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18. 11. UCT Prague: first European laboratory for medical cannabis products
21. 10. UCT Prague + University of Tromsoe (Norway)
23. 9. World University Rankings 2016-2017
19. 9. Wiley Award 2016 is going to Czech Republic!
25. 5. Czech Scientists Preparing Device to Detect Explosives and Chemical Warfare Agents for NATO
10. 2. MultiCoop Press release

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According to European Union data, Europe will need 100,000 highly-qualified hydrogen industrial technologies employees by 2030. The newly-established HyAcademy.EU Hydrogen Academy is responding to this challenge, aiming to create a network of 100 universities and 500 secondary schools across Europe with hydrogen technology education. The ambitious project will create a framework for providing comprehensive education and practical competences in the field of hydrogen technologies, essential components in transitioning towards a more climate-friendly energy future. University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, represented by professors Karl Bouzko and Robert Steinberger-Wilckens, is coordinating Hydrogen Academy activities and its consortium of 17 partners from 11 countries.

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“We stand on the threshold of a new era in energy production, with hydrogen playing an increasingly important role. In order to fully exploit hydrogen energy’s potential, we need well-trained experts. HyAcademy.EU stands ready to provide the necessary education and skills to thousands of students and professionals,” says Professor Steinberger-Wilckens.

The Hydrogen Academy strives not only toward providing top-level educational opportunities, but also towards the creation of educational materials and resources for teachers and students. This includes, among other things, a hydrogen industry web portal with training and career opportunity information, open access teaching materials for schools, and textbooks for universities. Furthermore, the Academy will offer hands-on training in specialized laboratories.

UCT Prague is not only project coordinator, but it will also play a key role in the development and provision of educational materials for the project. Its activities within the Czech Republic include the identification of suitable educational institutions, an analysis of requirements for employers, and the preparation of teaching materials themselves.

“Education and training are the cornerstones of a successful transition to a clean energy economy. Our role in this project can help the Czech Republic maintain its position as an industrial nation in the new energy era,” adds Professor Bouzek, also a long-time organizer of the Hydrogen Days international conference and guarantor of hydrogen technologies study programs.

In addition to basic European Union funding, the Academy is receiving governmental support from the EU’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) is a natural center of study and cutting-edge research. One of the largest educational and research institutions in Central Europe, it specializes in technical chemistry, chemical and biochemical technologies, material and chemical engineering, food chemistry, and environmental studies. Remarkably, of the more than 4,000 students at the school, 700 are enrolled in PhD programs on average. Some of the study programs on offer at UCT are unique in the Czech Republic and are key to the future of the entire country. The school collaborates with more than 100 academic institutions, namely within Europe but also in the USA, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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DETECT! consortium has successfully completed the first phase of the project, which received funding from the 3rd call of the EIT HEI initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education. We are delighted that our efforts have been rewarded with a positive review and we can start the second phase of the project.

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The partners of the consortium are University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (Czechia), University of Life Sciences Poznań (Poland), Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia), National University of Shipbuilding in Mykolaiv (Ukraine), University of Vienna (Austria), Maker Institute (Czechia), Technological Innovation Center Zlín (Czechia), and associated partners Humboldt Innovation GmbH (Germany), INiTS – Vienna's HighTech Incubator (Austria), and Bar-Ilan University (BIU, Israel).

Project goal

The aim of the project is to connect universities focused on STEM fields combined with "Deep Tech" disciplines with institutions with experience in business schemes and with industrial partners and third sector organizations, with a vision of continuing cooperation until 2030.

Deep Tech includes fields such as robotics, advanced materials, cyber security and data protection, artificial intelligence or biotechnology and life sciences, electronics and photonics, sustainable energy.

"The intention of the project DETECT! is to strengthen the position of higher education institutions as key players in innovation. By developing and strengthening practical skills, we aim to enable researchers to transfer research results to the technological innovation environment. The partner universities plan to introduce new training programs in the field of Deep Tech and mentoring in the field of entrepreneurship and the establishment of start-up companies for the commercialization of scientific research results. They will also focus on creating business incubators and strengthening the area of technology transfer in the university environment," said Hana Štěpánková from the UCT Prague Project Center.

What we have achieved

All members of the consortium did a great deal of joint work during the first phase of the project, which lasted only 6 months.

In the field of education, nearly 1100 participants were jointly trained and mentored. These were primarily 586 students who completed training both in Deep Tech fields and in areas focused on entrepreneurship, creativity, support for start-ups and technology transfer. 111 students participated in mentoring. Another trained group was academic staff. 217 participated in various types of training, 32 received valuable advice and experience through mentoring. Education and competence development was also made possible for non-academic staff, 123 of them received training and another 26 were successfully mentored.

During the first phase of the project, the need to create and improve a mentoring program, both career and DeepTech, was identified. In response to this challenge, the National University of Mykolaiv and UCT Prague created an innovative mentoring platform, which we present as a new pillar of our support structure. UCT Prague has also expanded its mentoring program, which is newly designed for both academic and non-academic workers. The University of Poznań and the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, which have not yet dealt with mentoring, created the foundations of a new mentoring program at their universities.

The consortium also managed to establish 5 new strategic partnerships. These partnerships, which strengthen the network of collaborating entities, have been successfully concluded through the research and technology transfer departments. The University of Vienna established a new collaboration with makerspace Quantum Industry Consortium, HappyLab and Maker Austria. These partnerships ensure that the students of the University of Vienna have the opportunity to use innovation laboratories not only for prototyping, but also for the overall use of makerspace spaces. UCT Prague established a new cooperation with Prague.bio, the result of which is a platform for cooperation between industry and academia. The main goals of this partnership are to strengthen the position of the biotechnology industry in the Czechia, to support technology transfer and the commercial use of research and development results. Other goals include raising the profile of the Czech biotechnology industry on the international scene and building a pool of talents, sharing resources and best practices. Other universities involved in the DETECT! laid the foundations for establishing new partnerships and plan their further development in the second phase of the project.

Project DETECT! has successfully provided support to a total of five start-ups, all of which operate in the Deep Tech field. These are 2 start-ups at the University of Vienna, Cortecs GmbH, which focuses on artificial intelligence and knowledge management, and Microlux GmbH, which focuses on electronics and photonics. The Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra supported the development of the Food Incubator, whose main areas of interest are biotechnologies and natural sciences. UCT Prague focused on supporting two perspective start-ups. The first of these is Galochrom, which specializes in the field of chromatography and provides innovative, customer-oriented solutions for HPLC separation, compound purification and method development. The second start-up is MarbleMat, which focuses on liquid oil sphere encapsulation technology for use in pharmaceuticals, food supplements and cosmetics. This unique solution brings not only better handling properties, but also dosing flexibility while maintaining a high oil content.

One of the key goals of the DETECT! also lays in the effective transfer of knowledge and expertise through the knowledge triangle, which represents the connection of education, research and development and innovation with industry. In this spirit, the cooperation between UCT Prague and the Maker Institute, an academic makerspace that provides students and employees with access to the necessary tools, equipment and technologies for the creation and prototyping of projects, was initiated. The cooperation was started on an individual basis between the director of the Maker Institute, Leyla Yunis, and several scientists of the UCT Prague, who expressed an interest in incorporating the know-how of the Maker Institute into their courses. The result were practical skills that became an organic part of the course offered by the Maker Institute. Thanks to the created learning materials, academic staff can further independently integrate practical activities into their own courses. This collaboration significantly enriches the study plans with parts aimed at strengthening digital skills and further supporting entrepreneurship. It also enables academics and students to translate their knowledge into solutions that have and added value to the society.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Robot 100: One Hundred Reasons, a book in Czech about robotics and artificial life edited by University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) Associate Professor Jitka Čejková now has an English edition from prestigious U.S. publisher MIT Press. R.U.R. and the Vision of Artificial Life also includes a new translation of Karel Čapek’s theatre play R.U.R. (translator: Professor Štěpán Šimek, an authorized translator of Václav Havel’s works). Šimek’s translation faithfully captures Čapek’s original work, bringing it to English-language readers in the most accurate possible form.

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“The Czech version contains Čapek’s play as well as contributions from a hundred authors, while the English work focuses on twenty essays devoted to robotics and artificial life. Readers can learn about developments in the fields of robotics, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and today’s social issues,” says Čejková.

R.U.R. and the Vision of Artificial Life has already received positive reviews. Science published a full-page analysis in which it stated, among other things: “The most important contribution of the volume is a new translation of the play by Štěpán Šimek…who manages to capture the surreal weirdness of Čapek’s dark comedy of errors while making the text accessible to contemporary audiences.” The Irish Times wrote: “A must-read for anyone interested in ALife.”

The introduction to the book, written by Čejková, is available HERE.

The book launch for R.U.R. and the Vision of Artificial Life will take place on 25 January 2024 starting at 3 p.m. in UCT Prague’s BI auditorium (Building B, Technická 3). The presentation will conclude with a book signing at 6 p.m.

Authors Seth Bullock, Julyan Cartwright, Gusz Eiben, Carlos Gershenson, Jana Horáková, Sina Khajehabdollahi, Julie Nekola Nováková, and Antoine Pasquali will attend the launch as will Milan Pospíšil, UCT Prague Rector, Zdeněk Vacek, Director of the Monument of Karl Čapek in Strž, and Veronika Trubačová, Curator of the International Children’s Exhibition of Fine Arts in Lidice. Drawings from the 49th edition of the Lidice exhibition, whose 2021 theme was robots and artificial intelligence, are used as illustrations for all twenty essays included in the English edition.

Books will be available for purchase at the book launch, which will take place as a public event that is part of the Dynalife COST meeting. The COST program supports European cooperation in scientific and technical research (The European Co-operation in Scientific and Technical Research), ensuring the coordination of R&D in the form of coordinated European actions such as COST Action CA21169 DYNALIFE (Information, Coding, and Biological Function: the Dynamics of Life). Čejková is involved in this project together with many of the authors in the Czech and English versions of the book, which is a tribute not only to robots but also importantly to Karl Čapek.

The program also includes Zdenek Vack's world-renowned traveling exhibition ROBOT: Born in Czechia (taking place in Techniká Street in front of UCT Prague Building B until the end of January). The exhibition commemorates the global impact of Čapek’s play and current achievements in Czech robotics.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Multiscale materials are assembled from different types of nanomaterials, which themselves have unusual properties. By combining and integrating them into higher-order hierarchies, smart matter with unique functionalities and surprising applications in many different fields can be obtained. A consortium of eight partners from academia and research, led by the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, has received financial support from the Programme Johannes Amos Comenius of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Specifically, it was the Excellent Research Call aimed at supporting research with the potential for excellent results applicable in practice.

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The development of advanced materials with the required parameters and their integration into functional structures while maintaining their maximum utility value is the common denominator of modern materials research. Current directions in materials science draw inspiration from nature, where beyond naturally occurring elements and compounds, nature enables so-called material genetics, i.e. the targeted folding and "cross-breeding" of material components in 3D space.

Scientists are combining zero-dimensional (quantum dots), one-dimensional (e.g. nanotubes), and two-dimensional (e.g. graphene) materials in the lab to give them new and unusual properties. The challenge is to develop advanced, so-called multiscale materials with a wide range of applications, e.g. in electrical engineering, medicine, or environmental technologies.

"Research in the field of nanomaterials is very broad nowadays. The AMULET project will allow us to connect a number of directions in this field, which may bring unexpected discoveries," said project coordinator Martin Kalbáč from the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS).

In collaboration with a Nobel Prize winner in Physics

Eight partners cooperate in the AMULET (Advanced MUltiscaLe materials for key Enabling Technologies) project. The coordinator is the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS; and other members of the consortium involve the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, the Faculty of Science of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, the Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the CAS, the Institute of Physics of the CAS, the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics and the Faculty of Science of Charles University, the Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

Linking the above institutions aims to promote the widest possible use of the anticipated newly developed unique materials. Experts will investigate how multiscale materials interact with the biological environment, whether they can be used for electrochemical or optical sensors, in electro-photochemical catalysis for the removal of pollutants from air and water, and last but not least, they will test new nano/micro-devices that can be used for energy conversion, production, and storage.

"Our faculty will be involved mainly in the preparation and characterization of nanostructured materials for gas capture, e.g. CO₂, and materials with antimicrobial surfaces. It will also participate in the characterization of materials prepared by other consortium partners using techniques available at the faculty," said Zdeňka Kolská from the Faculty of Science of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University.

Professor Konstantin Novoselov, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for his discovery of graphene, among others, will oversee the progress and direction of the research on the project's International Scientific Council.

"We are very pleased that Professor Novoselov has agreed to serve on the International Scientific Council. He is undoubtedly one of the most prominent personalities and visionaries in the field of 2D materials research, as we have been fortunate to discover in the course of our many collaborative investigations over the past years," said Matěj Velický from the Heyrovský Institute.

Beyond excellent research, the AMULET project aims to cooperate with major foreign institutions to train the next generation of top scientists. "We will focus, for example, on the implementation of double-supervised doctorates, the expansion of inter-university agreements within the framework of the pan-Japanese consortium "Science of 2.5 D Materials" or the accreditation of progressive study programmes in English," said Jana Kalbáčová Vejpravová from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University.

The Ministry of Education and Science supports cutting-edge research

The AMULET project succeeded in the competition of 66 projects submitted to the Excellent Research call in the Programme Johannes Amos Comenius. This call is aimed at supporting research with the potential for excellent results applicable in practice. In total, 26 projects were supported for a total value of CZK 12.2 billion. The money is earmarked for excellent research teams, which will help Czech scientific institutions deepen their relations with foreign partners and strengthen the Czech Republic's competitiveness in the long run.

The multiannual Operational Programme Johannes Amos Comenius is administered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. In the programming period 2021-2027, the Programme draws money from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). In total, it amounts to CZK 90 billion, of which CZK 43 billion is intended to support research and development, CZK 19 billion to support universities, and CZK 28 billion for regional education.

More information

Project coordinator
doc. RNDr. Ing. Martin Kalbáč, Ph.D.
J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences
martin.kalbac@jh-inst.cas.cz
+420 777 921 060

Prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.
University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague
zdenek.sofer@vscht.cz

Other institutions

prof. Ing. Jiří Homola, CSc., DSc.
Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the CAS
homola@ufe.cz

Mgr. Petr Cígler, PhD
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS
petr.cigler@uochb.cas.cz

prof. RNDr. Jana Kalbáčová Vejpravová, Ph.D.
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University
jana@mag.mff.cuni.cz

prof. RNDr. Anna Macková, Ph.D.
Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS
mackova@ujf.cas.cz

Ing. Jiří Červenka, Ph.D.
Institute of Physics of the CAS
cervenka@fzu.cz

prof. Ing. Zdeňka Kolská, Ph.D.
Faculty of Science of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
Zdenka.Kolska@ujep.cz

About UCT Prague

The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) is a natural center of study and cutting-edge research. One of the largest educational and research institutions in Central Europe, it specializes in technical chemistry, chemical and biochemical technologies, material and chemical engineering, food chemistry, environmental studies, and business. Remarkably, of the more than 4,000 students at the school, 700 are enrolled in PhD programs on average. Some of the study programs on offer at UCT are unique in the Czech Republic and are key to the future of the entire country. The school collaborates with more than 100 academic institutions, namely within Europe but also in the USA, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

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Kapyanga, a village located on the Lusaka-Mumbwa road in Zambia’s central province, is faced with three main issues, deforestation and soil degradation and women and youth unemployment. Kapyanga is a rural area with a population of just over 7 000 inhabitants on an area of 249.4 km².

The University of Chemistry and Technology working with HYSPER, a local partner, incepted Biogas for Sustainable Livelihoods and Green Youth Entrepreneurship (BLESGY) to contribute in finding solutions to the above three main issues. BLESGY was through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The goals of the project were to address energy and fertilizer needs for rural communities and promote better livelihoods through youth entrepreneurships in Zambia; and mitigate land degradation and deforestation by addressing their causes.

The goals have been achieved through the provision of affordable slurry based organic fertilizers to poor rural farmers and renewable energy in the form of biogas; and enhancing youth and village sustainable start-ups for better livelihoods.

The BLESGY center has been established. The picture below tells the full story.

The center is still in its infancy stages. However, thanks to the project, the 1 200 strong nearby community:

are using the water from the project site (about 30 homes are using the water from the project site)
will have access to organic fertiliser for farming once the tests are completed
are being exposed to biogas as an alternative source of energy
about 12 women and youth will set up garden plots at the center thanks to the water and organic fertiliser sources on the site
the community are utilising the pilot and demonstration plots to acquire skills in sustainable farming technologies.

The project was financed the Challenge Fund: Czech Solutions for SDGs, an effective driver of innovation and change in the region.

