Although many people imagined Aneta Vrzalová as a medical student, she preferred to study Environment and Health at the MU Faculty of Science. In her undergraduate studies, she has already been actively involved in the FireExpo research project - investigating how the firefighter profession negatively affects their physical health. She enjoys being part of the "real" science that impacts people's lives.

Functional and phylogenetic relationship of plant species helps Zdeňka Lososová, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University in Brno, to determine which plants can live together in one plant community. Thanks to this, for example, it is possible to estimate whether the introduced non-native species will take hold in the place, or even if it will not become a danger to the native plants. Associate Professor Lososová's research project was nominated for the Award of the Chairman of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic last year. (Article available in Czech only.)

Award for individual students and employees, whose outcomes have been successfully introduced into practice, helped to improve products or services or contributed to increase the practical application of knowledge and activities of the MU.

Darja Klementová, who comes from an artistic family, studies clarinet. However, she has also been interested in nature and the human body since she was a child, so finally decided to devote herself fully to molecular biology, choosing to study at the laboratories of MU Faculty of Science. For her work, which deals with the role of kinases from the CK1 family in the Wnt/β-catenin cell signalling pathway, and the potential application of these findings in the treatment of leukaemia, she won the national ‘České hlavičky’ (Little Czech Mind) award.

Experience with us the events at our faculty during the Velvet Revolution, in an interview with Eva Sýkorová, a member of the faculty's strike committee at the time. Take a look at unique period photographs directly from the faculty and from Brno, which are being presented to the public for the very first time.

On an international level, the number of women in science in the Czech Republic has been quite low for many years. The goal of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science talent programme is to financially support young female researchers and make their career path in the science-research environment easier.

Health emergency, climate emergency, food emergency. What can scientists cope with and what is the human brain short of? Watch the 72nd episode of Václav Moravec's monthly Fokus, filmed at the CEITEC MU research centre. Guests included Jana Klánová, Head of RECETOX, Karel Říha, Deputy Director for Research at CEITEC, and Pavel Plevka, who also work at our Faculty of Science.

Hana Svatoňová has held the role of Vice-Dean for external relations, communication and marketing at the faculty since spring of this year. She graduated in mathematics and geography at the Faculty of Science, majoring in cartography, geoinformatics and remote sensing.

After finishing her master's degree in Brazil, Marina Grossi was looking for a Ph.D. opportunity abroad. Luckily, she found a Ph.D. offer at RECETOX, and she applied for it. She has been studying at RECETOX for three years.

Cancer arises from cells that violate the basic rules of coexistence and cooperation. Altogether, there are eleven typical characteristics that distinguish tumours from healthy tissues. Molecular biologist Jana Šmardová believes that these features reflect more general principles that underlie the proper functioning of all complex living systems, including human society. The similarities in the behaviour of cells and humans are described in her book What can we learn from tumors? In an interview with iDNES.cz, for example, she compares cancer cells to sociopaths. (Available in Czech only.)

Natálie Šelleová is a second-year bachelor's student in Environment and Health. Although she does not want to work in a lab in the future, human health and environmental issues are her top-of-mind priorities. After her studies, she desires to be a person explaining complex scientific issues to the public and politicians and contributes to legislation changes.

For his second term, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Tomáš Kašparovský, has expanded his team through the inclusion of the holder of the Rector’s Award for Outstanding Teachers, Markéta Munzarová. In the following interview, Munzarová from the Faculty of Science’s Department of Chemistry presents her goals and main tasks.

The Regensburg-based start-up Microbify will produce climate-neutral gas using micro-organisms and contribute to the energy transition with this innovative approach. The good cooperation between the University of Regensburg and Masaryk University in Brno was decisive for the establishment of the start-up. (Available in German and Czech only.)

"The prototype device we tested in Antarctica can measure stress. It could be used by pilots, astronauts, medics, but also by patients. It could help them to heal faster," says anthropologist Lucie Ráčková in an interview with Martin Veselovský for DVTV. (Available in Czech only.)

Ph.D. student Lucie Ráčková, working at the Environmental Physiology research group, RECETOX, studies the relationship between isolation and acute and chronic stress. As a polar expedition member to the J.G. Mendel Station on James Ross Island, Antarctica, she investigated how polar explorers perceive separation from their daily lives and whether they feel stressed.

