Seminář Jacobus van Grootel, B.Sc.
2025-05-14 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Prague) | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Evolutionary diversification of actomyosin-driven early embryo morphogenesis”
The shape of an animal arises during embryo morphogenesis and involves rotatory movements of
cells relative to eachother. These movements are driven by forces that arise in the actomyosin
cytoskeleton. Biophysical studies in C. elegans have unraveled many of the physcial mechanisms
underlying morphogenetic cell rotations. However, little is known about whether and how these
physical mechanisms diversified. We set out to study this by analyzing actomyosin-driven
morphogenesis in a panel of nematode species that covers more than 100 million years of
evolutionary distance. Although the overall pattern of cell orientations displays little variability in
these nematodes, we find striking differences in the actomyosin behavior. This indicates that
different force-generating mechanisms underlie similar types of morphogenetic cell rotations.
Altogether, these results are indicative of developmental systems drift, where different physical
mechanisms give rise to a similar developmental outcome.

Seminář David Machač, M.Sc.
2025-05-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“RORγt⁺ Regulatory T Cells establish a memory footprint for the primary microbiota”
A balanced immune system relies on regulatory T cells (Tregs) to prevent excessive immune responses. While thymus-derived Tregs are well known, a unique subset of microbiota-specific, peripherally induced RORγt⁺ Tregs has emerged as a critical regulator of intestinal immunity and crosstalk with microbial communities. Our data suggests that RORγt⁺ Tregs function as an immunological “memory,” safeguarding beneficial primordial microbiota, thus offering a novel paradigm for gut immune homeostasis.

Lectures „Thermoneutrality and thermogenesis“ and „Thermogenesis: by which means?“
2025-05-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Kinosal, Vídeňská 1083, Praha

Seminář Alexandra Urbančoková, M.Sc.
2025-05-28 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“PML nucleolar association: What is it and what does it do?”
Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is a multivalent stress response protein that, upon specific genotoxic stress, can organize into a unique structure that encloses nucleolar material, termed the PML-nucleolar association (PNA). PNAs were described in both senescent cells and cells harboring DNA damage. We investigated the origin, dynamics, and signaling pathways leading to PNA formation. Our recent findings suggest that PNAs are involved in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) damage response by sequestration of persistent rDNA lesions and promote cellular senescence. Further analysis of PNA-associated proteins reinforces their involvement in the rDNA damage response. Together, these insights contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the functional relevance of PNAs in rDNA maintenance and cellular genotoxic stress response.

Přednáška pro nevědce a nevědkyně - V. Varga
2025-06-02 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
„Cesta do nitra buňky“
Během přednášky podnikneme cestu do nitra živé buňky. Ukážeme si, jaké nástroje vědci používají, aby odhalili její mikroskopické struktury, a jak lze tyto detaily převést do podoby, kterou můžeme spatřit
pouhým okem. Zároveň zjistíme něco překvapivého – naše buňky mají víc společného, než byste čekali, s buňkami nebezpečných parazitů, například s původcem spavé nemoci. Jak moc jsme si podobní a co to pro nás znamená? To vše odhalíme v průběhu přednášky.

Seminář Piergiorgio Percipalle
2025-06-04 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Chromatin Architecture and Gene Regulation by Actin and Myosin in Health and Disease”
Chromosomes are arranged in distinct chromosome territories, within which chromatin is further organized into chromatin compartments and topologically associating domains (TADs). By orchestrating DNA loops and promoter-enhancer interactions, this spatial organization of the genome plays a crucial role in gene expression and ultimately has a critical impact on cell identity. Disruptions in these hierarchical layers of genome organization can lead to aberrant expression of entire gene programs, contributing to various diseases, including metabolic and genetic disorders. Understanding these spatial features provides critical insights into genome function and potential therapeutic strategies. Architectural proteins such as CTCF and cohesin have been shown to play key roles in genome organization. In this talk, I will primarily focus on the critical role of nuclear actin and myosin in regulating 3D genome organization at the chromatin level and how these mechanisms, once impaired, affect metabolic reprogramming in the context of tumorigenesis and differentiation, including adipogenesis.