If you are interested in the initiative or Challenge Fund: Czech Solutions for SDGs, please use the following contacts:

Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs: pavel.faus@undp.org / cup.applications@undp.org
UCT Prague contact: kapilaf@vscht.cz

About UCT Prague

The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) is a natural center of study and cutting-edge research. One of the largest educational and research institutions in Central Europe, it specializes in technical chemistry, chemical and biochemical technologies, material and chemical engineering, food chemistry, environmental studies, and business. Remarkably, of the more than 4,000 students at the school, 700 are enrolled in PhD programs on average. Some of the study programs on offer at UCT are unique in the Czech Republic and are key to the future of the entire country. The school collaborates with more than 100 academic institutions, namely within Europe but also in the USA, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

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Prague, 19/09/2023 - Benthem Crouwel Architects (Netherlands) + OVA (Czech Republic) won an international architectural competition with their concept for completing the 4th quadrant of Vítězné náměstí, one of the most important city squares in Prague. Their concept aligns with Antonín Engel’s original urban concept for Dejvice. An investor has already signed a contract with the winning team for implementing the project.

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The City of Prague; the district of Prague 6; the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague); and sponsoring company Fourth Quadrant (comprising of project investors Penta Real Estate, Sekyra Group, and the KAPRAIN Group), presented the results of the International Architectural Competition for the 4th Quadrant Vítězné náměstí, Prague, Czech Republic.

◳ 20_ptačí pohled 2 (jpg) → (originál)

An aerial view on completing the 4th quadrant - team20: Benthem Crouwel Architects (NL) + OVA (ČR), source: ONplan
more visualisation in gallery

Taking competition criteria into account, an international jury announced the top three concepts:

1st place: Benthem Crouwel Architects (NL) + OVA (CZ)

2nd place: Cityförster (NL) + Studio Perspektiv (CZ)

3rd place: A69 – architects (Czech Republic)

Five teams made it to the final round of the competition; other participants in the second round were MVRDV (Netherlands) and Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners + Baumschlager Eberle Architects (Czech Republic, Germany consortium). All finalist teams presented their concepts to the jury in mid-June.

The winning team presented a concept with mixed development (housing, offices, and civic spaces). The core of its concept was a new square connected to both a new UCT Prague building and a Prague 6 cultural centre. A residential block in the eastern part of the quadrant, with a semi-private courtyard, will be the quiet section. “The winning concept presented a very convincing set of buildings. The proposal developed the individual architectural identity of the individual building programs but at the same time preserves the strong urban and architectural cohesion of the whole set in a beautiful environment made up of public and private spaces. The jury positively appreciated the location of the new Prague 6 Cultural Centre and its attractive double entrance both from Techniké Street and underground through a sunken courtyard,” says Kees Christiaanse, jury chair and ETH Zurich professor.

The jury that selected the winning proposal was made up of architects, urban planners, and landscape architects. Kees Christiaanse, British architect Alex Lifschutz and Swedish landscape architect Martin Arfalk were members. Jury Vice-Chair was Michal Kohout from the Czech Technical University in Prague’s Faculty of Architecture. Additional members included representatives of the investor, UCT Prague Prague, Prague 6, the City of Prague, and IPR Prague. The Czech Chamber of Architects audited the competition.

“We very much welcome the completion of Antonín Engel's original urban plans with the creation of a quality urban environment. The new buildings will create a well-functioning public space in the 4th quadrant and will respond to ongoing and future climate changes. We believe that in the foreseeable future, we will also see a revitalization of Vítězné náměstí in the spirit of the winning design. An important change in the spatial plan necessary for project implementation is currently underway, which, in addition to public spaces, also updates transportation flow and green spaces,” says IPR Praha Director Ondřej Boháč.

“It was crucial to find an urban and architectural composition which would fit seamlessly in Antonin Engel’s 100-year old masterplan while adding a contemporary, new time-layer to the varying public spaces of Prague 6. We managed to open-up the strict geometry of building blocks while keeping its cornerstones and integrate a human-scaled public square, activated by a Culture Centre, the UCT building, food court, restaurants and retail. The collaboration with OVA, our Czech partner was exceptionally positive. The diverse backgrounds of our Czech and Dutch teams brought a range of perspectives and approaches to the project. This fusion of local insight and international expertise led to more comprehensive and innovative solutions, enhancing the overall quality and effectiveness of the design,” says Pascal Cornips, Benthem Crouwel Architects.

Benthem Crouwel Architects (Netherlands) was founded in 1979 by architects Jan Benthem and Mels Crouwel. Successful projects include the iconic Amsterdam City Museum, Rotterdam’s Central Station, and the Ziggo Dome stadium in Amsterdam. In the Czech Republic, the studio won the competition for the new Brno train station in 2021. Their partner in Prague, OVA, was founded by Jiří Opočenský and Štěpán Valouch in 2007. OVA won the main award presented as part of the 2020 Czech Architecture Prize for the new Lasvit company headquarters in Nové Bor. OVA also was nominated for an EUmiesaward for the Spolkové dom in Slavonice and it created the architectural solution for the footbridges connecting UCT Prague’s Buildings A and B. The future UCT Prague building will be connected to the current university complex with a footbridge as well.

The competition was held to find a new, optimal, and visionary architectural/urban solution for the northwestern part of Vítězné náměstí. Contestants were challenged to design a multifunctional building with apartments, offices, shops, services, restaurants—and importantly, design a new university building for UCT Prague with classrooms and facilities for students as well as public spaces and a mini-brewery.

“The results of the competition meet UCT Prague’s ideas and expectations. The basic rules of cooperation, as part of future construction by the investor company Fourth Quadrant, were already part of the purchase agreement for the land on Vítězné náměstí. We will implement construction independently with our own organization and management. Negotiations are currently underway to specify the organization and coordination schedule for the entire project with representatives from Fourth Quadrant and Prague 6. I would also like to pay tribute to the competition organizers here. Hats off; they did an absolutely perfect job and everything went seamlessly, according to plan,” says Milan Pospíšil, UCT Prague’s Vice-Rector for Strategies and Development.

The public was also involved in the competition. During preparation for the competition, local residents and visitors had the opportunity to share their thoughts about the area and to also suggest what the new development should do. “After agreeing with the investors, we allowed the public to comment on the second-round proposals. All comments were subsequently handed over to members of the jury as one of the bases for their decisions,” says Karolína Koupalová from the ONplan planning office, which organized the competition.

All concepts from the first phase of the competition will be presented to the public at an upcoming Centre for Architecture and Urban Planning, IPR Prague exhibition from 23 October to 12 November 2023.

Gallery

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Prague, 10 October 2023 - Professor Milan Pospíšil will lead the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) for the next four years. On 10 October, UCT Prague’s Academic Senate elected him in a confidential first-round process as their choice for Rector for the next term, 2024–2027, with a total of 18 votes.

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The Academic Senate’s endorsement will now be passed on for review by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports and then to the Czech President, who formally appoints UCT Prague’s Rector.

“In the coming years, I will prioritize attracting quality students, both Czech and those from abroad. We must offer attractive study programs that reflect current European and global trends. Priority number two is to strengthen UCT Prague’s position as a leading educational and research institution with internationally competitive basic and applied research and high-quality collaborations with the commercial sector. That’s why we need to make systemic and organizational changes soon while concurrently diversifying budget funding sources,” said Milan Pospíšil, who becomes Rector on 1 January 2024.

In addition to Professor Pospíšil, UCT Prague’s current Rector, Professor Pavel Matějka, ran for the position of Rector in this election.

Prof. Ing. Milan Pospíšil, CSc. (born 1963 in Klatovy) is married and has two adult daughters. He studied Chemical and Energy Processing of Fuels at UCT Prague, where he received his MSc degree in 1985, becoming Associate Professor in this area (2002) and being appointed Professor in 2016.

He has spent his entire professional career at UCT Prague. Since 1987, he has taught and conducted research at the Department of Petroleum Technology and Alternative Fuels. In the past, he was Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Technology (2002-2007), Vice-Rector for Research and Development (2008-2011), and Vice-Rector for Strategies and Development (since 2012).

He gained experience in higher education management as Vice-Chair (2015-2017) and Chair (since 2018) of the Council of Higher Education of the Czech Republic. Furthermore, he was the main expert guarantor for the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport’s IPN KREDO grant on higher education management strategy (2012-2015). He was a member of the expert team for the same Ministry’s that prepared the Czech Education Strategy 2030+ and the Higher Education Strategy 2021+. He is a member of the Government Council for the Sustainable Development of the Czech Republic (since 2019).

In his professional activities, he focuses on practical applied research in the areas of hydrocarbon analysis, the impact of combustion on the environment, progressive fuel production technologies, and the creation of a national strategy for the use of renewable energy sources in the transportation sector.

He is the author/co-author of 44 peer-reviewed journal publications according to the Web of Science (WOS) database (WOS h-index 15).

About UCT Prague

The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) is a natural center of study and cutting-edge research. One of the largest educational and research institutions in Central Europe, it specializes in technical chemistry, chemical and biochemical technologies, material and chemical engineering, food chemistry, environmental studies, and business. Remarkably, of the more than 4,000 students at the school, 700 are enrolled in PhD programs on average. Some of the study programs on offer at UCT are unique in the Czech Republic and are key to the future of the entire country. The school collaborates with more than 100 academic institutions, namely within Europe but also in the USA, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 5 September 2023 Prague is on the cusp of becoming a European leader in biotechnology thanks to greater collaboration between R&D institutions and commercial partners. Prague.bio, a new trade association, plans to connect the research and business sectors with the aim of accelerating the development of new drugs, diagnostics, and other innovative initiatives that will diversify Czech R&D funding streams. The association will foster a supportive environment for ground-breaking discoveries similar to the historical contributions made by Czech scientists Antonín Holý (AIDS treatment) and Otto Wichterle (soft contact lenses). UCT Prague is one of the founding members of this association.

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The Prague.bio biotechnology cluster combines R&D&I activities in medicine and the life sciences and brings together key players in research, the commercial sector, potential investors, and government.

“Biotechnology in the Czech Republic shows great promise, because research here is quite excellent and we already have a number of commercially successful outputs. Biotechnology will just become more import in the future and it is a strategic pillar in the economic development in the Czech Republic, one of the main areas of innovation where we should focus,” said Czech Minister for Science and Research, Helena Langšádlová.

Her sentiments are echoed by Prague’s mayor, Bohuslav Svoboda: “Biotechnology initiatives play a strategic role in the ongoing development of Prague. Our city has a rich history, a colourful present, and I see a promising future in this area. I believe the new cluster will help strengthen the Czech position in this field.”

Daniel Mazur, Prague councillor for IT, Smart City, Science, Research, and Innovations. adds: “As councillor, I certainly agree that a biotechnology centre for R&D&I should be in Prague. Our city government clearly supports this. I believe that this centre will inspire other industries and—above all—make Prague the birthplace of even more ground-breaking discoveries, inventions, and their real-world application.”

The founding members of the association are:

The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), IOCB Prague
i&i Prague, an IOCB subsidiary
The CAS Institute of Biotechnology
The CAS Institute of Microbiology
The CAS Institute of Molecular Genetics
The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague)

Additional academic members, companies, and investors and investors will join soon

These institutions represent the Czech Republic’s leaders in education and research who have a greatly influence the development of new drugs, diagnostic methods, and other medical technologies.

“Prague.bio’s goals include becoming the moderator for development of biotechnology in our country, to represent the Czech biotechnology industry abroad, to contribute to greater drug independence for our citizens, and to support the development of drugs that can one day change the fight against diseases worldwide,” said Jan Konvalinka, Director of IOCB Prague.

In a number of countries, such as Israel, biotechnology helps driver the national economy. Prague.bio similarly wants to fully exploit Czech biotechnology research potential. This will contribute to the national budget and make the Czech Republic more independent at a time when Czechs are dealing with pharmaceutical and healthcare innovation bottlenecks.

“Biotechnology already contributes billions of crowns to Czech R&D&I, making it one of the most successful and promising contributors to the country’s economy. However, fewer and fewer medicines are being developed here compared to Europe; the transfer of research results to the production of innovative medicines, in cooperation with large pharmaceutical companies, can improve this situation,” adds the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic’s Board Chair, Petr Konvalinka. Financing for the cluster will come from multiple sources, including member contributions, public funds, and contributions from sponsors and other partners.

In fulfilling its mission, Prague.bio wants to be inspired, among other things, by the success stories of historical Czech scientists such as Holý and Wichterle. “Today we have many smart brains and skilful hands for making discoveries with global impact. An example of this is a breakthrough in the availability of radiotherapy thanks to researchers from IOCB. We will support such projects from the original idea all the way up to final implementation. We are pleased that this cluster is supported by the City of Prague and Czech national government,” notes Jana Žaludová, cluster Director.

Pavel Matějka, UCT Prague, adds another reasons for founding the association: “Antibiotic resistance presents us with a challenging problem at this point in time. If we do not prevent further resistance, in twenty-five years, the human race will be where it was before penicillin was discovered. Such great challenges cannot be met without collaborative effort, both between research institutions and also including commercial partners and public policy makers.”

The Prague.bio biotechnological cluster welcomes all institutions involved in the development of drugs, diagnostics, and other medical technologies in the Czech Republic, be they universities, research institutes, incubators, transfer centres, start-ups, investors, industrial companies, or governmental entities.

Media contact: Martin Kovalčík, +420 777 472 863, kovalcik@iniprague.com

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Prague, 1 September 2023 - Today, the Faculty of Environmental Technology (FET) celebrates 70 years since its founding. It is starting its “anniversary” academic year with a new Master’s programme, Sustainability and the Circular Economy, together with Bachelor-level climate change mitigation studies. FET graduates have long been ensuring that our communities are protected from pollution and that they have enough water, high-quality fuel, and new energy resources.

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“Although FET is celebrating a milestone anniversary, in terms of its focus, it is a ‘faculty of the future’," says UCT Prague’s Rector, Professor Pavel Matějka. “Green chemistry, waste and recycling management, product ecology, climate change, and modern energy resources have an impact on every person on Earth. The Czech Republic is not the only country urgently needing quality experts in these areas,” adds Rector Matějka.

From 2018-2022, over 500 students at all levels graduated from FET, which offers courses in English in prestigious international programmes supported by the European Commission.

“The demand for our graduates on the job market is enormous. Graduates find jobs in the commercial and finance sectors or work at technology start-ups, in state administrative units, or conduct research,” says FET’s Dean, Professor Pavel Jeníček. “Our programmes are closely linked to showcase activities across UCT Prague and students have the opportunity to participate in grant-funded projects, results of which are later used or implemented in the commercial sector, at governmental ministries, or leveraged in cooperation with international institutions."

FET has an extensive research track record. Scientists have, for example, investigated using carbon dioxide for the production of synthetic natural gas, studied antibiotic resistance in wastewater, observed water systems under climate change conditions, and developed 21st century materials for the energy sector. Research has also been conducted on the recycling of waste plastics, the removal of hazardous waste substances from the environment, and the use of sewage sludge as a source of energy and phosphorus, both of which are critical EU commodities.

A new but even broader topic is sustainability. “Following the Nobel Prize-winning theory of planetary limits, we are developing concepts for integrating global limits into daily life, human consumption and, above all, into life cycle assessment,” says Vladimír Kočí from FET’s Department of Sustainability and Product Ecology. “We can also determine the carbon footprint and other environmental parameters for festivals and other cultural and promotional events. We cooperate with Colours of Ostrava, Rock for People, and similar festivals,” adds Kočí.

FET also has long-term ties to large companies in order to solve the problems they are facing. These include, among others: ORLEN Unipetrol, Net4Gas, ČEZ, Veolia, Škoda, and Čepro. FET also cooperates with partners around the globe such as the University of California Berkeley, California State University, and the University of Ghent.

History

FET grew out of the Faculty of Fuel and Water Technology, which was established on 1 September 1953. Starting in the mid-1980s, FET began focusing on environmental protection. On 1 July 1991, the faculty was renamed to today’s Faculty of Environmental Technology. At the time, it was the only Czech institution teaching Water Technology and Chemical and Energy Processing of Fuels. Important graduates include, among others, Milan Smrž (author or co-author of dozens of professional publications and patents and Vice-President of the European association, EUROSOLAR, which strives to completely replace fossil and nuclear energy sources with renewable ones) and Miroslav Kos (co-creator of a number of technological solutions for wastewater treatment plants in the Czech Republic, including updated Prague water lines, which was completed in 2019).

About UCT Prague

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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On Sunday, 27 August, the prestigious EuropaCat 2023 scientific conference opened in the Prague Congress Centre. Hundreds of the world’s leading experts in chemical catalysis will be in the Czech capital until 1 September. Catalysis is “the process of change in rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst”. Many industrial chemical technologies depend on catalysis. UCT Prague co-organized the conference.

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“Catalysis is one of the basic principles of green chemistry. It allows us to reduce the energy requirements of processes, to increase the selectivity of reactions, and thus to increase material efficiency and make separating products easier,” says Associate Professor David Kubička, UCT Prague Faculty of Environmental Technology, chair of the local organizing committee and member of the international organizing committee.

The conference was attended by more than 1,700 experts (academic and commercial backgrounds) from more than 50 countries in various catalysis specialities. Keynote speakers included Walter Leitner from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Javier Pérez-Ramírez from ETH Zürich, and Johannes A. Lercher from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

“Catalysis cuts across all four UCT Prague faculties in various forms, including enzymatic catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, homogeneous catalysis, and heterogeneous catalysis. These areas find their application in biotechnologies, environmental applications, hydrogen production, organic synthesis, polymerizations, oil processing into fuels and chemicals, ammonia production, and many other uses,” concludes Associate Professor Kubička.

