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Internal grant agency will support four student projects in 2025

Our institute supports independent research of Ph.D. students through the Internal grant agency. Students can apply for up to 50,000 CZK to cover the material costs, carry out experiments, or travel expenses covering the Ph.D. student’s trip to a conference. From 1 January 2025, four projects were supported for the following twelve months, i.e., until the end of this year:

1. Matyáš Jedlička: Phycocyanin Biosynthesis Optimization of Galdieria Sulphuraria in Various Metabolic Modes

M.Sc. Matyáš Jedlička completed his master’s in Biology at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands, in 2021-2023. Since 2024, he has been working at the ICPF in the Research Group of Algal and Microbial Biotechnology and is in the first year of his doctoral studies in Biotechnology (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, UCT Prague) under the supervision of Ing. Irena Brányiková, Ph.D. The title of his dissertation is Phycocyanin Production in Autotrophic, Heterotrophic, and Mixotrophic Cultivation of Microscopic Algae and Cyanobacteria.

The proposed project aims to determine the covariation of abiotic factors and their influence on the growth of the microalgae of the genus Galdieria and its intracellular accumulation of the pigment phycocyanin in phototrophic and heterotrophic growth regimes. The aim is to determine the relationship between pH, temperature, illumination, and carbon source for the maximum biomass growth rate and phycocyanin biosynthesis. Emphasis is also placed on the economic balance of the entire cultivation process.

2. Eliška Mizerová: Synthesis and Study of Properties of Phosphorus Derivatives in Polycyclic Aromatic Systems

Ing. Eliška Mizerová completed her master’s in Drug Synthesis at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague, in 2022-2024. Since 2022, she has been working at the ICPF in the Research Group of Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis and is in the first year of her doctoral studies in Chemistry (Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague) under the supervision of Dr. Ing. Vladimír Církva and specialist supervisor Ing. Tomáš Beránek, Ph.D. The title of her dissertation is Aromatic Compounds Containing a Phosphinine Ring.

The proposed project is focused on preparing and studying a polycyclic aromatic system containing various derivatives of the six-membered phosphorus cycle. Individual phosphorus derivatives will be studied to determine the influence of structural changes on the aromatic system’s physical and chemical properties. The knowledge gained can also be used to design more sophisticated systems that meet the requirements for possible future applications.

3. Aleš Krčil: Fluorinated Tetrasaccharides: Synthesis and Studies of Biodegradability and Affinity for Galectins

Ing. Aleš Krčil completed his master’s in Drug Synthesis at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague, in 2020-2022. Since 2022, he has been working at the ICPF in the Research Group of Bioorganic Chemistry and Biomaterials and is in the third year of his doctoral studies in Chemistry (Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague) under the supervision of Mgr. Jindřich Karban, Ph.D. The title of his dissertation is Synthesis of Fluorinated Oligosaccharides and Study of Their Interaction with Proteins.

Galectins are β-galactoside binding proteins involved in several physiological and pathological processes, including metastasis. Their pharmacological inhibition could significantly reduce these processes. The proposed project focuses on synthesizing the tetrasaccharide LacNAc-LacNAc and its fluorinated derivatives as selective inhibitors of galectin-3. The project also includes a study of the effect of fluorination on pharmacokinetic properties, which may contribute to the development of new therapeutics targeting specific galectins.

4. Jan Moravčík: Process and Reaction Engineering of Oxygen Elimination in 1-Butanol over MgO and Sm2O3 Catalysts

Ing. Jan Moravčík completed his master’s in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UCT Prague, in 2022-2024. Since 2024, he has been working at the ICPF in the Research Group of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering and is in the first year of his doctoral studies in Chemistry and Chemical Technology (Department of Organic technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, UCT Prague) under the supervision of Mgr. Luděk Kaluža, Ph.D. The title of his dissertation is Catalysts for the Elimination of Heteroatoms in the Refining of Hydrocarbon Raw Materials.

The proposed project aims to remove the oxygen heteroatom from raw materials from waste biomass, especially bioalcohols. Their dehydration is accompanied by carbon-carbon condensation reactions to form valuable hydrocarbon derivatives with a longer chain. Their large-scale production under heterogeneous catalysis has not yet been developed. The project will study newly shaped catalysts from the point of view of transport characteristics, formation, and separation of individual products.

 
 
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