Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics

This doctoral study programme is organized by the Faculty of Science in English and the studies are subject to tuition. There is an alternative option for the international applicants to be accepted in the free programme administered in Czech with the possibility of receiving a scholarship. The study language of the programme is still English (Czech is the administrative language). Before officially applying, please contact us at admission@sci.muni.cz to find all the necessary information related to the scholarship and see our FAQ’s.

Submit an application

International applicants for doctoral study (Czech and Slovak Republics applicants NOT included)
Submission deadline until midnight 15 December 2024.

What will you learn?

The program is a product of the fusion of former independent Molecular and Cellular Biology with General and Molecular Genetics. We propose the fusion to reflect modern holistic approaches dominating in both fields that converge them to close proximity and bring benefits to both of them. The aim of the program is to provide excellent scientific education in the field of molecular and cell biology and genetics. The graduates thus should be proficient to accomplish research of the nature of living phenomena on molecular, cellular, tissue and organismal levels. To achieve this aim, students are systematically guided to advance their theoretical knowledge in the field and master practical skills in applications of modern methods of molecular and cellular biology, genetics and other related fields. The key themes include the study of genes and genomes and their expression in microorganisms, plants, animals and humans. Special attention is paid to their relations to pathological conditions. Research performed on microorganisms is focused preferentially on molecular diagnosis and genomics of selected pathogenic and clinically significant bacterial strains and their interactions with bacteriophages. Research on plants is concentrated mainly on the study of genes of model plants and plants used in agriculture. In animals and humans, research is focused on the genetical structure of populations, molecular diagnosis of prenatal and postnatal pathogenic situations, genetics of tumours, the study of signalling processes connected with the regulation of proliferation, differentiation and programmed cell death in tumour cells and detection of genetical factors associated with certain polygenic diseases. Students are free to perform independent research in well-equipped laboratories and experienced supervisors are nominated to guide them in this effort. Students are continuously confronted with progress in the field by discussions in regular laboratory meetings, institutional seminars or conferences. Successful conference presentations or published articles are awarded by a special stipend.

“Windows of the living cell universe wide-opened.”

Practical training

The students who are interested in applied research can collaborate with companies as Repromeda (assisted reproduction), MB Pharma (devising phage preparations) or to participate in grant projects funded by TACR leading to applied outcomes. We aim to further support contractual research with applied potential, search for suitable partners and provide them with option to collaborate with students interested in this kind of research.

Further information

Additional information can be found in following addresses:

http://www.sci.muni.cz/cz/DoktorskeStudium/Prehled-programu-a-oboru

http://www.sci.muni.cz/cz/UEB

Career opportunities

Graduates find positions in various research institutes, universities, hospitals and other medical facilities and laboratories oriented to virology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology, pathology, etc. They are ready to perform independent research, draft scientific projects, create grant applications, experimental work itself, including rigorous interpretations of results and presentations in oral as well as written forms. They are also educated to act as teachers. Graduates from this program are sought-after by employers and many of them currently work on positions of leading researchers, university teachers, top managers and directors in various research and education institutions in the Czech Republic. Many graduates leaves for postdoctoral stays abroad, especially to westeuropean countries, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia. They often become highly-appreciated members of research teams there.

Admission requirements

Admission procedure
The admission interview is usually in an online form and consists of two parts:
1) Expert interview – the committee examines the applicant's professional competence and motivation on the basis of his/her CV, motivation letter and letter of recommendation, submitted by the applicant together with the application form. During the interview candidates present their PhD research project including methodology, and expected outputs in the presence of the supervisor. The committee also evaluates the candidate's knowledge of molecular and cell biology and genetics, with an emphasis on the area of planned research and his/her ability to put the findings into a general context (maximum 100 points),
2) Language part – the committee evaluates the candidate's ability to present and discuss his/her previous/current scientific (diploma) work and the concept of the planned PhD research in English. (max. 100 points).

More information about admission process for international applicants in general can be found in the section Admission Process.

Date of the entrance exam
The applicants will receive information about the entrance exam by e-mail usually at least 10 days before the exam.
Please, always check your e-mails, including spam folders.

Conditions of admission
To be admitted, a candidate must obtain a total of 70 out of 100 points in the expert knowledge part and 60 out of 100 points in the language part.
Successful applicants are informed of their acceptance by e-mail and subsequently receive an invitation to the enrolment.