More information about the EuropaCat 2023 conference, including its program, are on the official EuropaCat website.

About UCT Prague

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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The University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague is happy to announce that it will be leading on a new deep tech project called Deep Tech Creativity, DETECT!

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The project aims to connect HEIs strong in deep tech fields together with HEIs experienced in entrepreneurship-related schemes, as well as industry partners and third sector organisations with the following vision until 2030:

Creation of integral innovation ecosystem: Connecting with innovation engines in the deep tech sector in three layers: within the university and its region; among the consortium and with the broader European context through the EIT KICs.

One-stop-source for innovation in the deep tech sector: Embedding systemisation of all innovation support services, training and mentoring programmes and also fostering clear cooperation between key units and partners inside and outside of academia.

The project will receive funding from the EIT’s HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education. This initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aims to boost the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe through the integration of deep tech activities.

As part of this project, we will be working together with the following partners of the consortium of DETECT!:

Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland;
Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia;
National University of Shipbuilding, Mykolaiv, Ukraine;
University of Vienna, Austria

and by partners from the other side of the Knowledge Triangle, Maker Institute and Technology Innovation Centre Zlín, both in Czechia, and the associated partners, Humboldt Innovation GmbH, Germany; INiTS – Vienna’s HighTech Incubator, Austria; and Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

Under the EIT’s HEI Initiative, the project will receive funding of € 349 000, and it will run until December 2023, with the possibility of getting extended for 6 more months.

Stay tuned for more information about this project in the coming months!

About the EIT’s HEI Initiative

The EIT’s HEI Initiative is a key objective for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology as part of its new strategy. The initiative aims to support HEIs with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, the largest in Europe, and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans complementing the needs of individual HEIs. This is the EIT HEI Initiative’s third call for proposals and its first call with a special focus on deep tech. So far, the initiative has provided funding to over 60 projects. The next call for proposals is expected towards the end of 2023.

About the EIT

The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, among leading companies, research labs and universities.

About UCT Prague

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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The Rudolf Lukeš Prize for 2022, jointly awarded by the Czech Chemical Society and the Experientia Foundation, goes to Professor Radek Cibulka from the University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) in Prague. The winner’s research focuses on flavins – vitamin B2 derivatives – as catalysts for organic reactions. “We are designing new flavin derivatives with the objective of making chemical transformations in organic synthesis more efficient. We have developed several new methods based on ‘tailor-made’ catalysts, whose structures are inspired by naturally existing flavins and their excitation by visible light” explains Prof. Cibulka.

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Organic synthesis – the research focus of this year’s Rudolf Lukeš Prize winner – is an important tool that enables a host of useful substances from pharmaceuticals to cleaning products and cosmetics to be made from widely available raw materials. “There are many methods of transforming one substance into another. However, many of them are inefficient or require expensive or hazardous reagents. In our laboratory we draw inspiration from the activity of natural enzymes, especially those containing flavins. We design new flavin derivatives and use them to make the chemical transformations in organic synthesis more efficient. These are then used in reactions analogous to those mediated by flavins in the natural world. And for some flavin derivatives, we have been able to find a completely new function,” explains the award-winning scientist.

Radek Cibulka’s research group at the UCT in Prague has already developed several new methods for the efficient transformation of organic compounds based on “tailor-made” catalysts with structures inspired by natural flavins. One of the important properties of these substances is their ability to absorb light in the visible spectrum. “When they are irradiated, flavins are transformed into an excited state and become more reactive. This property can be used to design even more efficient chemical transformations, or transformations that are not possible without light,” says Cibulka. “They can play a role in photochemical transformations that occur through various mechanisms. In addition, excited flavins can be used as both strong reducing and oxidizing agents, which makes them exceptional photocatalysts,” he adds.

The Rudolf Lukeš Prize is awarded for an outstanding collection of original work in the field of organic chemistry published in prestigious international journals in the previous 5 years, supplemented with a personal reward of 100,000 CZK from the Experientia Foundation. This year’s prize will be formally presented to Radek Cibulka on 11 November at the conference entitled “Advances in Organic, Bioorganic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry - Liblice 2022”.

As in previous years, the winner of the prize was selected by an independent international panel of leading chemists from around the world. The international committee’s justification of Radek Cibulka’s selection reads: “Prof. Cibulka’s research in the field of flavin photochemistry and organocatalysis has translated into attractive synthetic applications. His research publications are internationally recognised and provide a mechanistic overview of the role of flavins in catalysis.”

“I value the prize immensely,” Radek Cibulka explains. I am well aware that there is a lot of competition in the field of organic chemistry in the Czech Republic and I am also very familiar with the calibre of the Czech scientists who have won the Lukeš prize before me. I also value the award because of Rudolf Lukeš himself and his significant contribution to the formation of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the UCT in Prague, the research institute where I work. Last but not least, I am delighted for all my students and colleagues. Scientific work is a collective endeavour, and without the contribution of each and every one of them we would never have achieved such interesting results.”

Professor Radek Cibulka obtained his PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT) in Prague and went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship under Professor Burkhard König at the University of Regensburg. He currently works at the UCT in Prague, where he heads the Department of Organic Chemistry and is also Chair of the Academic Senate. His research group at the UCT focuses on organic catalysis and photocatalysis. He is the recipient of numerous scientific awards, including the Alfred Bader Prize and the Sigma-Aldrich Award. In 2020/2021, he was awarded a Chemistry Europe Fellowship, the association's highest award, which honours the work of outstanding European scientists.

More information about Radek Cibulka’s research group

For more information about the Rudolf Lukeš Prize

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 17/10/2022 – The encapsulation of liquid oil droplets (“oil marbles”) technology, which can be used in pharmaceuticals and in food production, represents one of the first cases of the transfer of UCT Prague research results into a spin-off company. UCT Prague has granted intellectual property rights to a new company, MarbleMat, founded by a university employee. This step will enable the commercialization of the new technology, accelerate its ability to be used in industrial applications, and concurrently help the spin-off in negotiations with investors and partners from the commercial sector.

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MarbleMat s.r.o., founded by Ing. Ondřej Rychecký from UCT Prague’s Department of Chemical Engineering, signed a license agreement and patent transfer agreement with the University in October 2022. “With this step, our University fulfils its goals in supporting the transfer of knowledge created at UCT Prague into real-world application, and we will also gain experience for other cases of technology commercialization in the form of the establishment of spin-off companies,” says UCT Prague Rector Pavel Matějka.

The technology underpinning MarbleMat’s commercial activity consists in the encapsulation of liquid oil droplets (“oil marbles”) for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The device for preparing oil marbles was developed as part of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic’s Zéta project in cooperation with VUTS in Liberec. “A large part of the active substances on the market approved for pharmaceutical use are poorly soluble in water, which leads to low bioavailability. Our technology focuses on these compounds and improves their properties,” explains the creator of the technology, Ondřej Rychecký, a member of Professor František Štěpánek’s research group at UCT Prague who completed his doctoral studies at the Pharmaceutical Applied Research (PARC) centre. “Among the greatest advantages are a more than two-fold increase in the bioavailability of active substances and the possible use of liquid oil marbles as a suitable form for personalized medicine delivery. An example can be filling hard gelatine capsules with oil marbles, with each marble containing a different active compound,” he adds.

The purchase of intellectual property is the beginning of a time-consuming and financially demanding journey on the path towards implementation and use of the technology in the commercial marketplace. MarbleMat wants to achieve its goals through close cooperation with external pharmaceutical companies and expects to launch its first product on the market in the next three to four years. “We are open to further possible cooperation with UCT Prague, which could lead to further ground-breaking R&D advances,” says Ondřej Rychecký.

During the short period of its existence, MarbleMat has secured funding from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic for the Gama2 project, and it was ranked among the top 20 start-ups in the EIT Health InnoStars Award 2022 competition.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 1 September 2022 - The ranks of researchers at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, have been expanded with the hiring of top international expert Andrea Brancale from Cardiff University. The internationally recognized scientist was selected after a rigorous interview process for the "Chair Medicinal Chemistry" position. As Chair, Brancale will build a new UCT Prague research group focused on excellence and the production of high-quality scientific outputs in the field of medicinal chemistry. The new, prestigious position was created for an initial period of five years, funded by IOCB Tech in cooperation with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IOCB Prague).

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“Andrea Brancale is a mature, internationally recognized scientific leader, which is confirmed by his number of publications in prestigious journals (he is the author of almost 200 publications in total), an h-index of 40 (Scopus), authorship of a number of patents, and his speaker invitations to prestigious international conferences,” says Professor Radek Cibulka, head of the Department of Organic Chemistry, responsible for establishing the new position and the interview process. “He has also has a built-up extensive network of international collaborations. In his research, he mainly deals with the application of computer-based methods in the design of novel bioactive molecules, in particular in the field of anticancer and antiviral research. However, as part of cooperation in the Czech and pan-European areas, he plans to expand the area of medicines to other therapeutic areas,” adds Cibulka. In this direction, Brancale is already preparing projects within international consortia (e.g., an NIH grant), but also in the Czech Republic (e.g. involvement in the Johannes Amos Comenius Programme [P JAC]).

“I believe that collaboration between chemists, pharmacists, biologists, structural biologists, and doctors is necessary to quickly apply the results of basic research in clinical practice. Especially when people with different specializations can work together right from the initial stages of a project,” says Professor Brancale, adding that creating such a research environment around him is one of the goals of his time at UCT Prague. Brancale, whose position of extraordinary professor in chemistry was approved by the UCT Prague scientific council, will also be involved in teaching students, primarily within the Drugs and Biomaterials doctoral study programme. He has already created the framework for a new subject, Drug design and discovery, for this programme. He will also be involved in the training of Bachelor’s and Master’s students within the Drug Synthesis and Production and Chemistry study programmes. Another important activity will be his mentoring young junior teams working at UCT Prague in the field of medicinal chemistry. Already this year, as a UCT Prague representative, he spoke at the Prague–Weizmann School on Drug Discovery, which UCT Prague organizes annually in cooperation with IOCB Prague and the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel).

In connection with the appointment of Professor Brancale, the Department of Medicinal Chemistry was also established at UCT Prague, headed by Brancale, which will operate within the new laboratory premises recently built by UCT Prague for the work of teams conducting ground breaking research.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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In September 2022, the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, established a new strategic body, the International Advisory Board (IAB). The nine-member group is composed of researchers from around the world and also corporate sector representatives from Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. The IAB’s main task will be to deepen the UCT Prague’s global ties and increase its attractiveness for employees and students from abroad.

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“Since the beginning of my term in office, I planned to create an IAB,” says Pavel Matějka, UCT Prague Rector. “As part of the 17+ Methodology evaluation, we assembled an international evaluation panel. Satisfied with its work, we approached members of the panel and the majority of them joined the new advisory body. The important thing is that those people already know a lot about UCT Prague and understand the key topics that we are currently dealing with,” he adds.

The board currently has nine members, including people from out-of-university settings. For example, Dr. Feise works at BASF. He was the long-time Chair of the European Federation of Chemical Engineers and represents the corporate/industrial sector perspective. “Doctoral education is also extremely important for UCT Prague, so the Director of the University of Tampere’s Doctoral School, Pirjo Nikander, who has strong ties to the European University Association and its committee for doctoral education, is also a board member," explains Rector Matějka.

All IAB members work in top institutions and are not part of UCT Prague’s academic community . Members are appointed and dismissed by the Rector and have a four-year term of office. Board members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms of office.

The first IAB meeting will take place on 22 September 2022 as part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of UCT Prague’s independent existence.

UCT Prague International Advisory Board members

Prof. Dr. Livia Simon-Sarkadi, DSc.
Dr. Hermann J. Feise
Prof. Marcello Cabibbo
Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Erich Leitner
Prof. Jarka Glassey
Prof. Francois Lapicque
Priv.-Doz. Dipl-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Guenter Langergraber
Dr. Pirjo Nikander
Dr. Jean-Olivier Durand

Detailed information about board members

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Prague, April 5, 2022 – The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, in cooperation with Czech Technical University in Prague and the Adra and Zásilkovna organizations, are sending a truck with humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The recipient is Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding in Mykolaiv, whose Rector Eugeniy Trushliakov asked the management of both universities for help. The humanitarian transport contains durable food, diapers, and medical and hygienic supplies worth CZK 1,200,000.

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“We are surrounded on three sides, but the western route remains open. If you can send us humanitarian aid, we would be very grateful!” A personal letter from the Rector of this university in Ukraine with this request arrived at UCT Prague on March 17, 2022. The management of the university, which had already sent 1 million CZK via the People in Need organization to Ukraine, decided—without hesitation—to release another amount of 1 million CZK from its supplemental activities budget and, in cooperation with its campus neighbour, CTU in Prague, was looking for a way to get humanitarian aid directly to Mykolaiv. The management of the Admiral Makarov University, which is recently operating as a humanitarian centre not only for its employees, students, and their families, but also for other inhabitants of the city of half a million, namely did not ask for financial support, but rather for food and medicine, which are sorely lacking in their heavily-hit city and across Ukraine.

“When Rector Trushliakov contacted us, we did not think about if we should help, but rather whether it was within our power to deliver the required items directly to Ukraine," said UCT Prague’s Rector, Pavel Matějka. “In the end, the logistical issues were solved thanks to Adra’s and Zásilkovna’s involvement, and I thank these organizations from the bottom of my heart on behalf of both of our universities,” added Rector Matějka.

Rector Trushliakov also asked for help in a letter to the Rector of the Czech Technical University in Prague, Vojtěch Petráček. According to Petráček, CTU in Prague did not hesitate: “Ukraine deserves all our support. And our university is providing help to the best of its abilities, whether this means helping Ukrainian refugees here in the Czech Republic or sending it directly to struggling Ukraine. Thus, it was a unanimous decision to buy things for this humanitarian transport.”

The truck carrying humanitarian aid set out from Prague to Ukraine on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Its destination is the Ukrainian city of , where Adra has storage facilities and where the aid materials will be transferred to a vehicle belonging to the university in Mykolaiv.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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More than 15,000 people visited the Dejvice campus on Wednesday 22 June, where – together with the tenth edition of the traditional Vědafest festival – the ‘Priorities of the Czech EU Presidency’ event took place. Charles University; Czech Technical University in Prague; the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague; the Czech University of Life Sciences; the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague; and the University of Arts, Architecture, & Design in Prague opened exhibitions for visitors, which popularized selected topics of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, which starts on 1 July and ends on 31 December 2022.

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At open-air booths, visitors from the ranks of schoolchildren, students, and the public at large tried experiments, interactive games, and quizzes in the fields of digitization, cybersecurity, energy security, climate change, and media freedom and responsibility. There was also an exhibition by the Government of the Czech Republic entitled ‘Europe as a priority’.

More than 300 interested people attended popularization lectures by renowned experts on the premises of CTU in Prauge, which were focused on soft skills in energy, cybercrime, the power of disinformation, and climate change in connection with water in the Czech districts.

As part of the program, there was also a symbolic handover of the presidential baton in the field of higher education from the scientific attaché of the Embassy of the French Republic in the Czech Republic, Véronique Debord-Lazaro, to the hands of the chair of the Council of Public Universities, Professor Milan Pospíšil.

‘I wish you only the best for the difficult period that awaits you during the Czech presidency. I believe that together we will be strong enough to move forward on all the key challenges facing Europe, including those related to universities and the research sphere. It is necessary to increase the level of synergy between education, research, innovation, and service to society. To strengthen cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world, and then to develop European university alliances and research infrastructures,’ said Debord-Lazaro during the ceremonial speech.

‘On behalf of the Czech universities, I can promise that we will do our best to solve the aforementioned problems, not only during the Czech presidency, but also in the following years,’ responded Professor Pospíšil.

The ‘Priorities of the Czech EU Presidency’ event was held thanks to the support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic as part of the project ‘Communication about the priorities and topics of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU’ with a focus on the issue of higher education and education.

In addition to the program for the Czech presidency, visitors had access to other exhibitions dedicated to the popularization of scientific and educational topics. Fans of the technical sciences enjoyed student racing cars and a virtual projection of a nuclear power plant, robotics, radiation, and technology in medicine. Those interested in chemistry enjoyed it in all its forms. From the analyses of materials, glass, water, fertilizers, to food and the possibilities of alternative sources of food. Those interested in the humanities were also not disappointed. They could familiarize themselves with the extinct scripts and alphabets of antiquity and read ancient cookbooks. Medical fields, in conjunction with pharmaceutical fields, found many fans, whether the topic was first aid, proper teeth cleaning, natural sources of medicine, physiotherapy procedures, and even examples of surgical suturing. Visitors were fascinated by the skills of assistance dogs, cognitive tests, the world of insects, the world of water, and demonstrations of the work of criminal investigators.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Representatives of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (VŠCHT) have entered the third decade of their strategic partnership by signing a new contract for the years 2022–24. Besides drawing a financial donation, both parties have agreed to support education, including secondary school teachers, students, and the chemistry Olympiad. During the past 20 years, ORLEN Unipetrol has donated CZK 33.5 million to the University for educational activities, distributed more than 200 student scholarships, and participated in 35 research projects. The long-standing cooperation culminated in 2015 with the establishment of the University Centre. It is located straight on ORLEN Unipetrol’s production premises in Litvínov. It is a unique project of this type in the Czech Republic.