EMBO Practical Course "Super-resolution in Light Microscopy"
2025-06-15 - 2025-06-22 | IMG
Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the upcoming EMBO Practical Course „Super-resolution in Light Microscopy,“
taking place from June 15–22, 2025, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMG) in Prague.

This 8-day course combines theoretical talks, lectures from leading experts in the field, and practical demonstrations with hands-on sessions using advanced microscopy systems.

Following the introductory day, the course is structured into three thematic 2-day blocks:

Confocal-based super-resolution (optical/mathematical reassignment, adaptive deconvolution, and radial fluctuations)
Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM)
Nanoscopy techniques (Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy – SMLM, and Stimulated Emission Depletion microscopy – STED)

The last day is focused on deconvolution of SR images and QC approaches.

For the course, we have gathered an outstanding group of international experts who will deliver lectures and keynotes and participate actively in practical demonstrations. Leading microscopy companies will provide their latest super-resolution systems, with application specialists guiding dedicated hands-on sessions.

The course is ideally suited for biologists, microscopy facility staff, and imaging specialists who wish to enhance their practical expertise and remain at the forefront of microscopy innovations.

The registration deadline is April 14, 2025.
The course is offered in a hybrid format: 20 in-person seats and 25 virtual participant slots are available.

Course in numbers:
16 expert lectures and keynotes by global leaders in microscopy.
38 intensive practical hours to master super-resolution techniques.
12 advanced microscopy systems from industry-leading producers.
4 interactive discussions exploring specialized microscopy topics.
3 amazing social events for networking with experts

Detailed course information and registration are available at:
https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-superres-light-microscopy

Programme overview:
https://meetings.embo.org/files/2025-03/embo-practical-course-srlm-2025-overview.pdf

You can follow us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embo_pc_srlm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embopcsrlm/

We encourage you to apply soon and look forward to welcoming you to Prague!

Best regards,

EMBO Organizing Team

Prof. Bradley Launikonis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2025-06-23 15:00 - 16:00 | Kinosal, Vídeňská 1083, Praha
Lecture „The role of ryanodine receptors in muscle function“
Ryanodine receptors (RyR) are the Ca2+ release channel of skeletal muscle, which are responsible for rapidly releasing a large amount of Ca2+ upon electrical stimulation to evoke contraction. In the resting muscle, RyR leak Ca2+ and require the expenditure of energy to maintain steady state Ca2+ content of the intracellular Ca2+ store. It is this function that regulates multiple processes in the muscle, including the regulation of Ca2+ permeability of the plasma membrane and distribution of Ca2+ across the intracellular compartments, non-shivering thermogenesis and adaptation to changes in muscle activity. In this talk I will describe how RyR basal function controls the movements of Ca2+ between cellular compartments following changes in the RyR due to mutations, intense exercise and changes in activity. To do this I will present novel techniques for measuring Ca2+ movements and heat generation within the fibre that we have used in conjunction with muscle from transgenic mice and fibres isolated from biopsies of human muscle.

Lecture „The role of ryanodine receptors in muscle function“
2025-06-23 15:00 - 16:00 | Kinosal, Vídeňská 1083, Praha

Seminář Rositsa Maystorova, M.Sc.
2025-06-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Ontogeny of zebrafish erythropoietic waves”
Hematopoiesis is the process of blood formation, which occurs in multiple waves during vertebrate development. In zebrafish, the first wave initiates before 24 hours post-fertilization with the generation of primitive myeloid cells from cephalic mesoderm and primitive erythrocytes in the intermediate cell mass. The first definitive wave is transient, and it produces erythro-myeloid progenitors in the posterior blood island at 26-30hpf. The next definitive wave forms hematopoietic stem cells from the aortic endothelium, which migrate to the caudal hematopoietic tissue, and later colonize the kidneys and thymus. Despite the importance of zebrafish as a model organism, it has been challenging to study the erythroid waves in fish in detail, and our knowledge about these processes is limited and predominantly focused on their emergence. Through our work, we are providing more information on the dynamics of the erythroid waves, as well as globin gene expression patterns in the primitive and definitive populations. Additionally, we have managed to identify novel factors playing a role in the globin switch from larval to adult globins.

