PhD. Eng.
Łukasz Janczewski
Education
2013 – 2018
Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of
of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Technical
University of Łódź
2011 – 2013
Second-cycle studies at the Faculty of Chemistry
of the Lodz University of Technology
2007 – 2011
Undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Chemistry
of the Lodz University of Technology
Scientific internships
2018 – 2019
Postdoctoral traineeship at the Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Lodz, in the Institute of Organic Chemistry, in the team of Prof. Beata Kolesińska, D.Sc.
2015
Two-week research internship at the Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Technology, in the team of Prof. Józef Oleksyszyn, D.Sc.
2015
Two-week research internship at the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the team of Prof. Dr. Joanna Wietrzyk
2011 – 2012
Erasmus research internship at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in the team of Prof. Ricardo Riguera
Scientific interests
- Microwave-assisted synthesis of organic and organophosphorus compounds
Microwave radiation (MW) is a technique that has been used in organic synthesis for only a dozen years or so. It is used in the synthesis of many classes of organic compounds (including amides, organophosphorus compounds or in the Cannizzaro reaction). Microwave radiation will make it possible to reduce the reaction time from several hours to as little as a few minutes, thereby increasing the reaction yield and reducing the number of by-products formed.
- Development of new methods for the synthesis of isothiocyanates
Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are among the biologically active compounds characterised by anticancer and antibacterial activity. They are also used in organic synthesis as substrates for the synthesis of thioureas or organocatalysts. For these reasons, these compounds are of great interest. Despite many known methods for the synthesis of isothiocyanates, new methods are still being sought to obtain structurally diverse isothiocyanates with higher yields.
- Synthesis of modified isothiocyanates and study of their biological activity
Sulforaphane (SFN) is one of the best studied natural isothiocyanates, showing anti-cancer and anti-bacterial activity. It is found in cruciferous vegetables and its highest concentration is in broccoli. The introduction of a phosphonium group into the structure of sulforaphane made it possible to obtain isothiocyanate-phosphonates showing high anticancer activity, which was confirmed in studies on cell lines and mice, as well as high antibacterial activity. Mercapturic acids derived from isothiocyanates also exhibit high antibacterial and anticancer activity.
- Synthesis of peptides and peptide conjugates
Peptides are organic compounds consisting of amino acids (natural or synthetic) that can be synthesised in solution or on a polymer carrier. The correct arrangement of amino acids in a peptide is responsible for its biological activity. Peptides can also be combined with other organic molecules to form biologically active i.e. peptide conjugates.
Selected publications
- Fraczyk, L. Janczewski, J. Wasko, K. Rozniakowski, K. Galecki, Z.J. Kaminski, B. Kolesinska, “Non-aggregating amylin fragments as an inhibitors of the aggregation process of susceptible to aggregation fragments 18–22, 23–27, and 33–37 of hormone” Chem. Biodiversity 2021, 18, e2100034,
doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202100034
- L. Janczewski, D. Zielinski, B. Kolesinska, “Synthesis of amides and esters containing furan rings under microwave-assisted conditions” Open Chem. 2021, 19, 265-280.
- L. Janczewski, M. Walczak, J. Fraczyk, Z.J. Kaminski, B. Kolesinska, “Microwave-assisted Cannizzaro reaction – optimization of reaction conditions” Commun. 2019, 49, 3290-3300,
doi.org/10.1080/00397911.2019.1657459
- L. Janczewski, A. Gajda, T. Gajda, “Direct, microwave-assisted Synthesis of isothiocyanates” J. Org. Chem. 2019, 2528-2532,
doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.201900105
- L. Janczewski, E. Burchacka, M. Psurski, J. Ciekot, A. Gajda, T. Gajda, “New diaryl ω-(isothiocyanato)alkylphosphonates and their mercapturic acids as potential antibacterial agents” Life Sci. 2019, 219, 264-271,
doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2019.01.020
- L. Janczewski, A. Gajda, S. Frankowski, T.M. Goszczynski, T. Gajda, “T3P® – A benign desulfurating reagent in the synthesis of isothiocyanates” Synthesis 2018, 50, 1141-1151,
doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1591842
- L. Janczewski, M. Psurski, M. Switalska, A. Gajda, T.M. Goszczynski, J. Oleksyszyn, J. Wietrzyk, T. Gajda, “Design, synthesis, and evaluation of ω-(isothiocyanato)alkylphosphinates and phosphine oxides as antiproliferative agents” ChemMedChem 2018, 13, 105-115,
doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.201700619
- M. Psurski, L. Janczewski, M. Switalska, A. Gajda, T.M. Goszczynski, J. Oleksyszyn, J. Wietrzyk, T. Gajda, Novel phosphonate analogs of sulforaphane: synthesis, in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity. Eur. J. Med. Chem., 2017, 132, 63-80,