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The focus of the cooperation between the ORLEN Unipetrol Group and VŠCHT Praha has changed several times during the past 20 years. Generally, it includes activities to raise awareness about and popularise chemistry, education, research, and development. “The chemical industry is facing significant changes. At ORLEN Unipetrol, we plan to manufacture up to 20 per cent of petrochemical products from recycled materials by 2030. Also, we intend to invest considerably in green projects and digitisation. Furthermore, we want to be carbon neutral in 2050 at the latest. Therefore, it is necessary to educate new specialists who can face all the current challenges,” says Tomáš Herink, a member of the Board of Directors at ORLEN Unipetrol, responsible for research, development, and production.

“The partnership with the ORLEN Unipetrol Group enables us to implement many public awareness and infotainment projects and support the education of the upcoming generation. Our students have a unique opportunity to test the acquired theoretical knowledge in practice. The collaboration also pays dividends in joint research and development when submitting proposals for scientific and research projects in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the European Union’s programme calls. Together, we have implemented 35 research and development projects directly impacting the developments in the chemical industry. The most recent projects include pyrolysis plastic recycling, biofuel production, or a patented method of dicyclopentadiene production,” says Pavel Matějka, Rector of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

The most significant joint educational project was the establishment of the University Centre Litvínov VŠCHT – FS ČVUT – ORLEN Unipetrol. It is located in Chempark Litvínov and is the only location in the Czech Republic where a part of a public institution of higher education is situated straight on the production premises. Up to 50 students currently study directly in the heart of the largest chemical plant in the country. “The specific chemical production environment allows students to verify the acquired theoretical knowledge directly in practice throughout their studies. In addition, they can join a host of research and education activities offered or organised by the University Centre. Then, they can work on their qualification papers on some of the many industrial topics,” explains Tomáš Herink. He adds: “The University centre’s future plans include the efforts to get accreditation of a new study programme focused on practical instruction emphasising the study’s engineering, procedural and technological character. We always want to consider the broader possibilities that the graduates have in the job market.”

The cooperation also focuses on supporting primary and secondary schools. They can come to the company’s sites to take a tour around, attend lectures about the latest topics on the chemical industry, and do other learning activities. Thanks to close contacts with the ORLEN Unipetrol Foundation, scholarship and grant programmes are also available to secondary school students.

The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the critical players in the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina ORLEN filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 421 filling stations, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. ORLEN Unipetrol employs more than 4,800 people. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude oil processor in Central Europe. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.

Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz

The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT) is a natural center of study and cutting-edge research. One of the largest educational and research institutions in Central Europe, it specializes in technical chemistry, chemical and biochemical technologies, material and chemical engineering, food chemistry, and environmental studies. Remarkably, of the more than 4,000 students at the school, 700 are enrolled in PhD programs on average. Some of the study programs on offer at UCT are unique in the Czech Republic and are key to the future of the entire country. The school collaborates with more than 100 academic institutions, namely within Europe but also in the USA, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

Contact: Michal Janovský, spokesman, telephone: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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29 January 2021 – Safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health, yet the current EU food safety system falters when a need to quickly adapt to a continuously evolving food chain arises. The EU-funded FOODSAFETY4EU project kicked off in January 2021 as a step forward towards a more engaged and co-operative Food Safety System (FSS) in Europe.

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The project aims at designing, developing and releasing a multi-stakeholder platform to establish a network of FSS actors at national, European and international level, a crucial aspect in the success of this system. To facilitate this collaboration, the consortium will thus develop knowledge and digital tools to activate a structured participatory process among these actors.

Therefore, the FoodSafety4EU platform will be shaped primarily to:

Reduce the current fragmentation of FSS, facilitating higher value interactions between its actors in the multi-levelled system.
Support the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority to address the main Food Safety challenges and formulate appropriate recommendations.
Make available selected knowledge and data (by delivering digital solutions) enhancing the public confidence.

The European network currently consists of 23 Consortium partners and 44 stakeholders (Food Safety Authorities, consumers' associations, research centres, etc.). This community is expected to continue to grow into a Forum by the end of the project, in 3 years’ time. Learn how to join the European Food Safety Community here.

The project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Learn more through the factsheet.

Visit the FoodSafety4EU website

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Last week saw the second fully virtual ALIFE conference bringing together nearly 400 leading researchers and practitioners from across the world working on problems related to simulating artificial life.

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The conference, which has been running since 1987 and is supported by The International Society for Artificial Life (ISAL), focussed on research areas including simulating and synthesizing complex phenomena in computation, biology, artificial intelligence, robotics, philosophy, and cognitive science.

Prague was the intended location for the conference and the organisation was led by the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague and supported by artificial intelligence research and development company GoodAI. GoodAI sees many fruitful intersections between AI and Artificial Lifeand has a history of collaboration with the community and the ALIFE conference participants.

Highlights

The five-day program was packed with activities: it included 9 keynote talks, 6 special sessions lasting 27 hours, 11 workshops totaling almost 40 hours, 5 tutorials, and 64 talks in parallel sessions. There was also a virtual art gallery, virtual pubs, and virtual coffee rooms! Among many satellite events, there was a virtual screening of the documentary Solution and a student essay competition.

David Ha, Keynote speaker

Keynote speaker David Ha, Research Scientist at Google Brain, gave a talk “World Models and Attention for Reinforcement Learning.” He discussed his recent work on developing “world models” for artificial agents that would construct an abstract representation of the agent’s world which helps it navigate in its environment. The goal of his talk was to encourage the development of artificial life that incorporates a form of internal mental model, which will be a stepping stone for creating conscious machines.

AI: when a robot writes a play

GoodAI hosted the only hybrid event of the conference which took place both online and at the GoodAI Headquarters – the Oranžérie in Prague. The event was a BBQ and a screening of the play “AI: when a robot writes a play,” with a discussion with the creators afterward. The play, which tells the story of the joy and sorrow of everyday life from a robot’s point of view, was composed of dialogue created by artificial intelligence in order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czech playwright Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. where the word ‘robot’ was coined.

ISAL awards

The International Society for Artificial Life (ISAL) announced its award winners at the conference. Takashi Ikegami, from the University of Tokyo, took home the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his sustained contribution to the ALife community through an excellent body of diverse work of foundational contributions. He is a leader of and committed to the ALife community. While Jitka Čejková was awarded the Distinguished Early-Career Investigator Award as a strong contributor to the ALife domain, both technically, and to the ALife community.

Jitka Čejková, General Chair of ALIFE 2021 and Associate Professor at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague said: “the Czech Republic has a lot of history with regards to artificial life and technology and we were very happy to host the conference. It was great to celebrate the robot centenary with the ALife community, although only virtually. One of the great joys of the ALIFE conference is its truly interdisciplinary approach encouraging participation and collaboration across research, business, arts, and design, I was extremely pleased with the diversity of scientific submissions, art exhibits, and essays.”

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In 2002, refining and petrochemical group Unipetrol launched its collaboration with the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (UCT), which culminated in 2015 with the foundation of the University Centre UCT Prague – Unipetrol Litvínov. The Centre is situated right on the premises of Unipetrol’s manufacturing plant in Záluží near Litvínov. It is a unique project in the Czech Republic but also in Europe when a public institution of higher education is located on a commercial production site. It also provides a unique opportunity to use theoretical knowledge in practice, which is what both schools and industrial businesses have wished for many years. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague has now become another partner of the Centre. It plans to include the instruction of two to three subjects on the site. With the University Centre’s expansion, Unipetrol is increasing the opportunities for university studies in the Ústí Region and helps to build the region’s attractiveness and competitiveness.

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The new name will be University Centre Litvínov UCT – FE CTU – ORLEN Unipetrol (in Czech: Univerzitní centrum Litvínov VŠCHT – FS ČVUT – ORLEN Unipetrol). All three parties agreed on the name when signing a memorandum of cooperation. The University Centre is based in Chempark and is significantly involved in collaboration with the Unipetrol Centre for Research and Education (UniCRE). UniCRE offers students a broad range of possibilities to be engaged in real-life projects. They register 35 undergraduates in three bachelor’s and one follow-up degree programmes. Chempark in Záluží near Litvínov is the largest manufacturing site of the Unipetrol Group with 2,500 employees.

“We are pleased that the foundation of our development has gained another level thanks to the collaboration between the University Centre on our production site and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University. With this move, we are getting another step forward on the path of the Czech industry to a more intensive combination of theory and practice. With expanded study opportunities in the Ústí Region, we will also contribute to boosting the region’s attractiveness and competitiveness in the Czech Republic,” says Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group.

“As part of its competences, CTU’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has long felt its shared responsibility for the competitiveness of the local industry, hence the entire Czech Republic’s economy, in global markets. We want to prepare enough graduates with appropriate education, offer knowledge with innovation potential for the industry, and build the ecosystems of collaboration with industrial partners actively,” says Michael Valášek, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University. He adds: “The memorandum we have signed materialises this approach of the Czech Technical University, which goes well beyond the attitudes of standard universities. The expanded University Centre Litvínov UCT– FE CTU – ORLEN Unipetrol is actually an ecosystem where our role is to transform the knowledge of UCT colleagues into the application in the facilities of Unipetrol, which is our common industrial partner. Of course, the University Centre has a much broader reach, and it will impact the entire segment and region.”

“Education is the fundamental prerequisite for any future increase in the living standards of any nation. We must educate new experts and managers who will continue the efforts of the current and past generations. As a significant employer and one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic that is part of its critical infrastructure, we are aware of our responsibility and invest in support and promotion of education at all levels. Over five years of existence, a total of 112 students have successfully completed at the University Centre. I am pleased this number will multiply thanks to the new era we are opening right now,” explains Tomáš Herink, a member of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group and a UCT graduate and university pedagogue.

“The University Centre Litvínov offers university education with an individual approach to students, as is a good tradition of the University of Chemistry and Technology. It is also possible thanks to exceptionally close contacts with the industrial practice of Unipetrol and research-oriented centre, UniCRE. We want to continue developing our activities within the University Centre Litvínov UCT – FE CTU – ORLEN Unipetrol with regard to the requirements of modern industrial firms in the region. We want the centre to be attractive for the prospective students and to offer them education with good prospects on the labour market. I am pleased that the new partnership with FE CTU will not only expand the offer of subjects for students but also contribute to the development of joint research activities that are an integral part of any university environment. For the benefit of all stakeholders, we will work towards the joint submissions of scientific and research projects in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the programme calls of the European Union. As a native of nearby Louny, I am delighted that the University Centre’s expanded collaboration will encourage high-quality education opportunities and drive world-leading applied research in the beautiful, yet historically sorely tried Ústí Region,” says Pavel Matějka, Rector of University of Chemistry and Technology Prague.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 8 September 2020 – The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, has new international partners. During a trip to Taiwan last week as member of an official Czech national delegation, UCT Prague Rector Pavel Matějka signed three memoranda for cooperation and international student exchange with National Tsing Hua University (168^th place in the US Global World Ranking 2021); National Taipei University of Technology (488^th place); and the oldest private institution in Taiwan, Tunghai University.

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In addition to these ceremonial actions, Rector Matějka discussed possibilities for cooperation in the areas of biomedical research and the circular economy with the Industrial Technology Research Institute and established new contacts with Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s equivalent to the Czech Academic of Sciences. Matějka’s agenda also included a meeting with representatives of National CHung Hsing University, UCT’s Prague’s long-time research collaborator. Last but not least, Rector Matějka met with representatives of National Chiao Tung University, who has previously been collaborating with UCT Prague in the field of supramolecular chemistry.

“Cooperation with universities in Taiwan is not new for UCT Prague and we have had very positive experiences both in terms of collaboration on individual research projects and student exchanges. However, personal contacts with the leaders of individual universities and research institutions give this cooperation a new institutional dimension, enabling us to spread this across our faculties, creating favourable circumstances for student exchanges,” Rector Matějka said.

Universities and research institutions in Taiwan have close ties to Taiwan’s advanced IT companies engaged in Industry 4.0 practices, whose products are recognized the world over. “This will undoubtedly contribute to the attractiveness of internships for our students. This cooperation with research institutions in Taiwan is significantly supported by the Economy, Trade, Science, and Research section of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office Taipei,” Rector Matějka said. “Many thanks to Marie Leflerová, head of this section, who ensured maximally effective use of time during this program-intensive visit.” he added.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague – September 1, 2020: During the visit to Zentiva on August 27, 2020 in Prague, a government delegation led by Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met with the representatives of The Parc, The Pharmaceutical Applied Research Centre, and representatives of academic institutions involved in the project.

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“We discussed The Parc with participating academic institutions and we agreed that our government and the Research, Development and Innovation Council are certainly interested in supporting it. It is important mainly for students, but also science and research in healthcare”, posted Prime Minister Andrej Babis on his twitter account. This marks the beginning of a partnership between both parties who agreed to pursue the discussion in the near future.

The government delegation led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also included Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch, epidemiologist and Government Commissioner for Science and Research Roman Prymula and CzechInvest representatives, CEO, Patrik Reichl and Hana Chlebná, Business development manager. The Parc project was introduced by Pavel Šebek, Development Director of Zentiva, Professor František Štěpánek, The Parc´s Scientific Director and Ondřej Dammer, Operational Director of The Parc and Senior scientist in Zentiva, and academic partners of The Parc: Professor Jan Konvalinka, Vice-Rector for Research, Charles University, Prof. Pavel Matějka, Rector, University of Chemistry and Technology and Dr. Zdeněk Hostomský, Director of Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, CAS. Zentiva´s team was led by Nick Haggar, CEO Zentiva, Soňa Porubská, General Manager of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Martin Albert, Head of New Products.

“At Zentiva, we are passionate supporters of The Parc that bridges the gap between theoretical Science and what happens in the real life in Pharma. We are very proud of the results and the excellent work this research cluster bring for the development of the next generations of scientists and engineers to make the Czech Republic even stronger in pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing”, said Nick Haggar, CEO Zentiva.

Initiated by Zentiva, The Parc was created in association with three academic partners: the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague; the Faculty of Science of Charles University; and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. This highly successful initiative has brought rising talent together with leading pharmaceutical and academic experts, to accelerate innovation in drug research & development. The Parc provides world-class graduate academic education combined with practical hands-on industrial and business experience under the leadership of scientists, engineers, and managers both from academia and the pharmaceutical industry.

“The Parc represents a research platform connecting the entire process of drug development from the search for solid forms of active substances, through preformulation experiments, pharmaceutical technologies to clinical testing and production. Currently, 33 doctoral students are participating in this program. Since its inception, 13 students have successfully graduated, 6 of whom joined Zentiva, 2 continue their academic careers and expand The Parc network of pharmaceutical researchers, and 5 graduates work in leading pharmaceutical companies in the Czech Republic and abroad, said the scientific director of The Parc, said Prof. Stepanek

The Parc collaborates with the best universities in the field in Europe and provides students with the opportunity for international research stays and collaborations. Its members also participate in two pan-European projects under the EU Horizon 2020 program. The Parc presented plans for building its research center in Zentiva's industrial park. The new laboratories would enable The Parc further increase scientific output and verification of the academic concepts on a larger pilot scale, which can be directly used for industrial applications. The research center will also provide space for the establishment and development of pharmaceutical start-up companies.

“CzechInvest is delighted to have taken part in the successful development of The Parc since its inception. The project has already demonstrated beneficial outputs from the application of cutting edge expertise and technologies, producing high calibre graduates and a number of patent applications. CzechInvest will work closely with the Government to secure public funding to advance The Parc project’s infrastructure as well as assisting start-ups in furthering their development”, said Patrik Reichl, CEO CzechInvest.

For more information about The Parc, Faculty of Science of Charles University, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of Czech Academy of Sciences , the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, and Zentiva, please visit the websites.

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UCT Prague together with the water utility Pražské vodovody a kanalizace, a.s. from Veolia group works on development of technologies for the removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from sewage sludge and monitors the occurrence of the precursor of COVID-19 in wastewater.

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The current dry episodes create demand for organic matter in agriculture, which increases water retention in the soil. Stabilized sewage sludge can (despite its use as fertilizer) largely satisfy this demand. Newly introduced tightening of legislation for the application of sludge in agriculture concerns the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, pesticides and drug residues into the soil. However, the risk associated with the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), which can occur with the application of sludge in agriculture, has not yet been systematically addressed. It is also not clear what technologies can be used to eliminate the presence of ARB.

Monitoring the spread of ARB in the environment has recently received much attention in view of the alarming increase in the number of patients who do not respond to antibiotic treatment, even in relatively common diseases such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. One of the ways in which ARB spreads in the environment is effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and sewage sludge, which is used to fertilize agricultural land. Through agricultural crops, ARB can reach the food chain, endangering the human population.

