News archive

The first successful project bears the names of Leoš Valášek from the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Julius Lukeš from the Biology Centre of the CAS. Together with international colleagues, they will pursue research that could lead to a better understanding of genetically determined rare diseases. The second project, led by Jan Zouplna from the Oriental Institute of the CAS, will focus on studying the political systems of countries in the MENA region.

Nine outstanding scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences have been awarded for their contributions across diverse fields of study, with three of them receiving the Academic Award – Praemium Academiae and six the Lumina Quaeruntur Award from CAS President Radomír Pánek at a ceremony held on 29 October 2025. The awards come with financial support for their ongoing research.

Tours of labs, science talks, interactive exhibitions, workshops, film screenings – and above all, the chance to chat face to face with researchers. All this and more awaits visitors at the Week of the Czech Academy of Sciences festival, which will open its doors on 3 November 2025 at nearly thirty venues across the country. Until 9 November, festivalgoers of all ages will be able to peek into the world of cutting-edge discoveries. Plan your visit in advance. Admission to all events is free, though some require a reservation.

Insects hold the title of the most diverse group of animals on Earth. At the same time, they rank among the most endangered. One third of insect species are estimated to be at risk of extinction. Nearly half are experiencing significant population decline. Despite this fact, research on insects is ever-advancing: thanks to genome analysis, scientists are now gaining deeper insight into the evolutionary success of termites, ants, and bees, along with their communication abilities and collective intelligence. Find out more in the second-ever English issue of A / Magazine – the official quarterly magazine published by the Czech Academy of Sciences.

One of Medek’s fishponds near the Czech town of Kroměříž is a place where the invasive black bullhead catfish reigns beneath the surface. It is a serious threat to native fish and its presence needs to be carefully monitored and controlled. And that’s what researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and other institutions are working on. Click on the photos for the photo story, which was first published in the 3/2025 Czech issue of A / Magazine.

Science doesn’t always have to mean endless tinkering in the lab. Sometimes it’s a rollercoaster full of twists and loops – like when an ancient fossil turns up, there’s a new breakthrough in technology, or someone simply takes a fresh look at an old problem. We picked out a few recent (re)discoveries to showcase in the A / Easy magazine, published by the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences have gained acclaim in the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program and have placed on the Forbes “Top Women in Science” list. One of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award laureates is Pavlína Modlitbová from the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the CAS, and among this year’s top 25 women scientists, according to Forbes, six are researchers from various CAS institutes.

Climate change, the fragility of financial systems, and other pressing issues were at the center of discussions between young researchers and Nobel Prize laureates in economics at a meeting held from 26 to 30 August 2025 in Lindau, Germany. What impressed Clara Sievert from CERGE-EI, a joint workplace of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University, in her conversations with the laureates?

The days of the “IT crowd” banished to the basement are long gone. Take bioinformaticians, for example – they’ve moved up to the top floors and become an integral part of research teams. They’re well versed in AI tools and know their way around data. “Thanks to them, we’re able to better predict and tackle threats like climate change or global epidemics such as COVID-19,” says Jiří Vondrášek from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, who heads the Czech branch of the ELIXIR infrastructure for bioinformatics.

Since April, the trio of vice-presidents of the Czech Academy of Sciences for the 2025–2029 term has comprised Ilona Müllerová, Ondřej Beránek, and Miroslava Anděrová. What are their priorities in the research areas they coordinate? And how do they believe the Academy can enhance its standing and more effectively support early-career researchers?