WEIDNER, STANISLAW MARIAN, biochemist, plant physiologist, educator; b. Wrzesnia, Poznan, Poland, Mar. 22, 1947; s. Jozef and Ludwika (Rominska) W. ; m. Maria Magdalena Minakowska, Aug. 12, 1976.
Children: Magdalena, b. Olsztyn, Poland, Jan. 29. 1977. (Ph.D. - 2005, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore - USA), Janusz, b. Olsztyn, Poland, Feb. 19. 1979(Master - 2004, UWM - Olsztyn). Since 2006 his daughter, Magdalena works in the Institute of Virology at the Medical School of Hanover (Germany) and my son, Janusz since 2004 in the Chamber of Customs in Olsztyn (Poland).
During his student days and assistantship he used to direct local Student Theatre Kandelabr and he also tried his hand at both stagemanaging and acting. Master's degree, Olsztyn Univ. Agrl. Tech., Poland, 1971. He completed his doctoral degree (1980) by presenting a Ph.D. thesis dealing with synthesis of ribonucleic acids in wheat grain during development and germination. The thesis won the Dean's award. His assistant professor thesis (1989, habilitation) entitled "Development of cereal caryopses and regulation of their germination" won the Minister of Education Award in 1990. Also recipient of the silver and gold crosses from Polish President for achievements in the fields of science and education, 1994 and 2003.
During his scientific and educational career he has had the following positions: assistant, 1971-1980, assistant prof., 1980-1989, associate prof., 1989-2001. Professor of biology at the Univ. of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 2001-. Okayama Univ. (Japan) visiting prof. position, including research in identification of genes related to germination in wheat seeds, 1998/1999.
He has been lecturing mainly biochemistry, enzymology and proteomics for the students of second and third year of biotechnology major at the Faculty of Biology. Every year at least one student writes a Master's Thesis under his supervision. In the last years he has had seminars with candidates for Master's degree. Editor: (with Waclaw Minakowski) "Biochemistry of Vertebrates", 1998 and 2005. In 1999 the book won the Award of the Ministry of Education. He has also been the author of three textbooks on biochemistry for students from the faculties of agriculture and biology and over 60 scientific reports.
Recipient of fellowship Internat. Research and Exch. Bd. (USA) - 1990 and fellowship Kosciuszko Found. (USA) - 1997. State Commission for Scientific Research Grantee: 1993-1996, 1997-2001, 2004-2007. Participant of COST Projects Nr. 828 and 858, supported by European Cooperation in the field of Sci. and Tech. Research, 1996-2001 and 2003-2009. Mem. Fedn. European Biochem. Socs., Fedn. European Socs. Plant Biology, Soc. for Seed Sci., Polish Soc. for Experimental Biology, Polish Bot. Soc.
Achievements include research in possible involvement of cytoskeleton in regulation of cereal caryopses dormancy and germination. To date he has been the author of over 60 publications, published in Polish and foreign journals such as: Acta Physiol. Plant., Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., Bull. Acad. Pol. Biol., Czech J. Food Sci., Die Nahrung, Euphytica, Eur. Food Res. Technol., J. Food Lipids, Physiol. Plant., Plant Physiol. Biochem., Seed Sci. Technol., Z. Naturforsch. C.
Head of Department of Biochemistry at the University of Warmia and Mazury, 2005-present.
His scientific interests include:
1) Biochemical basis of induction and release from dormancy in cereal caryopses
2) Proteomic analysis of plant reaction to low temperature and osmotic stress
3) Participation of phenolic compounds, specifically phenolic acids in preventing pre-harvest sprouting processes in cereal caryopses
4) Role and activity of cytoskeleton-bound polysomes in plants
5) Changes of endogenous phenolic acids and compounds during dehydration of unripe cereal caryopses
6) Identification of genes connected with germination of cereal caryopses
7) Gene expression during seed maturation, dormancy and germination
8) Pre-harvest sprouting and its regulation. Explaining this mechanism is necessary for further investigations concerning regulation and limitation of the process of pre-harvest sprouting of cereal caryopses, responsible for high loss in agriculture
9) A detailed identification and estimation of phenolic acids (including free, esterified and glycosylated forms) flavonoids and tannins (using HPLC) in dormant and non-dormant Vitis amurensis, Vitis californica and Vitis riparia seeds
10) Phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins metabolism in grapevine after drought and low temperature treatment (stress-induced phenylopropanoid metabolism)
11) Differences in polypeptides (and their characteristics) synthesized in vitro from different classes of polysomes (free, membrane-bound and cytoskeleton-bound) isolated from Vitis L. plants after phenolic compounds treatment and in response to abiotic signals
Further research will focus on the expression of the genes involved in secondary metabolism and plant defence.