Several studies have already been published comparing the occurrence of various ARBs in WWTP effluents on a European and global scale, but so far, sufficient information on the situation in the Czech Republic is lacking.

In June of this year, the teams of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague and the Prague water utility (PVK a.s.) started the joint ARG Tech project (Technology for removal of antibiotic resistance genes from sewage sludge applied in agriculture), which deals with testing ARB removal efficiency in available sewage sanitation technologies such as thermophilic anaerobic sludge stabilization, thermal hydrolysis, pasteurization, and liming. The aim of the project is to design such parameters of sludge sanitation processes that will ensure the removal of ARB and thus enable the safe use of sludge as an agricultural fertilizer.

In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARG Tech project was extended to include long-term monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 - the precursor of COVID-19 - in wastewater. In the Prague sewer network, 20 sampling points were selected, which represent various types of settlements such as Prague housing estates, the city center, university dormitories, hospitals or Václav Havel Airport. The presence of the virus will be monitored for two years, in most locations with a two-week interval. We assume that the occurrence of the virus in wastewater will correlate with the spread of the disease in the population, and that this monitoring may contribute to the early detection of the arrival of further waves of the COVID-19 epidemic (not only) in Prague.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, June 2, 2020 - Imagine a robot the size of a human cell that is powered remotely and navigated by light. And imagine that this robot can perform mechanically very precise tasks indefinitely (while maintaining the light source) at the level of the microworld. And without the need for any invasive intervention “from the outside.” The possibilities for use in the creation of new materials or manipulation with individual cells in the field of biomedicine are limitless. Ivan Řehoř’s research group at UCT Prague is capable of producing such microrobots. The group’s new discovery, carried out in cooperation with the Czech Academy of Science’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry and Utrecht University, were recently published in the prestigious journal Soft Robotics.

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“The ability of robotic manipulation in the past has profoundly changed many sectors of human activity, such as the automotive industry and line production in general. We are taking the first steps towards ability to perform similar tasks on a microscale, that is, at the level of the micrometer, or tens of microns,” said Dr. Ivan Řehoř. In the near future, this could radically change the production of materials, biomedical applications, and other areas, because it will be possible to manipulate individual cells more easily, cheaply, accurately, and safely and, for example, assemble them into larger functional units.

Řehoř’s microrobots are made up of light-responsive hydrogel microparticles. They are produced in a process called stop-flow lithography and they also include gold particles. “If you make a small robot, it cannot carry its own energy source. That’s why our robots are powered remotely by a beam of light. The gold particles effectively capture this light and transform it into heat, the result of the robot’s own movement through repeated contractions of its body,” explained Řehoř, who spent part of his scientific career at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Light as a source of movement is not a new idea. But what makes research at UCT Prague exceptional is the very way of control of the robot’s movement. These microrobots crawl on the surface in the simplest possible way: the robots’ bodies simply shrink and expand again. A key role is played by the uneven change of friction between the robot and the ground on which it slides. “This change stems from the complex processes in the robot’s material that take place during its shrinkage and expansion at the molecular level of entanglement and re-unraveling of the individual polymer chains from which it is made. With this, our system is unique and this also allows to use a completely simple system of control and navigation of the robot by only targeting the light bundle,” Řehoř pointed out.

The great advantage of the new microrobots is the low production cost compared to conventional micromanipulation approaches. Current instruments that use the “conversion” of macroscopic movements to the microscale, such as assisted reproduction devices or microsurgery, are very expensive. In addition, they always require a firm connection between the handling location and the external device. “The production price of one robot is quite negligible,” said Dr. Řehoř, adding that his new approach will withstand even the competition from similar approaches to manipulation at the micro level, which typically use a magnetic field instead of light. “Our robot control device is much simpler than those used with the magnetic robots and can be easily built for 500 euros. In addition, we are working on the development of microrobots that could one day be powered by ordinary sunlight and crawl anywhere. But this may really take some time.”

Links

Research group website: hydrogel.vscht.cz.

Rehor, I.; Maslen, C.; Moerman, P. G.; van Ravensteijn, B. G. P.; van Alst, R.; Groenewold, J.; Eral, H. B.; Kegel, W. K. Photoresponsive Hydrogel Microcrawlers Exploit Friction Hysteresis to Crawl by Reciprocal Actuation. Soft Robot. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2019.0169.

RNDr. Ivan Řehoř, Ph.D. is currently working at UCT Prague’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the Czech Academy of Science’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). He studied inorganic chemistry at Charles University. From 2010-2014, he worked at IOCB. From 2015-2018, he conducted research at Utrecht University with prestigious Marie-Curie Fellowship support. He joined UCT Prague in 2019 as the recipient of the Dagmar Procházková Fund’s initiation grant, which serves to support scientific projects of academic staff with international experience with the expectation that the professional careers of recipients will be connected to UCT Prague. At IOCB, the Purkyně Fellowship supported his research activities.

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Prague, July 10, 2020 – The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague has received full accreditation for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in Economics. UCT now ranks among other prestigious Czech and foreign universities which consider this specialisation an integral part of their pedagogical and research activities. In line with its traditional academic disciplines in science and technology, the programmes in economics aim at reaching the highest standard of quality.

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“The outcome of such study is logical - attractive career prospects and deep knowledge will generate the best capital for every student for the future. Study at UCT has fundamentally been and will be challenging, which applies to all the degree programmes including the newly accredited ones”, UCT rector Matějka says.

The degree programmes in Economics and Management (BSc) and Sectoral Management (MSc) will be guaranteed by an experienced team of 60 academics who previously established and implemented similarly focused academic programmes at the MIAS School of Business CTU in Prague.

Applicants interested in the field of economics and management will be given the opportunity to receive an education at the second highest ranked university in the Czech Republic according to QS World University Rankings, to gain an attractive graduate profile sought out by employers, and to undertake further studies at prestigious Czech and foreign universities. The establishment of both degree programmes is officially supported by the Association of Chemical Industry and the Federation of Food and Drink Industries of the Czech Republic among other organisations.

This is not the first time that an economics degree programme has been accredited at UCT as one of the faculties used to bear the word ‘economics’ in its title in the 1960s. Many of its graduates are still employed in top management of large companies and organizations.

Submission of applications for the above-mentioned degree programmes are open from today until August 8 via the portal business.vscht.cz. Applicants with secondary school grade point averages between 1.0- 1.5 will be accepted automatically; all others may take the on-line entrance exam in the following weeks.

The winter term courses begin on September 14, 2020

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The Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes over a million deaths annually. Especially in third-world countries, it is still a severe problem, which may even worsen due to antibiotic resistance. An international team of researchers, together with Dr. Michal H. Kolář from UCT Prague, has now developed new compounds to fight the bacterium, which had cost George Owell or Jane Austen their lives.

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The derivatives of phenothiazine belong to successful drugs. Chlorpromazine, for instance, which is on the World Health Organization List of Essential Medicines, acts on the central nervous system and is used to treat various psychotic disorders. The medical effects of phenothiazine derivatives were discovered in the mid 20th century. Since then, phenothiazine has been used as a lead compound for rational drug design and researchers constantly seek its new analogs with novel modes of action against various diseases. Interestingly, some of the analogs have been shown to inhibit the NDH-2 enzyme involved in the respiratory cycle in the M. tuberculosis.

Surprisingly, a class of phenothiazines with several halogen atoms has been overlooked so far. Now researchers from several universities, including UCT Prague, studied polyhalogenation as a strategy to generate new phenothiazine drugs. Lead by Prof. Tabarrini (Università degli Studi di Perugia, Italy), the team synthesized over twenty polyhalogenated phenothiazines and tested them against M. tuberculosis. They discovered three compounds with stronger antitubercular activity than known molecules. Moreover, their compounds show lower affinity of the receptors of the central nervous system, so they could potentially have lower psychotic side effects.

"Since my postdoctoral stay in Germany, it wasn't really a straightforward path to the phenothiazines," says Dr. Kolář, the co-author of the article published recently in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and a group leader at the Department of Physical Chemistry, UCT Prague. "We studied something entirely different. We were interested in the interaction between polyhalogenated molecules and a small RNA from HIV. After almost two years we reached a dead end, so we could have either thrown everything into the trash or found another purpose. Luckily, my colleague from Italy got the idea to try the compounds against tuberculosis. And things started moving."

Dr. Kolář performed computer simulations and proposed the first series of compounds (back then for other purposes, though). Then the compounds were optimized to kill the bacterium. The best-performing molecule contains two bromine atoms placed symmetrically on the phenothiazine core. A successful tetrachlorinated derivative was also synthesized.

"We still don't know how exactly the compounds bind to the NDH-2. The situation is even more complicated because the enzyme structure is known in other bacteria but not in the M. tuberculosis," suggests Kolář possible direction of their future research. Although the compounds are far from being used in medical care soon, the knowledge and new principles about polyhalogenation may speed up the hunt for efficient antitubercular drugs.

Original publication:

M. G. Nizi et al.: Antitubercular polyhalogenated phenothiazines and phenoselenazine with reduced binding to CNS receptors, Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2020, 201, 112420, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112420

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On Monday, 2 September 2019, the 6^th annual Prague-Weizmann Summer School on Advances in Drug Discovery got underway at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT). The summer school, which runs through September 6, will host more than 130 students, postdocs, and lecturers from all over the world. Traditionally, the summer school has been coorganized by the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) and UCT. Since last year, when it was first held in Israel, the renowned Weizmann Institute of Science has also participated in organizing the summer school.

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In addition to the director of IOCB Prague, Zdeněk Hostomský, and UCT vice-rector Pavel Matějka, the commencement ceremony was attended by the Israeli ambassador, Daniel Meron, and deputy industry and trade minister of the Czech Republic Silvana Jirotková.

The school typically focuses on PhD students and postdocs, to whom experts from research institutions and pharmaceutical companies present various topics relating to drug development ranging from basic research and preclinical and clinical development to commercialization and marketing.

“We’re excited that we have, together with our two important partners, succeeded in building a prestigious summer school that continues the tradition of teaching and drug research at UCT Prague,” says one of the founders and organizers of the school Prof. Radek Cibulka of UCT in Prague.

In the previous five years, the summer school has attracted the attention of many international experts and institutions. Since 2018, the Israeli Weizmann Institute of Science has also participated in the project, and the school was first held in Israel the same year.

“I’m very glad we’re developing a partnership with UCT. The great importance of the partnership between the Czech Academy of Sciences and the university is made clear with this summer school,” says founder and coorganizer of the summer school Prof. Martin Fusek of IOCB Prague. “We began with 30 students from the Czech Republic, and now we have 131 participants from 23 countries around the world. We started out in Prague, and now we’ve been joined by one of the most famous scientific institutions in the world, and the school alternates between Prague and Rehovot. Neither of us could do it without the other.”

The significance of the summer school successfully crossing the border of the Czech Republic and teaming up with a leading Israeli institution is also acknowledged by deputy industry and trade minister of the Czech Republic Silvana Jirotková: “In the Czech Republic’s innovation strategy, which is the backbone of our economic future, this is, among other things, about the transfer of excellent results of basic research to commercial practice. Not only is Israel one of our key foreign partners, it’s also a country that’s taken this pragmatic approach to perfection. I’m very pleased to meet with experts who’ve succeeded in multiplying their strengths through partnership and long-term collaboration. I’m also happy that team play has made this an attractive event for participants from nearly two dozen other countries,” said Ms. Jirotková at the commencement ceremony.

This year’s lecturers include important individuals with interesting topics. For instance, participants can look forward to regular participant James D. Engel from the University of Michigan in the United States. He’s sharing interesting results from his work on the discovery and development of drugs for sickle cell disease. Mads Tang Christensen (Novo Nordisk) and his team are trying to find the key to body weight regulation in obese patients, a sort of switch in the brain that reduces a person’s energy expenditure until weight lost through dieting is regained. Prof. Tzvi Livneh of the Weizmann Institute of Science uses enzymes to examine the established mechanisms by which our cells repair DNA damaged on a daily basis by tens of thousands of attacks by solar radiation, smoking, and other factors. These enzymes might be used, for example, in the early detection of lung cancer.

Summer school website and lecture program: www.praguesummerschool.cz.

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July 3, 2019 - Five top universities in the Czech Republic have joined forces in founding the Association of Czech Research Universities. Members expect the newly-minted organisation will help them compete among the very best when it comes to international research and education. Four of five rectors signed the agreement in Prague on Tuesday.

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Who are the association members? Besides Charles University, they are the Czech Technical University in Prague, Brno’s Masaryk University, Palacký University in Olomouc, and the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague.

By pooling their strengths – including infrastructure, valuable know-how and creativity in research and research projects - members are aiming to compete among the very best in the coming years. Association members expect that cooperation on this level will help streamline activities, improve the transfer of information and results, and make the route from the lab to practical application in everyday life easier.

Another association aim is to push for changes in the system of financing of Czech universities, despite improvements and growing investment in recent years. Despite changes, representatives are aware that Czech universities still lag behind in international rankings. The aim is to find ways to bring Czech schools up to speed to compete among the top 100.

Rectors – including Charles University’s Tomáš Zima and Masaryk University’s Mikuláš Bek – discussed the issue at the meeting on Tuesday. Representatives also stressed that there were minor differences when it came to details and points of view, but agreed they were unified on the big picture: to push for excellence and the best results - not only for the benefit of individual universities but society itself, with an economic and cultural impact.

“If we want Czech Education to move forward, we need to follow the example of other countries,” Charles University Rector Tomáš Zima said, pointing to China, Vietnam, Malaysia or Singapore, which he indicated were considerably further ahead on the path when it came to investment.

Logos

English version

Logo of Association of Czech Research Universities - English version

Czech version

Logo of Association of Czech Research Universities - Czech version

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 2 OCT 2019 – At the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT), a prestigious new position called Chair – Medicinal Chemistry is being established for a leading foreign expert in drug discovery and development. It offers an unconventional form of collaboration with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague), which will be supporting the new researcher with a grant of 7M CZK over a period of five years. That money will also assist in starting an excellent new research group at UCT.

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The agreement was signed by representatives of both institutions on 2 October 2019. The application process for an international competition will be opened this coming winter, with the selection committee comprising experts from UCT and IOCB Prague alongside two foreign scientists.

“This marks an important deepening of our longstanding collaboration. Many of our graduates go on to pursue scientific careers at IOCB, and our students work on research projects there. We also co-organize a summer school with substantial international participation, and, of course, we’re neighbors at Dejvice Campus,” says UCT rector Karel Melzoch.

“As is well known, our institute is in a very fortunate situation financially, and that’s why we constantly look for new ways to promote research not only at our institute but also at universities in the Czech Republic to help align them with the best institutes in the world, namely in the areas we’re competitive in,” says IOCB Prague director Zdeněk Hostomský. “Financial support for new chairs in medicinal chemistry at our partner schools is an opportunity to strengthen the international character of these institutes and increase their appeal to leading young researchers from abroad. I hope we’re setting an example and encouraging other big donators, foundations, and private companies to provide similar support.”

“Medicinal chemistry is an extremely promising discipline. An excellent scientist from abroad will bring many valuable findings and contacts and will also create a new research group, which is a major opportunity for our students, who get to participate in cutting-edge research,” says Prof. Radek Cibulka of UCT. The school has long been an incubator of talent in related fields, such as drug synthesis and manufacturing, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and others.

Funding for the new chair is being provided by IOCB subsidiary IOCB Tech. “I’m very pleased that our company, IOCB Tech, can actively participate in collaboration between the Czech Academy of Sciences and universities,” says the company’s director and IOCB deputy director Prof. Martin Fusek. “UCT is the most logical partner for IOCB, and not only in geographical terms. I trust that the scientific and educational collaboration between the two institutes will continue to develop successfully.”

This is the second special research chair to be established in the Czech Republic in a short time thanks to generous support from IOCB Prague. In the first instance, collaboration with the Faculty of Science at Charles University resulted in a chair held by Dr. Martin Zoltner of the University of Dundee, Scotland, where, among other things, he conducted research into new antimalarials. He now works at BIOCEV, the joint biotechnology and biomedicine center of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec.

The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) is a leading internationally recognized scientific institute whose primary mission is the pursuit of basic research in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, organic and materials chemistry, chemistry of natural substances, biochemistry and molecular biology, physical chemistry, theoretical chemistry, and analytical chemistry. An integral part of IOCB Prague’s mission is the transfer of the results of basic research into practice. Emphasis on interdisciplinary research gives rise to a wide range of applications in medicine, pharmaceutics, and other fields.

Contact for press:

Michal Janovský (UCT Prague): michal.janovsky@vscht.cz, phone: +420 733 690 543

Dušan Brinzanik (IOCB Prague): dusan.brinzanik@uochb.cas.cz, phone: +420 731 609 271

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Prague, September 25, 2019 - Antibiotic resistant bacteria are one of the greatest threats to human health. Resistant pathogens in wastewater produced by hospitals, households, and farming facilities are playing an increasingly important role in this issue. In order to eliminate this dramatically growing danger, scientists must first map the exact scope of the problem on a global scale and develop internationally accepted methodological standards. This is the main task of the new REPARES project (Horizon 2020 EU program), whose main coordinator is the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague).