Programme capacity
The capacity of a given programme is not fixed; students are admitted based on a decision by the Doctoral Board after assessing their aptitude for study and motivation.

Deadlines

2 Jan – 15 Dec 2024

Submit your application during this period

Submit an application

Dissertation topics

Single-subject studies

Single-cell transcriptomics-guided identification of novel molecular targets and prognostic markers in neuroblastoma
Supervisor: RNDr. Jan Škoda, Ph.D.

Neuroblastoma is the most common and highly lethal extracranial pediatric solid tumor, characterized by extensive intratumor and interpatient heterogeneity that dictates its clinical manifestation and complicates its management. Currently, about one in ten low- and intermediate-risk patients is misclassified and eventually dies from progressive disease, while available therapies still fail in half of the high-risk neuroblastoma cases. Neuroblastoma arises anywhere along the sympathetic nervous system, probably from neural crest cell (NCC)-derived sympathoadrenal progenitors. Recent single-cell transcriptomics studies of our collaborators shed new light on NCC differentiation and provided unprecedented insights into differentiation trajectories and cellular transition states during normal sympathoadrenal development. As suggested by our published and preliminary results, translating this updated understanding of the sympathoadrenal development into neuroblastoma research might hold the key for unraveling neuroblastoma heterogeneity. The main aim of this thesis is to explore the utility of single-cell transcriptomics data for identification of clinically useful therapeutic targets and markers that could be streamlined into improved neuroblastoma treatment protocols.
Supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, project NW24-07-00017.

Notes

PLEASE NOTE: Before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, interested candidates are required to contact Dr. Jan Škoda for informal discussion.

Supervisor

RNDr. Jan Škoda, Ph.D.

The role of non-productive RNA splicing in gene expression
Supervisor: Mgr. Přemysl Souček, Ph.D.

RNA sestřih je důležitým krokem v úpravě pre-mRNA, kdy jsou z transkribované pre-mRNA odstraněny intronové segmenty a zbývající exony spojeny za vzniku zralé mRNA. V posledních letech bylo prokázáno, že kromě autentických míst mohou být v pre-mRNA přítomna další sestřihová místa, která nejsou využívána standardním způsobem, ale mohla by ovlivňovat sestřih RNA nepřímo. Tato místa tak pravděpodobně nejsou efektivně využívána pro sestřih, ale stále mohou být rozpoznávána, a/nebo ovlivňovat sestřih RNA a tím přispívat k celkové modulaci míry genové exprese. Cílem doktorské práce bude charakterizovat takovýto typ míst ať už přímo z kompletního transkriptomu, nebo nepřímo s využitím arteficiálních genových konstruktů, jejichž sekvence může být upravena za účelem podrobnějšího studia takovýchto sestřihových míst.

Financování projektu:
Projekt je podpořen grantem 24-11219K (Lead Agency Project, GAČR), na němž jsou vyhrazeny prostředky na poloviční úvazek pro Ph.D. studenta. Spolupracující stranou je slovinská laboratoř vedená Jernejem Ulem. V rámci projektu je plánována úzká spolupráce s touto laboratoří a předpokládáme aktivní zapojení studenta do projektu na obou stranách, včetně absolvování stáže na tomto zahraničním pracovišti.

RNA splicing is an important step in pre-mRNA processing, where introns are removed from the transcribed pre-mRNA and the remaining exons form mature mRNA. In recent years, it has been shown that in addition to authentic sites, other splice sites may be present in pre-mRNA and that these splice sites are not standard spliced but could influence RNA splicing indirectly. Although these sites are probably not efficiently used for splicing, may still be recognized and/or influence RNA splicing and thus contribute to the overall modulation of gene expression. The aim of PhD thesis will be to characterize such sites directly from the complete transcriptome or indirectly using artificial gene constructs whose sequence can be manipulated to study splicing mechanism in more detail.

Notes

Téma je rezervováno. This topic is reserved.

Supervisor

Mgr. Přemysl Souček, Ph.D.

Supervisors

Study information

Provided by Faculty of Science
Type of studies Doctoral
Mode full-time Yes
combined Yes
distance No
Study options single-subject studies Yes
single-subject studies with specialization No
major/minor studies No
Standard length of studies 4 years
Language of instruction English
Collaborating institutions
  • The Czech Academy of Sciences
  • Biofyzikální ústav AV ČR
Doctoral board and doctoral committees
Tuition fees
The studies are subject to tuition, fees are paid per academic year
€3,000
Find out more

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