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Selected range: all newsAt least eleven distinct species have been identified within what was previously classified as the spring fungus Sarcosphaera coronaria. The discovery was made by researchers from the Nuclear Physics Institute, the Institute of Geology, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with other research institutions and amateur mycologists from the Czech Republic and the USA. Their findings, which include the description of two entirely new species, was made possible by measuring the arsenic content using neutron activation analysis. The breakthrough study on the rare fungus was published in Mycological Progress.
Researchers from the Faculty of Science at Charles University, three institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMG, IBT and IOCB), BIOCEV and CEITEC have made a remarkable advancement in understanding how cells regulate their inner framework. In a study recently published in Nature Communications, the team has uncovered the precise molecular mechanisms behind the protein MICAL1, which plays a crucial role in maintaining cell shape and movement. Their findings offer a detailed insight into MICAL1’s function in controlling actin filaments—the cell's flexible “skeleton”—and open up new possibilities for developing treatments to address diseases linked to MICAL dysfunction.
A team of scientists from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IBT CAS) and the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IEM CAS), supported by colleagues at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), has made significant strides in understanding how the brain recovers after a stroke. Published this week in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study employs cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics to create a detailed map of the molecular and cellular responses of glial cells – cells essential for brain health – during the critical first week following an ischemic stroke in a pre-clinical mouse model.
At 11 am on October 18, 2024, IOCB Prague officially opened a new branch in Boston, USA. The move puts the institute in proximity to world-leading scientific institutions, such as Harvard University, MIT, and Boston Medical Center. As the first institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences to establish an overseas branch, IOCB will track the latest trends in biomedical research in the very heart of the global scientific community. The new branch is a unique milestone for the whole of Europe as well.
Researchers from IOCB Prague have succeeded in preparing compounds capable of activating prodrugs at predetermined locations in the body, enhancing their effectiveness and expediting their action. This will make it possible, for example, to more precisely target malignant tumours, which might greatly advance the potential of anti-cancer therapies. Compounds referred to as new-generation prodrug activators have been developed in the laboratory of Dr. Milan Vrábel, and two research articles on the matter have been published in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie.
Researchers from IOCB Prague are furthering the understanding of how medicines work and what it takes to develop their most effective variants. In one current study, they have focused on the disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, especially because of the recent appearance of strains that are resistant to conventional treatment. In an effort to find a new weak spot of this parasite, the research group led by Dr. Evžen Bouřa has succeeded in preparing a key enzyme complex – the proteasome. This has made it possible to gain knowledge that is indispensable for the development of new effective medicines. The research was carried out in collaboration with colleagues from the University of California San Diego. An article presenting the work has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Scientists from the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Paris, have achieved a breakthrough result. It could influence the future development of smart materials. The discovery, which challenges one of the fundamental principles of electrochemistry concerning electron manipulation, was recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
An international team of mycologists from the Netherlands and Iran has discovered a new species of fungus causing lung disease in an Iranian patient with respiratory problems. They named it Aspergillus hubkae in recognition of the long-term work of Czech scientist Vít Hubka (38 years old) from the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS. In the history of Czech science, it is very rare for such a young researcher to receive such recognition.
Researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, along with the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the National Institute for Cancer Research at the BIOCEV center, have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding regenerative cells that could significantly enhance wound healing processes. Their findings suggest that wounds can heal without scarring, contingent upon the presence of Regeneration Initiation Cells (RICs).
In the face of rapidly changing climate conditions, genetic mixing may be a key factor for species survival, enabling critical new adaptations. This is the conclusion of a research study conducted by a team of scientists from the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IAPG CAS), in collaboration with colleagues from Oklahoma University and Cornell University in the United States. Their findings could help reshape current approaches to the conservation of endangered species.
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