He conducted experiments in Prof. Davies's lab at the Univ. of Nebraska Lincoln (which has moved recently from the Univ. of Nebraska to North Carolina State Univ.) three times and once at Prof. Noda's lab at the Okayama Univ. (leading related scientific and educational centers). For many years he has been a reviewer of scientific reports and articles in different journals. In 2000 he became a member of Editorial Council of Acta Physiol. Plant. The curriculum vitae of the author was included in "2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 20th Century"(published by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England). More information can be found in "Who's Who in Science and Engineering", "Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare" and "Who's Who in the World" (published by America's leading biographical reference publisher Marquis Who's Who).
More detailed information can be also found: http://www.uwm.edu.pl/biolbioch/index.htm
Picture. The author in front of the Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University (Japan, September, 1998).
Latest publications:
1. Weidner S., Lukaszewicz D., 1997. The role of free, membrane-bound and tightly-bound polysomes in precocious germination of triticale caryopses. Acta Physiol. Plant. 19: 109-118.
2. Weidner S., Lukaszewicz D., 1997. Possible involvement of the cytoskeleton in the regulation of barley caryopsis dormancy and germination. Acta Physiol. Plant. 19: 119-126.
3. Davies E., Abe S., Larkins B.A., Clore A.M., Quatrano R.S., Weidner S., 1998. The role of the cytoskeleton in plant protein synthesis. In A Look Beyond Transcription: Mechanisms Determining mRNA Stability and Translation in Plants. (Julia Bailey-Serres, Daniel R. Gallie, eds), pp. 115-124. American Society of Plant Physiologists. Rockville, Maryland, USA.
4. Stankovic B., Abe S., Azama K., Shibata K., Ito Y., Weidner S., Davies E. 1999. Association of maize protein bodies with cytoskeleton, membranes, and ribosomes in the endosperm of wild type and opaque-2 mutant. Acta Physiol. Plant. 21: 383-390.
5. Weidner S., Amarowicz R., Karamac M., Dabrowski G. 1999. Phenolic acids in two cultivars of wheat rye and triticale caryopses that display different resistance to pre-harvest sprouting. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 210: 109-113.
6. Weidner S., Lukaszewicz D., Amarowicz R. 2000. Participation of the tightly-bound (putative cytoskeleton-bound) polysomes in translation during germination of dormant and non-dormant cereal caryopses. Z. Naturforsch. 55c: 23-29.
7. Weidner S., Lukaszewicz D., Amarowicz R. 2000. Significant role for polysomes associated with the cytoskeleton in the control of protein synthesis during germination of triticale caryopses in the presence of abscisic acid. Acta Physiol. Plant. 22: 185-193.
8. Weidner S., Amarowicz R., Karamac M., Fraczek E. 2000. Changes in endogenous phenolic acids during development of Secale cereale caryopses and after dehydration treatment of unripe rye grains. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 38: 595-602.
9. Amarowicz R., Karamac M., Weidner S. 2001. Antioxidant activity of phenolic fraction of pea (Pisum sativum). Czech J. Food Sci. 19: 139-142.
10. Weidner S., Fraczek E., Amarowicz R., Abe S. 2001. Alternations in phenolic acids content in developing rye grains in normal environment and during enforced dehydration. Acta Physiol. Plant. 23: 475-482.
11. Amarowicz R., Weidner S. 2001. Content of phenolic acids in rye caryopses determined using DAD-HPLC method. Czech J. Food Sci. 19: 201-205.
12. Weidner S., Krupa U., Amarowicz R., Karamac M. Abe S. 2002. Phenolic compounds in embryos of triticale caryopses at different stages of development and maturation in normal environment and after dehydration treatment. Euphytica 126: 115-122.
13. Amarowicz R., Karamac M., Weidner S., Abe S., Shahidi F. 2002. Antioxidant activity of wheat caryopses and embryos extracts. J. Food Lipids 9: 201-210.
14. Amarowicz R., Weidner S., Krupa U. 2002. DPPH radical scavening effect of phenolic compounds from embryoless parts of caryopses and embryos. Bromat. Chem. Toksykol. 35: 107-111.
