Department of Biochemistry

The research areas include metabolism of microorganisms, mammals, plants and development of (bio)analytical methods. Educational activity is based on a wide spectrum of biochemical subjects for students of biochemistry, chemistry and biology at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, see “Teaching”. Department of Biochemistry was originally established in 1948, as a part of the Chemistry Department. The first head was Professor V. Morávek. The subsequent heads of the independent Department of Biochemistry (1962 - 2005) were Assoc. Prof. L. Skurský, Prof. L. Macholán, Prof. V. Dadák, Assoc. Prof. P. Zbořil and Prof. V. Mikeš.

Current research is related to the following department laboratories:

• Analytical biochemistry: application of modern separation methods – high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis for qualitative and quantitative analyses of biologically active compounds (medicinal plants, clinical diagnosis, enzymes etc.)
• Biochemical regulations: studies on the nature of thyrotoxic effects of a surplus of bromide and of mechanisms of interference of exogenous bromide with the metabolism of iodine in the rat thyroid and some other tissues, with the aid of biochemical and radioanalytical methods.
• Biochemistry of denitrifying bacteria: distribution of electron flux in the branched respiratory chain. Nitrate transport into cells. Enzymology of the flavin-dependent oxidoreductases FerA and FerB. Response of bacterial proteome to growth conditions changes.
• Biosensors: development of electrochemical and piezoelectric biosensors, applications of enzyme electrodes and immunosensors for environmental and clinical analysis, real-time characterisation of affinity interactions using biosensors.
• Environmental biotechnology: study on bacterial oxidation of iron(II) and inorganic sulfur substances at a level of cells and enzymes in relation to activity of acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacteria in biohydrometallurgy and the environment.
• Glycobiochemistry: structure-functional studies of proteins involved in biosynthesis and specific recognition of biologically active glycoconjugates and studies of specific host-pathogen interactions.
• Molecular physiology: DNA testing of genetic disorders and DNA diagnostics of viral and bacterial diseases from clinical materials.
• Molecular pathology: molecular principles of diseases and host-pathogene interactions in plants. Molecular fundamentals of human diseases, changes at a DNA level.
• Proteomics: application of high-resolution proteomic methods of complex protein composition analysis in the field of bacterial physiology and molecular pathology. 

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Datum aktualizace: 29.10.2012