Seminar "Adoptive cell therapy with Treg cells obtained from thymic tissue (thyTreg): from a clinical trial using autologous cells to preclinical research exploring allogeneic applications"
2025-07-03 15:00 - 16:30 | Posluchárna 0.195 / Lecture room 0.195
We would like to invite you to the seminar
**********************************
Dr. Marjorie Pion

„Adoptive cell therapy with Treg cells obtained from thymic tissue (thyTreg): from a clinical trial using autologous cells to preclinical research exploring allogeneic applications“
The seminar will be held on 3rd July 2025 at 15:00 in the Lecture room (0.195) at IMG.
For more information see: https://www.img.cas.cz/2025/06/86929-seminar-marjorie-pion/

7th Annual CCP Phenogenomics Conference
2025-09-11 - 2025-09-12 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
Dear colleagues and members of the research community,
It is my great pleasure to invite you to the 7th Annual CCP Phenogenomics Conference, taking place on September 11–12, 2025 at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Prague.
Continuing a tradition of scientific excellence, this hybrid conference offers a unique forum to exchange knowledge and advance research in the fields of rare diseases, gene and cell therapy development, and preclinical modeling with animal systems.
We are proud to host a lineup of distinguished speakers, including leading international experts and innovators, who will present groundbreaking findings and cutting-edge technologies. Highlights include keynote lectures on in vivo gene function studies,
advanced genotype-phenotype integration via bioinformatics, and the rapidly evolving field of genome programming for tailored therapeutic solutions.
A special focus will be placed on bottom-up approaches to gene therapy development, integrating basic research with clinical perspectives through sessions featuring not only scientists but also representatives from patient advocacy groups and rare disease foundations.
This interdisciplinary dialogue aims to foster collaboration and accelerate translation from bench to bedside.
Participation in the scientific sessions is offered free of charge for all academic attendees, underlining our commitment to supporting the scientific community and encouraging broad engagement.
For detailed information on the full conference programme, featured speakers, and registration, please visit our website at https://www.ccp-conference.cz/.
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues and students who may be interested.
Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you in Prague this September.
Best regards,

Radislav Sedláček
Director of the Czech Centre for Phenogenomics
Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Seminář Vadym Sulimenko
2025-10-01 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Regulation of microtubule organization in glioblastoma cells by GIT2 phosphorylation”
Glioblastoma, the most aggressive common type of brain cancer in humans, carries a very poor prognosis for patient survival. Microtubules are critical for cell division and mesenchymal migration, processes that strongly influence tumor viability and invasiveness. While the reorganization of highly dynamic microtubules is central to these events, the mechanisms by which microtubules contribute to glioblastoma cell motility remain poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that ARF GTPase-activating proteins (GITs) associate with γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) proteins. Here, we show that GIT2 localizes to centrosomes, regulates microtubule organization and cell motility. Our findings indicate that the ArfGAP domain of GIT2 and protein kinase C (PKC) are essential for controlling microtubule nucleation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that glioblastoma cells can be effectively treated with newly developed functionalized upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs), which represent a promising new approach for photodynamic therapy of glioblastoma.

Seminář Katarína Ondrušková
2025-10-08 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“How Cells Keep DNA Replication in Check”
Accurate DNA replication is the foundation of genome stability and cell survival. Our study uncovers a key “gatekeeper” complex that ensures the molecular machinery starting DNA replication is properly assembled and regulated. When this control breaks down, replication becomes uncoordinated, leading to stress, genetic instability, and changes often seen in cancer cells. By revealing this hidden layer of replication control, our work opens new opportunities to understand how cells protect their genomes and how these mechanisms could be exploited in cancer therapy.

