Regulatory Networks
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Design and Analyses of Non-coding RNAs
investigating the role of non-coding RNAs in gene regulation…
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Molecular Computing
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Ribozyme-based Molecular Circuit
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Computational Drug Design
applying virtual high- throughput screening assays and rational design…
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High-throughput Screening Assays
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Targeting specific RNAs by antisense oligonucleotides
Inhibition of bacterail growth by targeting specific RNAs by antisense oligo- nucleotides (ASOs)…
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Design of Programmable Microfluidic Devices
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Software Design for Bionformatics
Main Grant Awards
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grant:DDVU02/5/2010
Design and applications of RNA biosensors in vitro and in vivo…
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grant:DN13/14/20.12.2017
Design and experimental validation of chimeric antisense oligo- nucleotides as antibacterial agents…
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grant:KP-06-H31/18/13.12.2019
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grant:KP-06-H63/1/13.12.2022
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grant:4011/05.07.2023
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grant:70-123-194/12.02.2024
Creation of software systems for computer-aided design of rapid allosteric ribozymes that sense the presence of sequence-defined oligonucleotides and a database of clinically relevant human genetic variation (budget: 102300 EURO )...
Research Awards
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Dr. Penchovsky's outstanding scientist award, 2023
7th Edition of International Research Awards on SENSING TECHNOLOGY…
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Dr. Penchovsky's award from the Bulgarian national contest, 2015
Awards for PostDocs
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a young microbiologist national contest by the Foundation of Acad. Prof. Stephan Angeloff, 2023
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a young microbiologist in a national contest by the Foundation of Acad. Prof. Stephan Angeloff, 2023
PhD students' Awards
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an award from the contest student of the year 2022 of Sofia University
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an award from the national contest "Young and Energetic Scientists", 2021
our doctoral student Antoniya Georgieva won a first prize in the Ph.D. category…
Poster awards
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Sofia Science Festival, May 15-16, 2021
see our acknowledged poster and research project RD-22-838/2020 by BMES…
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an award from the Congress of Micro- biologists in Bulgaria with International Participation, Hisara 2018
Another awards
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an award from the of the EWA 2022 Start-up Competition in Bulgaria, 2022
My doctoral student Antoniya Georgieva won a second place…
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an award for teacher of the year for 125 School, Sofia, 2022
My doctoral student Georgi Miloshev won the teacher’s prize of the year…
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an award for a contribution to the biology education of Sofia, 2023
My doctoral student Georgi Miloshev was awarded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science…
News and views on us
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Homo Sciens
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Robert's live interview for the Bulgarian National Radio about his upcoming talk on the Sofia Science Festival,
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Our lab members' interview for Science_BG: video,
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Homo Sciens
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Nature Biotechnology
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Nature Methods
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ACS Synthetic Biology
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RSC Chemistry World
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Sofia University
Distinction for Prof. Dr. Robert Penchovsky from the Faculty of Biology…
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YearBoook of Research Projects at Sofia University
Design and experimental validation of chimeric antisense oligo- nucleotides as antibacterial agents…
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Magazine of Bulgarian Science
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Sofia University
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Bulgarian National Science Fund
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Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science
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Magazine of Bulgarian Science
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Interview with Prof. Draga Toncheva for the Bulgarian National Radio
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Robert's interview for Science_BG: video,
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Martina's short interview for Science_BG: video,
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Robert's interview for Science_BG: podcast,
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Robert's interview for the Bulgarian National Radio
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News papers on us in Science_BG in Bulgarian, March, 2023
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News on the main website of Sofia University in Bulgarian, March, 2023
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News on the main website of Sofia University in English, April, 2023
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News on a young microbiologist national awards on website of the Institute of Microbiology, BAS, in Bulgarian, March, 2023
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News on a young microbiologist national awards on website of the Institute of Microbiology, BAS, in English, March, 2023
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BGlobal, in Bulgarian, July, 2023
A microbiologist replaces antibiotics when they do not work.…
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Our recent paper is an editors' choice of the American Chemical Society. That is huge!
Targeting specific RNAs by antisense oligonucleotides - ASOs
Inhibition of bacterail growth by targeting specific RNAs by ASOs.
