Press releases

Scientists from the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Paris, have achieved a breakthrough result. It could influence the future development of smart materials. The discovery, which challenges one of the fundamental principles of electrochemistry concerning electron manipulation, was recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie. 

An international team of mycologists from the Netherlands and Iran has discovered a new species of fungus causing lung disease in an Iranian patient with respiratory problems. They named it Aspergillus hubkae in recognition of the long-term work of Czech scientist Vít Hubka (38 years old) from the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS. In the history of Czech science, it is very rare for such a young researcher to receive such recognition.

Researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, along with the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the National Institute for Cancer Research at the BIOCEV center, have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding regenerative cells that could significantly enhance wound healing processes. Their findings suggest that wounds can heal without scarring, contingent upon the presence of Regeneration Initiation Cells (RICs).

In the face of rapidly changing climate conditions, genetic mixing may be a key factor for species survival, enabling critical new adaptations. This is the conclusion of a research study conducted by a team of scientists from the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IAPG CAS), in collaboration with colleagues from Oklahoma University and Cornell University in the United States. Their findings could help reshape current approaches to the conservation of endangered species.

Researchers from IOCB Prague, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, are unravelling the mysteries of the life of termites. Colonies of the species Neocapritermes taracua boast a unique type of defence, which is provided by worker termites at the end of their lives. When attacked, they sacrifice themselves by setting off an explosive chemical reaction, the result of which is a toxic liquid that immobilizes and poisons their adversary. Dr Jana Škerlová and her colleagues from the scientific group of Assoc. Prof. Pavlína Maloy Řezáčová has been able to describe in detail the mechanism by which the mysterious enzyme which termites carry on their backs works. Her latest article on the topic has been published in the scientific journal Structure.

Scientists on the team of Dr Lenka Maletínská have developed a promising new compound derived from one of the peptides naturally occurring in the brain. Its application may contribute to the addressing of two major health challenges of the modern days: obesity and Alzheimer's disease. The neuropeptide CART is primarily associated with the regulation of food intake. Its modified version, created at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, shows better stability and is more effective. It suppresses appetite and protects the brain by reducing the pathogenicity of the tau protein, which is associated with the dreaded Alzheimer's disease. The results of the research have been published in the European Journal of Pharmacology.

Seven years ago, the Finnish polar observatory Kannuslehto detected a peculiar type of radio waves at audible frequencies— a series of descending whistling tones that persisted throughout the night until morning. These phenomena occur when radio pulses from lightning travel through the plasma environment in the near-Earth space. However, until now, no one had studied the properties of the lightning discharges that generated these signals. This has been accomplished by two Czech scientists in collaboration with a Finnish colleague, with the results published in the journal Nature Communications.

Since extreme events affect nature, industry, agriculture and the human society in general, scientists strive to understand all these phenomena. They describe the mechanisms behind extreme events and propose methods of early warning of their arrival. Researchers from the Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) introduced a new mathematical and computational method that combines study of causality and extreme phenomena and uncovers e.g., the cause of spring frosts threatening the crops of French winegrowers. The study was published in Science Advances journal.

The prestigious HR Excellence in Research Award is granted by the European Commission to institutions that have demonstrated excellence in human resources management and support for researchers. The Institute of Microbiology of the CAS has recently received this award.

An international team of scientists from the Faculty of Science at Charles University, the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Stanford University has uncovered the molecular mechanisms by which cell surface sugars influence the navigation of neurons in the nervous system. Their results were published in the prestigious journal PNAS.