Seminář Kihyuck Kwak
2025-10-15 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
“Intrinsic mechanisms governing B cell discrimination between self and non-self antigens”

100th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Milan Hašek
2025-10-23 13:00 - 16:00
Dear colleagues and friends,
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Milan Hašek (October 4, 1925),
a giant of Czech immunology. He was not only an outstanding scientist, immunologist,
biologist, and physician, but also an inspiring mentor to an entire generation of researchers,
many of whom emigrated after 1968 and became respected ambassadors of Czech immunology
abroad. His insatiable curiosity, innovative spirit, and experimental precision, often bordering
on genius, earned him worldwide recognition as a co-discoverer of immune tolerance.
When this year’s Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Prof. Shimon Sakaguchi, was
invited to Prague, his response was clear: “I would be delighted to visit the country that gave
the world Milan Hašek.”
We are pleased to invite you to a mini-conference dedicated to the centennial of Prof. Milan
Hašek’s birth.
📅 October 23, 2025
📍 Hašek Lecture Hall, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences
🕐 1:00–4:00 PM (followed by refreshments)
Invited speakers include:
• Prof. MUDr. Juraj Ivanyi, Emeritus Professor of Immunology of Infectious Diseases,
King’s College London, long-term collaborator and close friend of Prof. Hašek
• Prof. RNDr. Vladimír Holáň, DrSc., leading Czech immunologist specializing in
transplant immunology and immunoregulation, former researcher at the Institute of
Experimental Medicine of the CAS and Prof. Hašek’s last PhD student
• RNDr. Jiří Hejnar, CSc., Head of the Laboratory of Viral and Cellular Genetics, IMG
CAS, expert in endogenous retroviruses, viral receptors, and gene editing in poultry
• Mgr. Ondřej Štěpánek, Ph.D., Head of the Laboratory of Adaptive Immunity, holder
of the EMBO Installation and ERC Starting Grants, and Horizon Europe Grant, focused
on fundamental aspects of T-cell biology in infection, cancer, and autoimmunity
• Mgr. Jan Dobeš, Ph.D., Head of the Laboratory of Microbial Immunity, Department
of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University; recipient of the Česká hlava
“Invence” Award (2023), “ACTERIA Early Career Research Prize”, and grants Junior
Star, Primus, and ERC.CZ, focused on peripheral tolerance and gut immunity
• Mgr. Matouš Vobořil, Ph.D., Head of the newly established Laboratory of Viral
Immunology, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University;
laureate of the Česká hlava “Doctorandus” Award (2020) and holder of Junior Star and
Primus grants, focused on immune tolerance and antiviral immunity
• Mgr. Jiří Březina, Ph.D., Postdoctoral researcher at VIB Ghent, Belgium – studying
novel mechanisms underlying the establishment of central tolerance
We warmly look forward to seeing you and celebrating the scientific legacy of Prof. Milan
Hašek together.
RNDr. Petr Dráber, DrSc., MUDr. Luca Vannucci, PhD., RNDr. Dominik Filipp, CSc.

Seminář Rositsa Maystorova
2025-10-29 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium

RNA Club
2025-10-31 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium

49th Advances in Molecular Biology & Genetics
2025-11-03 - 2025-11-14 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
Dear colleagues,

I would like to invite you to register online for the seminar course Advances in Molecular Biology and Genetics and share news concerning the course. The program of the 49th course is available here:

https://pokroky.img.cas.cz/programme/

The course is a two week lecture series and is particularly suitable for individual study plans (ISPs) of the first year PhD students in biomedicine as lectures cover broad area of molecular biology and biomedical research. The course is accredited at the Charles University as MPGS0034 (https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/predmety/index.php?do=predmet&kod=MPGS0034). Therefore, attending the seminar course is recognized as a fulfilled study requirement in PhD programs in biomedicine at the Charles University. In the past, some students came from the University of Chemistry and Technology (VSCHT) and the Czech University of Life Sciences (CZU). The course is held in English and will take place in Hasek lecture hall at IMG from November 3rd until 14th, 2025.

For attending the course, we kindly (but firmly) ask all participants to register at the site of the course:

https://event.img.cas.cz/registration/advances2025/

The course is for free, i.e. there is no registration fee. Please, note that this registration is in addition to the course registrations/recordings at universities in PhD programs. It is for us and it is necessary, so we can have a list of all attending students before the meeting starts. Then we can make sure that there is enough cakes during coffee breaks and can keep track of attendance, which is needed for the credit.