Figure 1. (A) Binding of RNAP to the promoter site of the genomic DNA (1) triggers transcription of polycistronic mRNA containing genes A, B and C (2). Antisense oligonucleotides can transfer into the cell (3) and bind with complementary sequences of the mRNA (4). The binding of ASO leads to the formation of a doublestranded molecule, which is recognized by RNase H (5). Binding of RNase H triggers cleavage of the mRNA (6). With mRNA being cleaved, there is non-protein expression (7). RNase P (9) can also recognize the double-stranded molecule formed by the binding of ASO with the mRNA (8). Binding of RNase P triggers cleavage of mRNA (10), leading to non-protein expression. (B) Binding of RNAP to the promoter site of genomic DNA (1) triggers transcription of mRNA containing genes 1, 2 and 3 (2). PNA, an antisense oligonucleotide, can transfer into the cell (3) and bind with complementary sequences of the mRNA (4). PNA leads to prevention of ribosomal subunits binding to mRNA (5), leading to no translation (6). In the absence of ASOs, ribosomal subunits bind and mRNA are translated into a functional protein (7). Entering of a small drug molecule into the cell (8), as it binds to its target, which is the functional protein (9), leads to protein function inhibition (10).
In recent years, various ASO technologies have been developed for applications in different organisms including bacteria. In fact, the concept of using antisense antibiotics does not look as revolutionary and impractical as a decade ago. Having experienced certain vicissitudes in the past decade, we are now on the threshold of developing and utilizing various ASO technologies, including antisense antibiotics. This is because in the last several years, significant technology advances were achieved in the fields of genomics, structural modification of oligonucleotides and efficient delivery system. These advances have led to fundamental progress in the prospective of developing antisense antibiotics. They include all three main areas that had hampered the development of antisense antibiotics in the past, namely, target validation, efficiency and specificity of ASO inhibition and ASO delivery in vivo.
References:
1. Martina Traykovska, Katya B. Popova and Robert Penchovsky - Targeting glmS ribozyme with chimeric antisense oligonucleotides for antibacterial drug development, ACS Synthetic Biology (2021), IF:5.5 (Q1, Scopus)
2. Robert Penchovsky, Stoilova C.C. - Riboswitch-based antibacterial drug discovery using high-throughput screening methods – 2013, Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 1746-0441, Q1 (Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics) , IF – 4,676
3. Robert Penchovsky and Martina Traykovska - Designing drugs that overcome antibacterial resistance: where do we stand and what should we do? – 2015, Expert opinion on drug discovery, Q1 (Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics), IF – 4,66
4. Aikaterini Valsamatzi-PanagiotouKatya B. Popova and Robert Penchovsky - Chapter 9: Drug Discovery for Targeting Drug Resistant Bacteria – 2020, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 46, Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance Vol. 1, Tools and Targets:.
5. Aikaterini Valsamatzi-PanagiotouKatya B. Popova and Robert Penchovsky - Chapter 1: Strategies for prevention and containment of antimicrobial resistance – 2020, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 49 Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance Vol. 2, Natural and Synthetic Approaches.
6. Aikaterini Valsamatzi-Panagiotou and Robert Penchovsky - Archieves of Clinical Microbiology - Engineering antisense oligonucleotides as antibacterial agents(2019)…IF:1.05.
7. Martina Traykovska, Katya B. Popova and Robert Penchovsky - Targeting glmS Ribozyme with Chimeric Antisense Oligonucleotides for Antibacterial Drug Development - ACS Synthetic Biology (2021)…, Q1 (Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics), IF – 5,5
8. Martina Traykovska and Robert Penchovsky - Engineering antisense oligonucleotides as antibacterial agents that target FMN riboswitches and inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli - ACS Synthetic Biology (2022)…, Q1 (Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics), IF – 5,5
9. Nikolet Pavlova, Georgi Y Miloshev, Antoniya V. Georgieva, Martina Traykovska and Robert Penchovsky, Versatile Tools of Synthetic Biology applied for Drug Discovery and Production - Future Medicinal Chemistry (2022)…IF:4.8 (Q2, Scopus)
10. Nikolet Pavlova and Robert Penchovsky, Bioinformatics and Genomic Analyses of the Suitability of Eight Riboswitches for Antibacterial Drug Targets - Antibiotics (2022)…IF:5.22 (Q1, Scopus)
11. Martina Traykovska, Lozena A. Otcheva and Robert Penchovsky, Targeting TPP Riboswitches Using Chimeric Antisense Oligonucleotide Technology for Antibacterial Drug Development - ACS Applied Bio Materials (2022)…IF:3.22 (Q1, Scopus)
12. Martina Traykovska and Robert Penchovsky - Targeting SAM-I Riboswitch Using Antisense Oligonucleotide Technology for Inhibiting the Growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes - Antibiotics (2022)…IF:5.22 (Q1, Scopus)