Genetics and Physiology of Fungi

MS degree in the field of organic chemistry received in 1973 at the Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague. Since 1974 he has been at the Institute of Microbiology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague where he obtained Ph.D. degree in microbiology in 1981. The main areas of his research were physiology of producers of secondary metabolites, development of analytical methods and techniques, mycotoxicology, in vitro production of secondary metabolites and also immunomodulatory effects of some ergot alkaloids. Recently, he has specialized in the analytical and preparative chromatography (HPLC, GC), HPLC/MS, electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, capillary zone electrophoresis, submersed fermentation of ergot alkaloids and pharmaceutical analysis, development of new chiral selectors used in HPLC and capillary electrophoresis.
His study stays abroad included the USA and Mexico, where he had the opportunity to meet both the scientific and industrial community, mainly in the field of mycotoxicology. These stays contributed considerably to his scientific career. In Germany and Italy he participated in the development of new chromatographic and electrophoretic methods and techniques used for the analysis of chiral mixtures and peptides.
Since 1993 until now, he has been the head of the Laboratory of Genetics, Physiology, and Bioengineering of Fungi. During the period of 1994-2001 he was the head of the Division of Biogenesis of Natural Compounds. He resumed this position in 2003 and was the head of the Division until 2007. He has been a member of the Scientific Board of the Institute of Microbiology since 1990; in 2001-2003 he was its chairman and served as vice-chairman in 2003-2006. Since 2005 he is a member of Academy Council of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and member of Council of the Institute of Microbiology (since 2007).
In 1998-2003 he was a member of the Management Committee of EC COST Action 835 „Agriculturally important toxigenic fungi”. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Antibiotics (1999-2010), Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2000-2005) and a permanent reviewer of the journals subjected to analytical chemistry.
His teaching activity is focused on training of MSc. and PhD. students of the Faculty of Sciences, Charles University mainly in the field of analytical and organic chemistry. His teaching activities also include lectures on the „Analyses of microbial toxins“for MSc. and PhD. students.
Results of his scientific work were published in 100 refereed journal articles, 26 other publications and 26 patents and patent applications. During last five years (2006-2010) he published 18 original papers, 6 patents and patent applications.