Further details can be found at the website of the course: https://pokroky.img.cas.cz/

If you have any questions, please, contact: pokroky@img.cas.cz

With kind regards
Petr Svoboda & Jiri Jonak on behalf of the organizing team

Seminář Ludger Klein
2025-11-05 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Role of B cells in central T cell tolerance”
Tolerance to self-antigens is a fundamental property of the immune system. During central tolerance induction in the thymus, autoreactive T cells are either eliminated or diverted into the regulatory T cell lineage. Both processes are dependent on the presentation of self-antigens by thymic antigen presenting cells (APCs). Commonly, dendritic cells and medullary thymic epithelial cells are believed to represent the key APCs for central T cell tolerance. The thymus also harbours a distinct population of B cells, raising the possibility that thymic B cells serve a non-redundant APC function in central T cell tolerance induction. I will discuss our ongoing work to test this hypothesis through large scale comparisons of the TCR composition of ‘normally’ selected T cell repertoires versus repertoires selected in the absence of B cells or Dendritic cells or both.

Seminář Igor Adameyko
2025-11-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“The atlas of placodal development helps to decipher their evolutionary origin”
In this talk I will present our single cell and spatial transcriptomics data, which I will place into the light of the current ideas about the placodal evolution. Neurogenic placodes are specialized embryonic ectodermal thickenings in the head that give rise to sensory neurons, sensory receptor and glial cell, and endocrine tissues. They, together with the neural crest, form the basis of the vertebrate cranial sensory and neurosecretory systems. Placodes are unique to vertebrates and represent a major evolutionary innovation that allowed the elaboration of the vertebrate „new head“ – the complex sensory apparatus and associated ganglia that support the information flows necessary for effective predation and movement. They may have evolved from ancestral epidermal sensory cell fields present in protochordates (like tunicates or amphioxus).

Single-cell course – laboratory methods
2025-11-18 - 2025-11-21 | Posluchárna 0.195 / Lecture room 0.195
Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to invite you to an intensive introductory three-day course on Single-cell analysis - from qPCR to sequencing, organised by the Institute of Biotechnology (Radek Šindelka) and the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Michal Kolář).

Dates: November 18, 19, and 21
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Krč Campus (IMG Lecture room 0.195 – Jágr’s hall)

This course will provide valuable insights and practical skills in the rapidly evolving field of laboratory methods for single-cell analyses and spatial transcriptomics. With a maximum of 25 participants, you’ll receive personalised attention and the opportunity to engage deeply with the subject.

In early December, a course on bioinformatical analysis will follow up with particular focus on single-cell RNA-seq data.

If you’re interested in joining us, please respond via email to sindelka@ibt.cas.cz as soon as possible, as space is limited.

We look forward to an enriching experience together!

Best regards,

Radek Šindelka & Michal Kolář

FlowJo™ 11 training
2025-11-18 09:30 - 12:30 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
Dear colleagues,
on November 18th 2025 we will organize FlowJo™ 11 training with Ioannis Panetas, Ph.D.- application specialist from BD.
FlowJo is a powerful cytometry data analysis software available to users of our Flow Cytometry Core Facility.
More information about FlowJo: https://www.flowjo.com/solutions/flowjo
This year, the training will focus on the new version 11, which, in terms of the user interface and some features, is quite different from the previous version. This training is therefore also suitable for more experienced FlowJo users who have not yet become familiar with version 11.

Tuesday November 18th 2025, 9:30 am — 12:30pm
Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Vídeňská 1083
142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Hašek Auditorium

9:30 AM – 10:15 AM | Unveiling FlowJo 11, the future of data analysis
Come hear about the newest version of FlowJo Software! We’ll tour the new immersive workbench and discuss features unique to this version such as the Metadata Manager, Graph Gallery, virtual concatenation, charts, and integrated algorithms.
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Hands-on training for FlowJo 11
Attendees will be guided through the analysis of a shared data set. To participate, users are expected to bring their own laptop, complete all downloads and installs, and have an active FlowJo Portal license. Please follow the instructions here

If you don‘ have license on your laptop, please check yes in the related question in registration form and BD will send you temporary license.