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The research groups led by Associate Professor Jan Bartáček (Department of Water Technology and Environmental Engineering, UCT Prague) and Professor Kateřina Demnerová (Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, UCT Prague) are coordinating a consortium made up of representatives of top research institutions in the specific research areas. These include the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Aalborg University (Denmark), the Catholic University of Portugal, and the European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology (WETSUS). “The composition of the consortium is like a dream for us since it is truly an elite group, which, on the other hand, means a great commitment for us as the coordinating institution,” said Associate Professor Bartáček.

The three-year project starts on October 1, 2019, and has a budget of CZK 20 million. REPARES is also one of four projects awarded to Czech universities this year under the call H2020-WIDESPREAD-03-2018: Twinning.

“It might seem that resistant pathogens in wastewater do not pose a major problem if this water has been treated in wastewater treatment plants prior to discharge, as is the case with approximately 97% of wastewater in the Czech Republic. But the opposite is true,” explained Associate Professor Bartáček. “While most pathogens do not survive the conditions of the purification process, their genetic information, their so-called resistance genes, can spread further by transmission to other, non-pathogenic bacteria that are commonly multiplied in sewage plants and can reach rivers or groundwater. We are talking about so-called horizontal gene transfer, which is common in bacterial cultures and can be mediated by physical contact with bacteria, by transfer of free DNA, or by viruses (bacteriophages),” added Associate Professor Bartáček.

To counter this threat, scientists need to standardize their methods for quantifying resistance genes in sewage treatment plants. “This is the primary task of the REPARES project. In addition, we will also organize a large inter-laboratory comparative study and make monitoring results available through the internationally available MiDAS database of microbes connected to wastewater treatment managed by our partner university in Aalborg,” said Professor Kateřina Demnerová.

The concept of the project originated from a long-term cooperation between Dr. Dana Vejmelková (UCT Prague) and Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht (Delft University of Technology).

What is antibiotic resistance?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors without Borders (MSF) regularly publish warnings on this subject. This threat is based on the ability of pathogenic bacteria to withstand known and commonly used antibiotics such as penicillin, carbapenems, and vancomycin. These pathogenic organisms are the causative agents of common diseases worldwide, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, gonorrhoea, and salmonella.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria arise under the influence of increased (but not lethal) concentrations of antibiotics or other stress factors and may be based on various mechanisms including enzymatic transformation of an antibiotic molecule, alteration of metabolism, or increased ability to actively dispose of a substance. These mechanisms may be substance-specific or versatile for large groups of antibiotics.

“If antibiotic action lasts long enough (so-called selective stress), bacterial cultures will develop some of these defense mechanisms and store (“encode”) them in their DNA. Subsequent generations of bacteria are then resistant to certain antibiotics without being exposed to them in the past and can spread that resistance further,” explained Professor Demnerová.

Although natural resistance to natural antibiotics such as penicillin is well known, the massive spread of resistant strains is associated with the development and massive application of antibiotics in contemporary medicine. These strains are formed and released not only in the bodies of patients suffering from diseases but can subsequently spread and emerge in wastewater from the places where they have been treated. “Unfortunately, these places include not only hospitals but also households and, last but not least, agricultural buildings. By far the largest volumes of antibiotics are used in animal husbandry,” concludes Professor Demnerová.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, June 26 – The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, awarded the honorary title doctor honoris cause to Professor Jean-Marie Lehn. The French chemist is a prominent figure in science worldwide and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987.

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On June 26, 2019, during a ceremonial gathering of the university’s academic council at Strahov Monastery, Professor Lehn was granted an honorary doctorate. The Academic Council of UCT Prague very rarely grants honorary scientific degrees and this was only the fourth such award in the new millennium.

“Professor Lehn’s contribution to the development of chemistry as a scientific discipline is undeniable. In addition to the Nobel Prize, his more than 1,000 scientific publications and his major influence on the definition of a new area of chemistry called supramolecular chemistry,” said UCT Prague Rector Karel Melzoch. “Professor Lehn has been closely involved with our university for many years, and beyond collaborative scientific publications he has also been a mentor for several of our students and graduates. His name is associated with the traditional prize for gifted chemistry students that the French Embassy in Prague awards each year for outstanding research work,” Professor Melzoch added.

“I warmly thank the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, for this award and, at the same time, I appreciate its high level of teaching and research activities,” said Professor Lehn during the ceremony, also considering the role of scientists in contemporary society: “I firmly believe that, above all, scientists have primary responsibility for truth. If this assumption is fulfilled, then a social responsibility comes into play.” According to Lehn, the development of chemistry and science in general is an irreversible process that does not offer the possibility of going into reverse gear. “Knowledge cannot be stopped and cannot be eradicated. We need to deepen and extend our knowledge so that we can control our destiny,” the French scientist said in closing.

Jean-Mari Lehn graduated from the University of Strasbourg and then worked for a year at Robert Burns Woodward's laboratory at Harvard where he participated in the synthesis of vitamin B12. After returning to the University of Strasbourg, he began working on a range of topics in organic and physical chemistry, then focused more on biological processes, leading to the synthesis of macrocyclic compounds with cavities called cryptands. He won the Nobel Prize in 1987 together with D. J. Cram and Ch. J. Pedersen for the the development and application of molecules with highly selective structurespecific interaction, i.e. molecules that can “recognize” each other and choose with which other molecules they will form complexes.

An honorary doctorate is an academic degree awarded by universities to outstanding personalities of international importance. The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, only rarely grants such titles. In recent times, the university has only awarded nine honorary doctorates to major chemists, including Otto Wicherle, Antonín Holý, and Nobel Prize winner Vladimir Prelog.

List of honorary doctorates granted

26. 6. 2019 Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn
1. 10. 2012 Prof. Ing. Pavel Hobza, DrSc.
1. 10. 2012 Prof. RNDr. Václav Pačes, DrSc.
6. 11. 2006 Prof. RNDr. Antonín Holý
16. 9. 1997 Prof. Dr. Daniel Belluš
16. 9. 1997 Prof. Norman Hackerman
16. 9. 1997 Prof. Peter A. Wilderer
16. 6. 1993 Prof. Otto Wichterle
9. 1. 1992 Prof. Dr. Ing. Josef Koritta
30. 5. 1991 Prof. Vladimir Prelog

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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A Chemjets postdoctoral fellow from UCT, Prague in collaboration with Japanese and American institutes has described the possible origins of cellularity using polyesters in a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS) article.

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All biological cells are made of a boundary condition (membranes), proteins and genetic materials. How all of these components were formed and subsequently came together about 4.0 billion years ago is what prebiotic chemists are studying in order to explain the Origins of Life. Early Earth conditions contained a variety of geochemical processes that produced many organic chemicals including some, but not all, biomolecules that life uses today as well as a large amount of non-biological molecules. This means that the whole early Earth geochemical mix was a “messy” chemical system. While most Origins of Life research utilizes biomolecules using a rather “clean” experimental system, the team co-led by Kuhan Chandru (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague and the National University of Malaysia) and Tony Z. Jia (Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology and Blue Marble Space Institute of Science) instead used non-biological organic compounds that produced a non-biological cell-like boundary system under simulated ancient earth geochemical conditions. The team used a combination of hydroxy acids to make a mixed population of polyesters through a simple drying process, one that could have occurred in a prehistoric lake or seashore condition, which then self-assembled upon rewetting to become droplets. This variety of droplets showed a variety of selective preferences to trap and concentrate different types of dyes in addition to genetic materials and proteins, showing crude similarities to modern cells. The droplets could also serve as a scaffold for the formation of lipid bilayers suggesting the possible significant role of non-biological compounds (such as alpha hydroxy acids) in the development towards the formation of the first cells, eventually leading to the emergence of the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA).

The article hints that perhaps the origins of life could have been scaffolded by other non-biological compounds arising from an ancient and “messy” chemical system to become what we know as life-as-we-know-it on early Earth.

Read Paper: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/07/16/1902336116

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PRAGUE – March 5th, 2019: The Parc (Pharmaceutical Applied Research Center) is marking its five-year anniversary by launching The Parc Awards at a ceremony held at Zentiva Headquarters in Prague on March 5th. The Parc is a unique research platform designed to benefit future generations of scientists.

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“We are proud to be working alongside the next generation of scientists, giving them hands-on experience of drug development in action” commented Pavel Calta, PhD, Executive Director. “Launching The Parc Awards, which consists of two categories, will give participating students the recognition they deserve, and we hope many of them will continue to pursue careers in drug Research & Development.”

Initiated by Zentiva, The Parc was created in association with three academic partners: the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague; the Faculty of Science in Charles University; and is now joined by the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. This highly successful initiative has brought rising talent together with leading pharmaceutical and academic experts, all working to accelerate innovation in drug Research & Development.

The Parc enables PhD students to gain industry work experience in solid-state chemistry, pharma technology, bio-pharmacy and clinical research. Collaborating with academic partners across Europe, The Parc also offers a mentorship program where students are supervised by top academic scientists, sharing expertise and carrying out day-to-day support. Currently, 25 PhD students are participating in this program. Since its creation, 8 students have graduated, 4 of which joined Zentiva. As for the remaining students, 2 have decided to pursue a career in academia, further expanding The Parc´s science network, and 2 are currently working in other pharmaceutical companies.

“We are extremely grateful to Zentiva for supporting The Parc and giving our graduate students and academics the opportunity to collaborate with industry experts to address the biggest challenges in healthcare. I would like to congratulate the awardees and wish them every success in their future professional careers” commented Prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, PhD.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

PARC_logo_EN (šířka 450px)

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Prague, June 5, 2019 – Unipetrol has been a strategic partner of the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (VŠCHT Praha) since 2002. Top representatives of both parties have signed an agreement of cooperation for three more years. The value of the agreement is CZK 3.9 million. Since the beginning of cooperation, Unipetrol has already contributed almost CZK 30 million to the University’s education and development activities.

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“Our cooperation with Unipetrol has just come of age because the first agreement was signed in 2002. After many years of cooperation, we have returned to a multi-year model which will enable us to better plan joint activities,” says Karel Melzoch, Rector of the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, adding: “Specifically, we want to strengthen the food and water technology programmes in the next academic year because of huge demand for these issues due to droughts in the Ústí Region. Chemists with expanded economy knowledge are sought after these days, too, and we also plan to offer a programme in English specialising in chemical industry management.”

“I think that the many years of cooperation culminated in 2015 with the establishment of the University Centre of the University of Chemistry and Technology directly on our production premises in Litvínov- Záluží. Students acquire new knowledge directly in the heart of the largest chemical plant in the Czech Republic and they have easier access to linking their theoretical insights with practice. We offer both bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. They can also use the laboratories of the research and education centre, UniCRE, right next to the University Centre. Our employees can benefit from this collaboration, too, because they can supplement the necessary specialised education right on the site,” Tomáš Herink, a member of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol who is responsible for investments, research and development, adds.

Unipetrol’s donation is annually used to cover the organisation of a chemistry Olympiad for secondary school students or an instruction programme called “A Lesson in Modern Chemistry”. A special team goes to primary schools and shows both to teachers and pupils that a chemistry lesson can be a lot of fun. Our cooperation also includes other educational projects promoting chemistry among the general public and raising student and children interest in this subject. In addition, financial donations are annually awarded to the authors of the best graduate theses (Bachelor’s and Master’s). The VŠCHT Praha-Unipetrol collaboration also focuses on popularisation of chemistry and on raising the interest of children and students in chemical fields. “For us, VŠCHT is also a source of future employees – developers, researchers and the next generation of managers,” Tomáš Herink adds.

Beyond its activities, VŠCHT also organised the 50^th annual International Chemistry Olympiad in Prague and Bratislava last year. It was attended by 300 secondary school students from 76 countries and Unipetrol was there again as a main partner.

University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague combines tradition with the latest state-of-the-art nano- and biotechnologies and other progressive trends and fields in research and development. Its excellent international reputation and top-class instrumentation and equipment open up opportunities for students who can get involved in research projects of their choice. They can also choose from a variety of study stays abroad. The University is also a gateway to prestigious and well-paid job opportunities in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Contact:
Michal Janovský, spokesperson for VŠCHT Praha
Tel.: +420 733 690 543, e-mail: michal.janovsky@unipetrol.cz

The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses primarily on crude oil processing, distribution and sale of fuel and petrochemical products — particularly plastics and fertilizers. In all these fields, the group is a key player on both the Czech and Central European market. The Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with the Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana in Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also owns the Benzina network of petrol stations with 412 stations, which is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. The group created revenue of over CZK 130 billion last year and employs more than 4,700 people. In 2005, Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen Group, the largest crude oil processor in Central Europe.

Contact:
Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson for Unipetrol Group
Tel.: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz

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The Theoretical Photodynamics Research Group at the University of Chemistry and Technology’s Department of Physical Chemistry together with German and French colleagues have described the competition between proton transfer and intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) in water in a new Nature Communications article. The article reflects several years of effort by the team in investigating this topic.

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Photochemistry typically concentrates on the interaction of UV or visible light with molecules, forcing the valence electrons to move. Some chemists are sceptical of photochemistry, because light can lead to unwanted products. X-rays have a particularly bad reputation because of their role in radiation damage rather than their usefulness in observing chemical reactions. The pioneers of rentgenlogy have experienced the negative effects of X-rays. It is therefore surprising how humble our knowledge on the molecular mechanism of ionizing radiation is. We only know that water is the key for the undesratding as it constitutes a primary component of the human body.

In their new article, scientists from Leipzig, Prague, and Paris focused on the question of what happens after irradiation in water during the first few femtoseconds. In particular, they were interested in so-called intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD): a ubiquitous relaxation channel of electronically excited states in weakly bound systems. This phenomenon was first observed experimentally in the water in 2010 and may play a large role in biological systems.

“A few years ago, we calculated that ICD could be suppressed an ultra-fast chemical reaction, proton transfer, between adjacent molecules,” said Professor Slavíček. “I mentioned our results to Uwe Hergenhahn, who first observed ICD in 2010. Uwe, to my surprise, pulled out some data from a drawer which is confirmed by our prediction. Still, it took several years before we were able to compile everything into a form everyone was happy with.”

The behaviour observed by the research collaborators is the result of the quantum nature of hydrogen atom: if the water were made of heavier atoms, it would behave quite differently. Results indicate that small strongly hydrogen-bonded systems are less susceptible to damage from slow autoionization after irradiation than previously thought. Thanks to their joint efforts, the scientists now know how to examine irradiated water, to model the behaviour of electrons, and how to monitor chemical reactions.

The UCT team has been using photochemistry for several years in order to observe new phenomena, gaining experience modelling photochemical reactions. With the help of molecular modelling, several new, unpublished phenomena have already been discovered which could lead, for example, to new methods for studying materials. The ultimate goal is to show that X-ray radiation is not only a destructive, but that it can also modify the molecules.

The key to accurately manipulating molecules is to control radiation in terms of both energy and time. In recent years, opportunities for conducting such research have been expanding rapidly. There are more synchrotron radiation facilities from which it is possible to obtain tunable X-rays, and the first few X-ray lasers with free electrons have also appeared (with these, an X-ray can be controlled with femtosecond time resolution). Such equipment is, however, expensive and is comparable in terms of cost to the tools employed in particle physics. But thanks to such developments, we are moving closer to a deeper understanding of the material world around us.

Link to article

Competition between proton transfer and intermolecular Coulombic decay in water. C. Richter, D. Hollas, Clara-Magdalena Saak, M. Förstel , T. Miteva, M. Mucke, O. Björneholm, N. Sisourat, P. Slavíček^*, U. Hergenhahn^*, Nature Communications 9, 4988 (2018) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07501-6

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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From 3 to 7 December 2018 the Joint Prague-Weizmann Winter School on Drug Discovery was held at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in Rehovot, Israel. The event, the fifth in a series of annual summer school programs organized by the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague), was attended by scientists and experts from all over the world, including students, postdoctoral researchers, and lecturers from the Czech Republic.

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The project is primarily intended for PhD students and postdocs, who attend lectures by experts from research organizations and pharmaceutical companies on various subjects relating to drug development, from basic research and preclinical and clinical development to commercialization and marketing. Its comprehensive concept caught the interest of representatives from the Weizmann Institute of Science, who expressed a desire to help organize and host this year’s winter event.

Irit Sagi, dean of Feinberg Graduate School, the academic arm of the WIS, explains why the institute decided to become involved in the winter school project: “The decision to join the Prague summer school is the fruit of an ongoing scientific collaboration with Prague institutes which include student and post doc exchange programs. At the Weizmann we appreciate the opportunity as well as the value of internationalizing the scientific environment of our scientists. As we realize that our research activities in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery could benefit from such interactions we chose to team-up with world experts in our region which are based in IOCB, UCT and Charles University. Following the success of the joint Prague-WIS winter school we intend to continue this school next year in Prague.”

