Anja Bubik

On Wednesday, June 13th 2012, on Medical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Anja Bubik defended her doctoral thesis entitled » Ecological, biological and biochemical effects of some frequent non-hepatotoxic cyclic cyanopeptides (n-hCCP) « under the mentorship of Prof. PhD. Bojan Sedmak.

On Wednesday, June 13th 2012, on Medical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Anja Bubik defended her doctoral thesis entitled » Ecological, biological and biochemical effects of some frequent non-hepatotoxic cyclic cyanopeptides (n-hCCP) « under the mentorship of Prof. PhD. Bojan Sedmak.

Dr. Anja Bubik started her research work in 2008 as a young scientist on Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology on National Institute of Biology and continued education on Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine, field Biochemistry and molecular biology. In her PhD thesis she studied the ecological, biological and biochemical effects of selected biologically active substances produced by cyanobacteria, which are harmful for environment and human health. Cyanobacterial blooming regarding eutrophication of surface water has increased also in Slovenia and at the moment of lysis of a cyanobacterial bloom, several biologically active substances are released into the water. The best described cyclic cyanopeptides (CCP) are divided into the hepatotoxic (hCCP) and the non-hepatotoxic (n-hCCP) CCP, and they can have strong (eco)toxicological influences. The research in the doctoral thesis revealed the broad spectrum of activity of selected CCPs. They can affect lysis of cyanobacterial bloom, what was confirmed with a new immunostaining methodology for monitoring cyanobacterial population. They inhibit the activity of many enzymes and affect the human brain cells in vitro, both normal and tumour.

Through research, Dr. Anja Bubik help to identify the effects and consequences of CCP in the natural environment and she contributed to the more rapid development of new ecotoxicological methods and molecular targets. An understanding of the influence of CCP upon the environment, and an evaluation of the effects they can have on various organisms, are very important aspects for risk assessment and for implementation of sanitation measures.