There is no fee for the training.

If you want to attend, please fill the registration form: https://forms.gle/23UrU6fmdn7TxSxCA
Best regards
Matyáš Šíma

Seminář Nándor Nagy
2025-11-19 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Understanding the enteric nervous system development through the avian embryo model: implications for regenerative biology”
In this presentation, I will provide an overview of enteric nervous system (ENS) development from the perspective of the avian embryo. The ENS, often referred to as the “second brain,” originates from vagal neural crest cells that migrate into the developing gut and differentiate into neuronal and glial networks that regulate intestinal function.
Avian species, particularly chicken and quail, have long served as powerful model organisms for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating ENS formation, because their embryos are easily accessible, rapidly developing, and highly suitable for experimental manipulation. Today, with new tools such as in ovo electroporation, retroviral gene transfer, and CRISPR-based editing, the avian model again provides unique opportunities to study enteric neurogenesis in vivo.
Integrating classical embryonic manipulation approaches with single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses now provides a comprehensive framework for understanding enteric neurogenesis, lineage diversification, and the evolutionary conservation of neural crest–derived systems across vertebrates.

Seminář Tomas Paulenda
2025-11-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“The immunoregulatory properties of the metabolite itaconate”
In this talk I will present my latest findings of the function of immunoregulatory metabolite itaconate. Itaconate accumulates in innate immune cells upon Toll-like receptor stimulation. In response to macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharide, itaconate inhibits inflammasome activation and boosts type I interferon signalling; however, the molecular mechanism of this immunoregulation remained unclear. Here, we show that the enhancement of type I interferon secretion by itaconate depends on the inhibition of peroxiredoxin 5 and on mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. We find that itaconate non-covalently inhibits peroxiredoxin 5, leading to the modulation of mitochondrial peroxide in activating macrophages. Through genetic manipulation, we confirm that peroxiredoxin 5 modulates type I interferon secretion in macrophages. The non-electrophilic itaconate mimetic 2-methylsuccinate inhibits peroxiredoxin 5 and phenocopies immunoregulatory action of itaconate on type I interferon and inflammasome activation, providing further support for a non-covalent inhibition of peroxiredoxin 5 by itaconate. Our work shows Peroxiredoxin 5 as a novel Type I interferon regulator with big potential to future research of redox regulation of immune responses.

Course on scRNA-seq Data Analysis - IMG
2025-12-01 - 2025-12-03 | Posluchárna 0.195 / Lecture room 0.195
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows researchers to study gene expression at the level of individual cells. This approach can, for example, help to identify different cell populations in a complex sample and describe their expression patterns. To generate and analyse scRNA-seq data, several methods are available, all with their strengths and weaknesses depending on the researchers’ needs. This 3-day course will cover the main technologies as well as the main aspects to consider while designing an scRNA-seq experiment. In particular, it will combine the theoretical background of analytical methods with hands-on data analysis sessions focused on data generated by droplet-based platforms.

By the end of the course, participants will possess the following abilities:
• Distinguish advantages and pitfalls of scRNA-seq.
• Design their own scRNA-seq experiment, using common technologies like 10× Genomics.
• Apply quality control (QC) measures and utilise analysis tools to preprocess scRNA-seq data.
• Apply normalisation, scaling, dimensionality reduction, integration and clustering on scRNA-seq data using R.
• Differentiate between cell annotation techniques to identify and characterise cell populations.
• Use differential gene expression analysis methods on scRNA-seq data to gain biological insights.
• Select enrichment analysis methods appropriate to the biological question and data.
• Develop an scRNA-seq data analysis workflow from raw count matrix to differential gene expression with peer support and light guidance.