“I’m very grateful that, beginning this year, the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the most prestigious biological sciences research institutions in the world, is participating in the project. It shows that we’ve succeeded, together with the UCT, in establishing a meaningful and valuable endeavor, and this is also evident in the constantly growing interest on the part of students and speakers from academic institutions and commercial entities,” says Martin Fusek, deputy director of IOCB Prague and head of its tech-transfer company IOCB Tech.

The 5^th annual edition of the school enjoyed record attendance, with more than 120 scientists and students from all over the world participating, among whom 25 were from the Czech Republic. They attended lectures by representatives of important institutions and pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, and the Swiss company Roche.

The next edition will be held in Prague in the summer of 2019, again as a joint project of the UCT, IOCB Prague, and the WIS. “It’s a pleasure for me to watch as each year our project gains an ever-greater international dimension. It lets students learn not only from the invited experts but also from one another,” says Radek Cibulka, the main organizer of the school for the UCT and chairman of the UCT’s academic senate. “Discussions between students from various corners of the world primarily take place during the poster session, which is organized each year with a considerable degree of prestige,” adds Cibulka.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, 28.7.2018 - The ceremonial announcement of the winners of the 50th International Chemistry Olympiad at Prague’s Rudolfinum brought plenty of joy to the Czech contingent. The Czech Republic achieved its best result in modern history by winning three gold medals and one silver medal and placing fourth in the national team rankings. In addition, Jan Obořil finished in eighth place for overall individual performance. All this in the competition by a record number of 300 competitors from 76 countries. The Olympiad was jointly hosted by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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“Congratulations to all our medalists for such a terrific outcome. Chemistry is not one of our favourite disciplines in our schools, but we showed we can compete with the world’s best,” said Karel Melzoch, Rector of the University of Chemical Technology, Prague (UCT Prague), which—together with Comenius University in Bratislava—was responsible for organizing the jubilee year of the Olympiad.

Each competitor had to complete a total of eleven tasks, eight theoretical problems and three practical laboratory tasks. Among other things, students were asked to determine how much time it would take to boil Emperor Lothair II, to analyse the composition of a Slovak mineral water, to prepare an organic substance using Sava, and to reveal the origin of the colour of the Czech garnet. The tasks were developed by a teach of scientists from UCT Prague, Charles University, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and Comenius University in Bratislava.

Czech representatives performed perfectly in the practical part, with all four team members placing in the top ten. In the theoretical part, they achieved above-average results. Jan Obořil, Josef Tomeček and Miroslava Novoveská won gold medals and Richard Veselý won a silver. In the history of the independent Czech Republic, it is the best result ever. The team placed fourth overall after China, the USA, and Korea.

“It was an incredible success; moreover, it is more noteworthy that this year, students did not as many comments about the preparation conditions as in previous years because we had a lot to do while we were organizing the Olympiad. But the students with Mirek obviously kept pace and prepared perfectly,” explained Petr Holzhauser, President of the competition for the Czech Republic.

The absolute winner of the Olympiad was Qingyu Chen from China, which has traditionally been one of the biggest favorites. Last year, in Thailand, Czechs won three silver medals and one bronze medal.

In addition to the competition itself, a supplementary program was prepared for the competitors. In Slovakia, where the Olympics began on 19 July, they visited Bratislava and took trips to Banská Štiavnica, to Červený Kameň Castle, and participated in many other activities. A grand Summer IChO Party, open to the public and with concerts by Tata Bojs, Debbi and Kašpárka v rohlíku, awaited the students in Prague, followed by excursions to Solvay’s Quarry near Beroun and an unconventional tour of the capital.

Premiere of joint coordination

“The jubilee edition of the competition with the most talented students in the world was, for the first time in history, jointly organized by two countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “The possibility of organizing the Olympiad presented a great opportunity. First of all, it was helped by the fact that the first year of the competition took place in Prague 50 years ago and that this year we are celebrating a hundred years since the emergence of independent Czechoslovakia,” said Petr Holzhauser.

Both countries equally shared the costs for the event, which climbed to 45 million crowns. The original concerns by the International Chemical Olympics Steering Committee about the shared organization of the event were not confirmed. “In the end, it turned out to be a great idea, the atmosphere was very pleasant, and the event proceeded smoothly,” said I-Jy Shang, Chair of the Steering Committee. “I also appreciated the unprecedented creativity of the organizers who created a new Olympic Flag, an original logo, and the celebration for students, which traditionally was held just for them, was made into a festival, open to the public," added Shang.

Support of institutions and corporate partners

The organization of such a large international event would not have been possible without support from the state and other partners. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (as well as the Slovak Republic) did not hesitate to provide financial support as was the case with the City of Prague, Prague 6, the Czech Olympic Committee, and a number of large private entities headed by the Platinum Partner of the Olympics, the Unipetrol Group, the only oil processor and the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic.

Ranking of medallists

Within the framework of the International Chemistry Olympiad, the absolute winner was determined to be the student who earned the highest number of points in the sum of the practical and theoretical parts of the competition.

Gold, silver, and bronze medals were additionally awarded to students who cross a defined point boundary. This year, the gold medal threshold was 85 points and 35 students achieved this result.

Selection of students for the Czech team

Students for the Czech team were carefully chosen using a three-round selection system. The first criterion was placement in the National Round of the Chemistry Olympiad in Hradec Králové, from which the top 16 students were invited to a theoretical preparatory meeting at the UCT Prague. After further narrowing the list of competitors to the best 8 students, a practical preparatory event was organized by the Faculty of Science of Charles University, narrowing the team to four competitors. Three representatives participated in 2017’s IChO, competing for medals in Thailand.

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Dr. Martin Pumera, head of the excellence centre for Advanced Functional Nanorobots at UCT Prague was highly ranked as a Global Highly Cited Researcher for 2018. Other Czech colleagues who joined this elite contingent included Pavel Hobza from the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Biochemistry and Chemistry and Prof. Radek Zbořil from Palacký University Olomouc.

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From across twenty-one disciplines, ten Czech scientists ranked among more than 4,000 of the world’s most cited scholars according to Clarivate Analytics (US) using Web of Science data. 2,639 Americans, 546 British, and 482 Chinese scholars were also included in these rankings.

“I am highly appreciative of the long-term efforts of the entire team and all students and postdocs who worked with me. The Highly Cited Researcher ranking is based on hard data and illustrates how our work is of great interest to the scientific community,” said Marin Pumera.

Dr. Pumera was included in the 2017 rankings, but his primary affiliation at that time was Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. But this year, his affiliation is the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague as head of the Advanced Functional Nanorobots centre (Faculty of Chemical Technology, Department of Inorganic Chemistry).

Pumera’s team, as the name of the centre suggests, conducts research related to chemical nanorobots. In the future, they hope to implement nanorobots in biomedical and environmental settings.

Links

Global Highly Cited Researchers

Advanced Functional Nanorobots centre

Hydepark TV interview with Martin Pumera

For more information please contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Working in collaboration with teams from the Czech Republic and Japan, researchers from the Institut Pasteur, AP-HP and AP-HM have identified, for the first time, the likely origin of the cross-reactivity between cypress pollen, peaches and citrus fruits. Their work has shown that these sources contain allergens belonging to a new family of proteins involved in pollen food associated syndrome. This discovery, which was published in JACI on August 3^rd, paves the way for the development of novel allergy diagnostic tests.

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Today, more and more people suffer from allergies, especially in industrialized countries (where almost 30% of the population is affected). In view of this, doctors are observing an increase in cases of "pollen food associated syndrome", or "combination" allergies, i.e. those which occur via a cross-reaction between pollen (respiratory allergies) and food (food allergies).

In Mediterranean regions, allergic reactions to cypress pollen/peach and cypress pollen/citrus fruits have been described in clinical practice. In such cases, certain people, having been exposed and sensitized to cypress pollen from a young age, go on to develop allergies to citrus fruits and peaches in adulthood. It is estimated that 60% of food allergies occur in combination with respiratory allergies.

Although several explanations had been put forward regarding the increase in these combination allergies, such as environmental or lifestyle changes, the structural basis for the cross-reaction between cypress pollen and certain fruits had, until now, not been formally identified.

A translational study (combining clinical observation and academic research), directed by researchers from the Institut Pasteur and AP-HP, working in partnership with teams from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (Czech Republic) and Hokkaido University (Japan), and also the Pneumo-Allergy Unit at La Timone Hospital in Marseille (AP-HM), has revealed for the first time the underlying physicochemical and immunological mechanisms behind this cross-reaction.

In this study, the scientists analyzed the physicochemical, immunological and structural properties of BP14, an allergen identified in cypress pollen. They were able to demonstrate numerous similarities with the peach allergen Pru p 7 and the orange allergen Cit s 7, both of which belong to the "snakin/GRP" (Gibberellin-regulated protein) protein family. These observations led the researchers to establish that BP14, Pru p 7 and Cit s 7 were members of a new family of respiratory and food allergens involved in pollen food associated syndrome.

As study coordinator Pascal Poncet (from the Institut Pasteur’s Center for Innovation and Technological Research) explains: "a new concept has emerged – conditional sensitization. Once the immune system of an individual develops an intolerance to an allergen such as BP14, it is then more likely to become sensitive to similar allergens within the same protein family which are present in other allergen sources."

Demonstrating this cross-reactivity and identifying its causes could allow the new allergen family to be included in the battery of tests available to allergy sufferers, from which it is currently absent. As such, the discovery should contribute to improve allergy diagnosis, and lead to better patient treatment in keeping with the development of a personalized medicine.

Download the press release (docx)

PHOTO - download

Cypress pollen grains observed in scanning electron microscopy (2200X). Orbicules or "Ubisch bodies" (300 - 600nm granules), characteristics of Cupressaceae pollen, are visible on the surface of the exine (outer membrane).

Scientific Article - DOI : 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.06.041

Contact:

Michal Janovský,
Phone line: +420 220 444 159
Cell phone: +420 733 690 543
michal.janovsky@vscht.cz

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Prague, June 28, 2018 – Together, Czechia and Slovakia are hosting the 50th anniversary of the International Chemistry Olympiad, from July 19-29, 2018. Symbolically, in 1968, just before the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops, the historic first year of this competition for talented high school students took place in the former Czechoslovakia. At that time, 18 students from the three states of today’s Visegrád Four alliance took part in the Olympiad. This year, over 300 contestants from 76 countries will compete in Prague and Bratislava.

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The opening ceremony of the Olympiad will be held at Bratislava’s Old Market Square on July 20. Winners will be awarded during the ceremonial announcement of results which will take place eight days later in Prague’s Rudolfinum.

Individual representatives have gone through demanding competitions in national rounds and are usually each country’s four most talented students in the field of chemistry. Czechia will be represented by Miroslava Novoveská from Pilsen, Jan Obořil from Brno, Josef Tomeček from Slavičín, and Richard Veselý from Prague. At the Olympiad, they—together with other contestants— will complete three practical tasks in laboratories and eight theoretical tasks.

“The opportunity to organize the International Chemistry Olympiad is a great privilege. Last year, in Thailand, the ceremonies were held with the royal family in attendance. Next year’s event in Paris will be presided over by Jean Marie Lehn, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry,” said Karel Melzoch, Rector of the University of Chemical Technology in Prague, responsible for the Czech organization of this year’s Olympiad. The Slovak part of the program was organized by Comenius University in Bratislava.

In addition to a professional competition, a rich accompanying program with a number of sightseeing trips and sporting activities has been prepared for the contestants and their mentors. The biggest event will take place on Wednesday, July 25: the Summer IChO Party in Prague-Dejvice. Popular rock groups Tata Bojs and Kapspark as well as the singer Debbi will perform musical productions and other activities include interactive chemical experiments, a big fireworks show, presentation of the elite anti-chemical unit of the Czech Army, and a high-quality street food market. The event is open to the public.

“We have been preparing for the Olympiad for two years. This is an anniversary year and, at the same time, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia, so we wanted to exceed expectations and prepare for our guests a program for the Olympiad that they have not yet experienced yet,” said main organizer at UCT Prague, Petr Holzhauser. “I believe that everything will be done and that our guests will enjoy ten days full of chemistry, fun, and cognition of the Czech and Slovak beauties,” he added.

The importance of the International Chemistry Olympiad, with a budget exceeding 40 million Czech crowns, is well understood by representatives of Czech institutions. Financial support and auspices were graciously provided by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports; the City of Prague; Prague 6; the Czech Olympic Committee; and a number of large private entities led by the Platinum Partner of the Olympiad: Unipetrol Group, the only oil processor and the largest refining and petrochemical company in Czechia.

“Unipetrol's strategic partnership with UCT Prague dates back 17 years. Together, we award interesting diploma theses, provide scholarships, and contribute to nationwide projects such as the Chemistry Olympiad or the Modern Chemistry Hour. In 2015, we opened the University Center Prague - Unipetrol, where university students can study one of the four chemical disciplines on the premises of our chemical plant in Litvínov. This leads to the desirable interconnection of theory and practice,” says Tomáš Herink, Member of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol Group, responsible for investment, research, and development.

Other partners of the Olympiad are VWR International, Amgen, Casio, České dráhy a.s., Dermacol, Gilead Sciences, IOCB Tech, and the Bratislava Tourist Board.

Media partner is Český Rozhlas Plus.

Selection of students for the Czech team

Students were carefully selected using a three-round selection process in Czechia. The first criterion was the placement in the National Round of the Chemistry Olympiad in Hradec Králové, from which the top 16 students were invited to the theoretical preparatory meeting at UCT Prague. After further selection of the best 8 students, a practical preparatory focus was organized by the Faculty of Science at Charles University, the team was narrowed to four. Three of the four representatives already competed in Thailand last year as medalists.

Timeline: History of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)

1968 - First Olympiad, 18 contestants from three countries
1971 - The only year when IChO was not held (political reasons)
1977 - For the first time, successful Olympiad contestants were awarded Olympiad Medals
1980 - The Olympiad took place for the first time on the western side of the Iron Curtain, in Austria
1987 - For the first time, the number of contestants exceeded 100
1988 - The Olympiad welcomed the first Asian competitor
1998 - The first Olympiad took place in the Southern Hemisphere, in Australia
2002 - First contestant from Africa (Egypt)
2018 - For the first time, the two countries are organizing together; for the first time, more than 300 participants

Web of the event - 50icho.eu

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The Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast will lead one of the world’s largest food safety projects across Europe and China. The European Horizon 2020 programme and Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) programme have awarded €10 million towards an EU-China partnership to improve food safety and tackle food fraud.University of Chemistry and Technology will take part in the project as a leader of some partial tasks.

The EU-China-Safe project will involve key players in the food industry, research organisations and Governments across two of the world’s largest trading areas.

Food fraud manifests itself in many ways, from horse meat labelled and sold as beef, as was the case in Europe in 2013, to illicit oil which saw slaughterhouse waste and sewage used in cooking oil, known as the 2014 ‘gutter oil’ scandal in China.

EU-China-Safe will reduce food fraud and improve food safety through focusing on improving food legislation, food inspection and increasing access to information across both continents. State-of–the-art technologies including a virtual laboratory will create a unique space to share and demonstrate best practice. The use of innovative technologies will result in improved detection of adulteration of food products as well as increased traceability and transparency of global supply chains.

Professor Elliott, Pro-Vice Chancellor at Queen’s and project co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted that The Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University will lead this important project, bringing together key stakeholders in the global food system across two of the world’s largest trading markets.”

Professor Yongning Wu, Chief Scientist from the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, co-ordinator of the Chinese efforts in the project, stated: “The EU-China Safe partnership between our two trading regions is of immense importance to help deliver safe and genuine food to all citizens.

“Working together across China and the EU will enable us to identify where food fraud is happening, address the root causes and thereby enable us to improve food safety standards for all our citizens.”

Reported instances of food fraud are on the increase and occur on a global scale, worth an estimated $52 billion globally each year. Food fraud is a global issue demanding a global response. The increasingly complex global food supply network increases the risks of serious food borne illness.

Professor Elliott added: “This project will tackle these highly connected issues in a way that will serve to better protect several billion people. There is a pressing need to act internationally in response to emerging threats to food safety and fraud. Working together as a coalition of 33 partners to share knowledge and maximise our technologies will empower the food industry to provide safer, authentic food and will boost consumers’ confidence and ultimately facilitate the expansion of EU-China trade.”

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A delegation of representatives of Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy, Market Inspection of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, National Petroleum Committee of Serbia and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade participated in a three-day peer review visit to the Czech Republic, in the framework of the project: „Capacity Building for an Improved Mineral Fuel Quality Monitoring System – Transfer of Best Practices against Grey Economy (FUELPAGE)“.

The peer review programme was tailored in accordance with the topics of highest interest to the Serbian beneficiary institutions, led by Serbian ministry in charge of trade and market inspection as main know-how beneficiary, that have been raised and identified in the course of the first months of fuel quality monitoring activities conducted in Serbia, where FQM regulatory acts have been introduced on 1 December 2015, as part of harmonization of national legislation with the EU acquis communautaire.