15. Karamac M., Amarowicz R., Weidner S., Abe S., Shahidi F. 2002. Antioxidant activity of rye caryopses and embryos extracts. Czech J. Food Sci. 20: 209 " 214.
16. Weidner S., Fraczek E., Romanowska M., Amarowicz R., Abe S., Davies E. 2003. The influence of abscisic acid on different polysomal populations in embryonal tissue during pea seeds germination. Acta Physiol. Plant. 25: 5-12.
17. Krupinska S.,Weidner S., Fraczek E., Amarowicz R. 2003. Polysome formation and stability in pea stem and root tissue. Acta Physiol Plant. 25: 135-141.
18. Kosowska M., Fraczek E., Amarowicz R., Karamac M., Abe S., Weidner S. 2004. Water-deficit-induced changes in cytoskeleton-bound and other polysomal populations in embryonic tissue during triticale caryopsis germination. Acta Physiol. Plant. 26: 67 " 74.
19. Karamac M., Amarowicz R., Weidner S. 2004. Antioxidant activity of phenolic fractions of white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Journal of Food Lipids 11: 165 " 177.
20. Karamac M., Amarowicz R., Weidner S., Abe S., Shahidi F. 2004. Antioxidant activity of triticale caryopses and embryos extracts. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 13: 421 " 424.
21. Wrobel M., Karamac M., Amarowicz R., Fraczek E., Weidner S. 2005. Metabolism of phenolic compounds in Vitis riparia seeds during stratification and during germination under optimal and low temperature stress conditions. Acta Physiol. Plant. 27: 313-320.
22. Weidner S., Kazarnowicz M., Fraczek E., Amarowicz R., Karamac M. 2006. Exogenous abscisic acid increases stability of polysomes in embryos of triticale caryopses during germination. Acta Physiol. Plant. 28: 627-634.
23. Abe. S., Nakasuji H., Arumugam T.U., Gray T.A., Weidner S. 2007. Genomic organization and expression profile of a gene encoding makorin RING zinc finger protein in germinating pea (Pisum sativum L.var. Alaska) seeds. Acta Physiol. Plant. 29: 81-94.
24. Weidner S., Karamac M., Amarowicz R., Szypulska E., Golgowska A. 2007. Changes in composition of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of Vitis amurensis seeds germinated under osmotic stress. Acta Physiol. Plant. 29:238-290. DOI-10.1007/s11738-007-0035-4.
25. Amarowicz R., Narolewska O., Karamac M., Kosinska A., Weidner S. 2008. Grapevine leaves as a source of natural antyoxidants. Pol. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 58:73-78.
26. Szypulska E., Weidner S. 2008. The role of the cytoskeleton in plant protein synthesis and influence of cold stress on changes in proteome of germinating seeds.
27. Amarowicz R., Weidner S. 2009. Biological activity of grapevine phenolic compounds. In: Grapevine Molecular Physiology & Biotechnology, 2nd edn., (K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis, ed.). Springer Science + Business Media B.V. DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-2305-6_14.
28. Weidner S., Karolak M., Karamac M., Kosinska A., Amarowicz R. 2009. Phenolic compounds and properties of antioxidants In grapevine roots (Vitis vinifera) under drought stress followed by regeneration. Acta Soc. Bot. Pol. (in press).
Ph.D. Thesis under his supervision:
1. Jolanta Paprocka (1995). Phenolic compounds in developing and ripening cereal caryopses and their role in dormancy of those kernels. Ph.D. Thesis. Olsztyn Univ. Agrl. and Tech., Olsztyn, Poland.
2. Dorota Lukaszewicz (1997). The role of the cytoskeleton-bound polysomes and other populations of polysomes in the regulation of cereal caryopses dormancy and germination. Ph.D. Thesis. Olsztyn Univ. Agrl. and Tech., Olsztyn, Poland.
3. Ewa Fraczek (2001). Participation of polysomes and the role of abscisic acid in the mechanisms of dormancy and germination of triticale caryopses. Ph.D. Thesis. Univ. of Warmia and Mazury. Olsztyn, Poland.
4. Wioletta Brosowska-Arendt (2008). Formation of polysomes and proteomic responses of Pisum sativum L. germinating seeds to osmotic stress. Ph.D. Thesis. Univ. of Warmia and Mazury. Olsztyn, Poland.
Email: weidner@uwm.edu.pl