More information and registration at https://www.elixir-czech.cz/events/course-on-scrna-seq-data-analysis-2025

On behalf of the organisers,

Michal Kolář

—
Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics
Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Videnska 1083
142 20 Prague 4
Czech Republic

Phone +420 241 063 412
Email kolarmi@img.cas.cz <mailto:kolarmi@img.cas.cz>

Metabolomics and lipidomics: platforms, pitfalls, and practical tips
2025-12-01 15:00 | Kinosal, Vídeňská 1083, Praha
Doc. Ing. Tomáš Čajka Ph.D., Fyziologický ústav AV ČR, bude zajišťovat 21 th Metodologický seminář Krč – Biocev na téma:
„Metabolomics and lipidomics: platforms, pitfalls, and practical tips“, který se bude konat 1.12.2025 od 15,00 hodin v Kinosále FGÚ.
Anotace:
Metabolomics and lipidomics are rapidly advancing fields that have transformed our understanding of biological processes at the molecular level. Yet, designing an appropriate workflow and selecting from the many available analytical options can be challenging [1]. Since 2018, the Metabolomics Core Facility at the Institute of Physiology CAS (https://metabolomics.fgu.cas.cz) has offered fee-based services for analyzing polar metabolites, complex lipids, and exposome compounds (including drugs) in biological materials [2]. The scope of these services has steadily expanded, with approximately 5,000 samples analyzed annually using a multiplatform liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) approach. This lecture will present the current untargeted LC–MS platforms (LIMeX workflow) and introduce upcoming platforms. We will also discuss common pitfalls related to study design, metabolome coverage, and statistical analysis.
[1] Rakusanova & Cajka, Trends Anal Chem 180 (2024) 117940 (doi: 10.1016/j.trac.2024.117940)
[2] Cajka et al., Int J Mol Sci 324 (2023) 1987 (doi: 10.3390/ijms24031987)

Seminář Tomáš Venit
2025-12-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Nuclear myosin 1 – from gene to function”
Mitochondria play a vital role in cellular metabolism by generating energy through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in most somatic cells. However, highly proliferative, undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and cancer cells mainly rely on aerobic glycolysis for energy production. Recently, we reported that nuclear myosin 1 (NM1) functions as a tumor suppressor and a key regulator of cellular metabolism, directly controlling the expression of the mitochondrial transcription factors TFAM and Pgc1α. Its deletion alters mitochondrial structure, reduces OXPHOS gene expression, induces a metabolic shift toward aerobic glycolysis, and promotes tumor formation in mice. In this talk, I will move from tumor development to somatic tissues and share our latest findings from phenotyping NM1 knockout mice.

Seminář Jakub Rídl
2025-12-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“Enigmatic germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds has different centromere compared to regular chromosomes”
Centromeres are an important part of chromosomes which direct chromosome segregation during cell division. Their modifications can therefore explain the unusual mitotic and meiotic behaviour of certain chromosomes, such as the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds. This chromosome is eliminated from somatic cells during early embryogenesis and later also from male germ cells during spermatogenesis. We used a combination of cytogenetic and genomic approaches to identify the centromeric sequences of two closely related songbird species, the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) and the thrush nightingale (L. luscinia). We found a 436-bp satellite repeat present in the centromeric regions of all regular chromosomes (i.e., autosomes and sex chromosomes). Interestingly, hybridization of the probe to this repeat on meiotic spreads suggested that this repeat is missing on the GRC. Our results indicate that the change of the centromeric sequence may underlie the unusual inheritance and programmed DNA elimination of the GRC in songbirds.

Seminář Mehak Nihal Shaikh
2025-12-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Posluchárna Milana Haška / Milan Hašek Auditorium
“ALDH1A1 inhibition as a therapeutic target in Acute Myeloid Leukemia”
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy leading to differentiation arrest of the myeloid compartment in the bone marrow. It is reported that high levels of ALDH1A1 inhibition promote chemoresistance in AML. Therefore, in my project we are studying the role of ALDH1A1 inhibition in AML using AML cell lines, mouse models, and AML patient samples. And lastly, we will show the effect of ALDH1A1 inhibition in combination with standard of care chemotherapeutic drugs as a potential treatment strategy for AML.