As part of the visit programme the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade presented the system of Czech fuel quality monitoring and reporting system, while the Czech Market Inspection outlined their operations and inspection procedures related to sampling of petroleum products, in line with their competences for supervising fuel quality specifications as defined in European quality standards. The visit followed by meeting with the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic, where they have presented the field of their competences, projects in place and those in plan to be introduced.

As project goals foresee not only experience exchange on FQM and reporting to the European Commission, in line with Directive 98/70/EC and its subsequent amendments, but also best practices in fight against grey economy in the petroleum sector, the visit programme was extended by an Experience Exchange Forum on Marking of Petroleum Products, where representatives of Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy and Ministry in charge of trade and market inspection presented the benefits of this national programme in Serbia on the strengthening of legal flows and securing fair competition on the Serbian petroleum market. The presentation drew significant attention among Czech institutions and was attended by representatives of the Czech Customs Administration, Market Inspection, Ministry of Finance and Czech SGS.

The visit to one of the largest fuel stations in Prague included hands-on presentation of the FQM procedures with a simultaneous regular inspection visit of Czech Market Inspection to the fuel station and presentation of sampling procedure by a market inspector. In addition, a presentation on an SGS mobile laboratory was made, as well as on additional quality control activities run by commercial subjects in the Czech Republic according to the „Seal of Quality“ programme.

While the peer review programme ended with a visit to a fuel terminal of Čepro a.s., one of the leading companies for transport, storage and sale of petroleum products in the Czech Republic, the participants from institutions both from the Czech Republic and from Serbia have identified solid grounds for maintaining and further strengthening cooperation in the fields of mutual interest in the future.

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Prague, 20. 2. 2017 – A joint research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the University of Heidelberg, and the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) present results of a new method for experimental observation of electron-transfer mediated decay (ETMD) processes in the March 2017 issue of Nature Chemistry, “Observation of electron-transfer-mediated decay in Aqueous Solution” by Isaak Unger, Robert Seidel, Stephan Thürmer, Marvin N. Pohl, Emad F. Aziz, Lorenz Sm . Cederbaum, Eva Muchová, Petr Slavíček, Bernd Winter, and Nikolai V. Kryzhevoi.

This work utilizes X-rays to observe aqueous solutions in new ways. Historically, Nobel Prize winner (1914) Max von Laue was the first to discover diffraction of X-rays by crystals. This new research illustrates how chemists can use X-rays to observe ETMD in the liquid phase.

UCT Prague was represented on the project team by Prof. Petr Slavíček and RNDr. Eva Muchová.

According to Prof. Slavíček, Dr. Bernd Winter’s liquid microjet for photoelectron spectroscopy was key for this research, since it makes photoelectron spectroscopy applicable to highly volatile liquid solutions, including water.

Such techniques may have broad ranging future applications, according to RNDr. Muchová. The present work is just the first step into a new research field and future studies will reveal how ETMD spectroscopy may become a powerful tool for studying various properties of aqueous solutions.

Electrons emitted from highly volatile solution experience multiple elastic and inelastic collisions with gas-phase (water) molecules, and the latter must be avoided for detection of electron kinetic energies. The seemingly contradictory concept of achieving undisturbed electron travel in a region of high vapor pressure has been realized by the development of the vacuum liquid microjet technique. In tandem with the jet, an X-ray beam (with focal size matching the diameter of the jet), and the imaging focus of a hemispherical electron energy analyzer (EA) are spatially overlapped in the main interaction chamber.

Laboratory of theoretical photodynamics (Photox)’s main goal is to understand how controlling molecules with light is possible through the use of laser technology. Much of the work group is also dedicated to the development of new theoretical methods and approaches that deal with photodynamics.

RNDr. Eva Muchová, PhD. completed her master's degree and PhD studies at the Faculty of Science of Charles University. She’s been working at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague since 2013. Her scientific work focuses on theoretical photochemistry, photodynamics, and the development of new approaches for studying both models and realistic systems.

Prof. RNDr. Petr Slavíček, PhD. completed his master's degree at the Faculty of Science of Charles University and his PhD studies at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University. He finished his post-doctoral internship at the University of Illinois in the USA under Professor Martinez and earned the title of professor at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague. He also cooperates with the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) is a technical research university with a prestigious international reputation. UCT Prague was founded in 1952 and currently consists of four faculties - the Faculty of Chemical Technology, the Faculty of Environmental Technology, the Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology and the Faculty of Chemical Engineering.

Translation assistance from interns Caroline Coulter, Brandon Donohoe, Ellen Lechman

Full text

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The University of Chemistry and Technology Prague is continuing its collaboration with The Molson Coors Brewing Company, the world’s third largest beer producer. A ceremonial signing of a partnership memorandum took place on January 16 during a visit by European Molson Coords managers to the university.

Signatories included UCT Prague Rector Prof. Karel Melzoch; Simon Cox, President and CEO of Molson Coors Europe; and Ing. Petr Kovařík, Managing Director of Molson Coors Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Under the agreement, UCT Prague students are able to participate in the Staropramen trainee program as well as to take part in internships and excursions at the Staropramen brewery, which is also providing topics of investigation for Bachelor and Master theses.

The Molson Coors Brewing Company produces 21 million hectoliters of beverage products annually and employs more than 6,200 workers worldwide. In the Czech Republic, the company owns the Ostravar and Braník brands in addition to Staropramen.

The Czech branch of the company employees a number of UCT Prague graduates, as do the majority of breweries in the Czech Republic, a result of the university’s long tradition of educating brewers and managers at the Department of Biotechnology.

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šířka 450px The final event of the FUELPAGE project consortium, the Second Capacity Building Training Workshop, was held on 20 September in Belgrade, at the premises of the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Following joint work and activities in the framework of the FUELPAGE project conducted since the official launch of the project in February, the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT) in cooperation with the Czech Association of Petroleum Industry and Trade (ČAPPO) delivered the second and final training workshop to a group of representatives of the beneficiary institutions – the Serbian Market Inspection of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy, the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade.

Bearing in mind that the early months of implementation of FQM framework in Serbia raised numerous questions in terms of its adequate implementation and the need for further adaptations of the established system, the workshop attracted wide attention among beneficiary institutions and resulted in prolific and straight-forward discussions aiming at drawing joint conclusions.

The introductory session of the workshop entailed addresses by Ivana Hlavsová - Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Serbia, Lidija Stojanović - Assistant Minister and Chief Trade Inspector of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, Petar Škundrić - President of the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia, Milan Pospišil - Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development at University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague and Snežana Ristić - Head of Division for Legal and Economic Activities in the Field of Crude Oil, Petroleum Products and Natural Gas, Oil and Gas Department at Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia.

The workshop presentations delivered by the Czech know-how providers represented by UCT and ČAPPO covered the following topics:

Detailed Inspection Procedure in the Czech Republic;
Responses to the Questions of Highest Interest of beneficiary institutions in the Project;

As the conclusion, the Czech partners provided an outline of recommendations for the improvement of the Serbian FQM and the workshop was followed by the project Working Group meeting where joint discussions continued on the finalization of the project Study with Short-Term and Long-Term proposals for the enhancement of the Serbian fuel quality monitoring framework based on the best practices applied in the Czech Republic and needs of the Serbian partners. The final project months will be dedicated to delivering this joint task of the FUELPAGE project Working Group.

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The FUELPAGE project is co-financed in the framework of the CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP Italy), sponsored by the CEI Fund at the EBRD entirely financed by Italy. The CEI grant amounts to 17,445 EUR out of a total project cost of 48,100 EUR.

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Prague – The Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition at the University of Chemical Technology, Prague, led by Professor Jana Hajslova, became Europe’s first laboratory for medical cannabis products to receive Patient Focused Certification (PFC), a quality standard issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) Cannabis monograph.

The only other five certified laboratories in the world are all located in the USA.

"PFC serves both government authorities and end users. It guarantees that medical cannabis products have the strength, composition, purity, and identity they claim to constitute or possess," said Dr. Jahan Marcu, chief auditor for Americans for Safe Access Foundation (ASAF).

"This is the first laboratory which passed certification with flying colors. Industrial and academic laboratories in the United States could learn from Professor Hajslova," he added at a talk at UCT Prague’s Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition.

ASA works closely with the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), a center of excellence for cannabis and cannabinoids research initiated to share experiences in clinical and basic research, medical informatics, administration, legislative efforts and studies, product security protocols, and the production and distribution of cannabis products.

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In August 2016, the one year project of institutional cooperation with the University of Tromsoe (Establishing of Institutional Cooperation Between UIT The Arctic University of Norway and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague in education in the field of food quality and biotechnology, NF-ICP-CZ07 3-180-2015) funded by Norwegian funds and EHP funds, Program of cooperation between schools and scholarships, was finished. The project was primarily focused on creating and strengthening partnerships between the UCT Prague and the Norwegian partner University. Within the project, several mobilities of students and professors were realized, and interactive training seminars and webinars were organized. Czech and Norwegian participants were very satisfied with the project outputs, and found it to be very useful in terms of strengthening the professional competencies of both Universities and utilization of new research-based relationships within applying for new projects. Details about realized activities can be found on the project website www.uct-uit-cooperation.eu.

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The most recent edition of the well respected Times Higher Education unviersity rating for 2016 placed UCT Prague as one of 5 Czech universities to reach the class of 601-800th best schools. In one of the key aspects - quality of education - UCT Prague reached 2nd place between the 5 Czech schools.

Times Higher Education belongs, along the Shanghai based QS Ratings, to the most respected university rating systems. Main 5 criteria are judged –education, cooperation with industries, international relations, research and citations.

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Prague, September 19 – Prof. Jana Hajšlová from University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague was honoured with the prestigeous Harvey W. Wiley Award for 2016. Prof. Hajšlová was given the award at a ceremony in Dallas, Texas, during the 130th member’s meeting of the AOAC International asociation, which plays an important role as a platform for scientists using analytical methods regularily.

While at the conference, prof. Hajšlová gave a presenation on today’s technical procedures and challanges in food analysis, be it for quality, security or authenticity‘s sake.

Since 1956, the Harvey W. Wiley Award is the most prestigeous award that AOAC grants. It is bestowed upon researchers, who attribute to the development of official analytical methods in an extraordinary way. It is named after Dr. Wiley, who has attributed greatly to legislature regulating food quality.

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MultiCoop addresses the EC call “H2020-TWINN-2015”, topic “Twinning” by implementing activities that will help in enhancing a research potential of both of staff involved and particularly institution from widening country.
Project, coordinated by the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague), was set up to provide multidisciplinary approach to strengthen cooperation and establish novel platform for comprehensive assessment of food and feed safety, among three institutes – UCT Prague, Czech Republic, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), UK and University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria. The project will run for three years 2016 – 2018.
MultiCoop is aimed at promoting new opportunities for participating partners (VSCHT, QUB and BOKU) by development of levels of excellence and expertise of all three institutions in the field of comprehensive food and feed safety assessment. A major focus will be in enhancing the range of competences of VSCHT. The main objectives and goals of the project are (i) the establishment of close links between project partners through organization of a series of training and mobility initiatives, (ii) dissemination and communication of project outcomes achieved by raising scientific capacity and through publication of joint scientific papers, (iii) the identification of new and important research topics which will result in further development of new collaborations through preparation of joint projects proposals, and (iv) enhancement of the profiles and competences of participating researchers. The main interests for substantial knowledge transfer are innovation in the field of analytical chemistry incorporating holistic analytical approach for analytical methods for targeted analysis of contaminants and health beneficial compounds, analytical approaches for non-targeted screening and metabolomic fingerprinting/profiling, and methods for identification of important metabolomic markers. Furthermore, interests in fit-for-purpose methods for assessment of currently unknown risks resulting from presence of mixtures of chemical contaminants in food and feed and novel approaches used in bioprospecting, a new tool for uncovering important natural resources for improving health are included. Our strategy is the delivery of knowledge transfer from partners with the greatest experience and expertise in a particular field to those whose needs are the greatest. A substantial benefit for this effective knowledge transfer is that a partial overlap of partners´ competencies exists, which will allow for a smooth implementation of the knowledge gained by the particular partner institution.
To receive more information about project activities, please visit project website on www.multicoop.eu or send your enquiry to the e-mail address: multicoop@vscht.cz

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Prague, May 25 - Scientists from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) have created an affordable device to assist security agencies in rapid and reliable detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents. Assoc. Prof. Martin Vrňata from the UCT Prague, Department of Physics and Measurements has led the NATO-supported project team (also including the Czech University of Defense; Yerevan State University, Armenia; and the Armenian National Bureau of Expertises) for the past two years.

šířka 450px While highly sophisticated detection equipment already exists for chemical warfare agents and explosives, this equipment is often very expensive and only able to be used by specialized departments with skilled personel. "We are working to develop sensors for devices that will be accessible and affordable for police, firefighters, and other first response units," said Assoc. Prof. Vrňata.

The sensors (chemiresistors) in these devices detect either volatile taggants in explosives or chemical warfare agents The interaction between sensitive layer of the chemiresistor and the detected substances results to change in electrical resistance or impedance of the device, which is easily measurable.
Legally manufactured explosives must contain higher vapor pressure identifiers - taggants which can be detected by our sensors. "Illegally manufactured explosives do not contain such taggants,but they are often produced in an amateur manner, so as a result, they also usually contain significant amount of compounds producing detectable gaseous substances," said M. Vrňata.

Development and testing of sensors is quite a complicated procedure. UCT Prague cannot directly handle warfare agents such as Sarin, Soman, or mustard gas, so sensors are first tested on so-called simulants that resemble warfare agents, but are not hazardous to humans. Sensors are then taken to the laboratory of the University of Defense in Vyškov, which has permission to work with real warfare agents. "Only then can we say we have a sensor which can be used in real conditions. To date, we have produced eight promising types of such sensors," said M. Vrňata.

Project team member Ing. David Tomeček has already been awarded several prizes, from the point of view of research applicability (first place ABB best diploma thesis award; second place - Crytur best diploma thesis award) and from point of view of scientific merit (EMRS 2016 Lille Young Scientist Award).

More information: Michal Janovský, Michal.Janovsky@vscht.cz, cell: +420 733 690 543

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101 Department of Inorganic Chemistry
105 Department of Inorganic Technology
106 Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
107 Department of Glass and Ceramics
108 Department of Solid State Chemistry
110 Department of Organic Chemistry
111 Department of Organic Technology
112 Department of Polymers
126 Department of Solid State Engineering
141 Laboratory of Inorganic Materials
143 Department of Informatics and Chemistry
148 Department of Chemical Technology of Monument Conservation
150 Dean’s Office of Faculty of Chemical Technology

215 Department of Petroleum Technology and Alternative Fuels
216 Department of Gaseous and Solid Fuels and Air Protection
217 Department of Water Technology and Environmental Engineering
218 Department of Power Engineering
240 Department of Environmental Chemistry
241 Department of Sustainability and Product Ecology
251 Dean’s Office of Faculty of Enviromental Technology

319 Department of Biotechnology
320 Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
321 Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
322 Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics
323 Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition
324 Department of Food Preservation
342 Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds
352 Dean’s Office of Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology

402 Department of Analytical Chemistry
403 Department of Physical Chemistry
409 Department of Chemical Engineering
413 Department of Mathematics (replaced by 446)
444 Department of Physics and Measurements
445 Department of Computing and Control Engineering (replaced by 446)
446 Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
453 Dean’s Office of Faculty of Chemical Engineering

504 University Centre UCT Prague - Unipetrol
550 Department of the National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology (NIVB)
554 Department for the History of the Chemical Industry and Applied Chemistry
557 BIOMEDREG
558 Metrology and Testing Laboratory
559 Prague University Analytical Center
560 BAFA
570 Technoparc Kralupy UCT Prague

712 Director´s Office
713 Finance Department
721 Operating Department
723 Sázava Dormitory
724 Volha Dormitory
731 Technical Department
747 Conference Center
748 Recreation facility Jáchymov
749 Recreation facility Pec p. Sněžkou
755 Volha Canteen
756 Club Carbon
757 Zikova Canteen
758 Camping site Běstvina

827 Department of Physical Education and Sport
832 Department of Chemical Education and Humanities
834 Department of Languages
837 Department of Economics and Management

929 General Practitioner
930 Crèche Zkumavka
938 Department of Internal Auditing
939 Department of Supervision
940 Counselling and Career Centre
955 Project Centre
961 Rector's Secretariat
962 Registrar's Secretariat
963 Department of Education
965 Research and Technology Transfer Office
966 Personnel Department
968 Records Office
969 Supplies Department
971 Finance Department
972 Department of Safety and Risk Prevention
974 Department of International Relations
976 Department of Construction and Maintenance
977 Department of Building Administration
979 Department of Communication
980 Central Laboratories
990 Computer Centre
991 Department of Strategic Planning
992 Hollow Glass Workrooms
994 Technology Transfer Office
995 Department of Operation and Technical Services
996 Department of Public Order
997 Centre for Information Services UCT Library UCT Press
998 Vice-Rector's without Portfolio Office

UCT Prague - A challenge that pays off

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