Can vitamin D supplementation influence the biological clock of immune cells? Parcival Maissan, a PhD student in the Nutrigenomics Research Group at the InLife Institute, has received funding from the National Science Centre (NCN) to carry out a project investigating the effects of vitamin D on the biological clock of immune cells.
Project title: Exploring the circadian potential of vitamin D in human immune cells
Principal Investigator: Parcival Maissan, PhD student, Nutrigenomics Research Group
Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Carsten Carlberg
The researcher will examine whether vitamin D can affect the “biological clock” of immune cells – namely, the rhythms that regulate their daily activity. The study will assess whether vitamin D supplementation alters the pace or characteristics of circadian gene expression cycles in these cells, and whether its action may support better synchronization of immune rhythms.
The analysis will include monitoring changes in gene expression over a 36-hour period under various experimental conditions, using state-of-the-art sequencing methods. The results will help determine whether both the dose and the timing of vitamin D intake are important for proper immune system function. This project is significant, as it may point to new strategies for supporting immunity through the deliberate “fine-tuning” of the body’s circadian rhythms.
The project budget amounts to PLN 70,000, and its implementation is planned for the years 2026–2027.
PRELUDIUM 24 is a funding scheme for early-career researchers without a doctoral degree, enabling the implementation of small-scale research projects. More than 2,500 proposals were submitted in this edition of the call, of which 369 were selected for funding. One of the awarded projects will be carried out at the InLife Institute.