The medal for extraordinary creative achievement has been awarded to Jana Šmardová for her new book ‘What Tumours Teach Us - Parallels in the Behaviour of Cells and Humans’. The award was presented by Dean Tomáš Kašparovský during the recent meeting of the Scientific Board of the Faculty of Science.

Monika is a third-year bachelor’s student in the Environment and Health study program. In the interview, Monika explains why she chose science and what she has enjoyed the most as a student at RECETOX. As the primary coordinator of IBIS, an interactive biology seminar, she popularizes science among high school students.

Lucia Cengelová, who is working on her high school professional activity in Loschmidt's laboratories under the guidance of Miloš Musil, won the national round of the AMAVET competition. Congratulations!

Cytogeneticist Terezie Mandáková, who works at the CEITEC MU and at the Faculty of Science, MU in Brno is the winner of this year's L´Oreal-UNESCO competition for Women in Science. She is an internationally renowned scientist in the field of plant cytogenetics. She studies plant chromosomes and genomes. Congratulations!

“In the early 1990s, it was believed that it was better if no one entered the gardens, then no one would want anything or steal anything. I wanted to change all that,” says Magdaléna Chytrá in the interview.

Radka Chaloupková studied Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University (MU), and defended her Doctoral thesis in the field of Biochemistry. She has completed two foreign research internships in Great Britain, one at the University of Warwick and the other at Diamond Light Source Ltd. As an Associate Professor, she received her habilitation in the field of Environmental Chemistry at the Faculty of Science MU, where she now teaches Protein Engineering. At present, she is working in the spin-off company Enantis as Chief Scientific Officer.

She returned from Antarctica a month ago. And even though Jana Smolíková has been there three times, she would like to return again. "It's easy to catch an Antarctic virus and fall in love with it. And I caught it too," says one of two women of this year's polar expedition of Masaryk University to Mendel's polar station on James Ross Island. Read more on lidovky.cz (in Czech only).

Sabina Fronková graduated from the Brno-Bystrc Grammar School and then applied to us for a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics. Having successfully completed her degree, she is now continuing her studies with a follow-up Master's degree in Biotechnology. She is also a member of the Generation Mendel team.

Lucka Pifková comes from Kroměříž and studies Molecular Biology and Genetics at our faculty. She is also a member of the Generation Mendel team, which last autumn celebrated great success with its synthetic biology project in the international iGEM competition.

The 15th year of the L'Oréal-UNESCO talent program For Women in Science, supported by the international organization UNESCO and the company L‘Oréal Czech Republic in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, is starting. 

Klára Odehnalová came to us after graduating from the grammar school in Brno-Řečkovice and she is currently undertaking her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics. She is a member of the Generation Mendel student association

Beaches covered with tons of PET bottles, seabirds with stomachs full of plastic, fish suffocating in a free-floating plastic bag. Human waste decimates not only nature but also its originators. Paradoxically, the smallest seaweed may contribute to solving this gigantic problem. Kristýna Jankůjová, from the CEITEC research centre in Brno, is currently addressing the question of how to “reprogram” seaweed to decompose plastics.

Jana Česalová has been studying medical genetics and molecular diagnostics with us for three years, and before that she attended the Brno-Bystrc Grammar School. She is a member of the Generation Mendel team.

Bára Hrnčířová graduated from the Matyáš Lerch Grammar School in Brno and is now studying Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. She successfully completed her Bachelor’s degree last year and is now studying for her Master's degree. She is a founding member and President of the Generation Mendel Student Association.

Jana Klánová graduated from the Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science with a degree in Mathematics and Chemistry, and received her Doctorate in Environmental Chemistry. She has undertaken research in the fields of materials, molecular biology and environmental sciences in both the public and private sectors. Jana has been working at the RECETOX centre Since 2001, and has run the centre since 2013. 

Six researchers from Masaryk University (two of them from our faculty!) have now received a Career Restart grant, which was announced by the MU Grant Agency in September. This is a grant for scientists who have interrupted their career in research, perhaps due to parental leave or for other reasons, will be awarded on a regular basis.

From student to Director of the Department? Yes, it’s possible, with hard work, a kind approach, the help of mentors and good luck. Read an interview with Petra Urbanová, a renowned forensic anthropologist, (not only) on the future of this field.

The Experientia Foundation has awarded a scholarship of CZK 1,260,000 to Dr. Lenka Štacková, thanks to which she will spend a year at the University of Zurich. We are proud that this young scientist is working at our faculty!