Microbiology
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.
International applicants for doctoral study (Czech and Slovak Republics applicants NOT included)
Submission deadline until midnight 15 December 2024.
What will you learn?
The programme’s goal is to develop students into top specialists in microbiology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells developed within the Department of Experimental Biology at the Faculty of Science, MU. Graduates should be ready to take on further scientific careers in academic institutions, but also for possible employment in health care or veterinary facilities, in food, chemical or pharmaceutical industry and in biotechnology companies with their own research facilities, and as specialist lecturers.
The program actively supports its graduates in pursuing their scientific careers even further by encouraging long-term stays in post-graduate positions abroad.
The individual laboratories of the Microbiology programme cover the following research areas in which doctoral students are also trained:
Taxonomy and diversity of microorganisms
- Antibiotic rezistance of prokaryotes
- Food-safety and fast proof of pathogens
- Emerging viral infections
- Polyphasic classification of prokaryotes
- Synthetic biology
- Methanogenic archaea
The link between programmes is shared technologies, joint workshops, specialized seminars and conferences. Students are motivated by the high professional quality of research in a competitive, yet collaboration-friendly environment. The performance of individual students is recognized not only financially, but also, for example, by participating in prestigious conferences.
“Life on the Earth is not possible without microbes.”
Practical training
The student is responsible for at least one stay abroad in microbiology laboratory in minimal duration of one month during the study programme.
Further information
http://www.sci.muni.cz/cz/DoktorskeStudium/Prehled-programu-a-oboru/obor/Mikrobiologie
Career opportunities
Graduates of a doctoral degree program Microbiology are qualified to work especially in research institutes and departmental workplaces or as university lecturers. The level of obtained knowledges and experiences gives adequate guaranty for high adaptability of graduates in various fields of microbiology. They are authorized to conduct independent scientific and research activities in basic and applied research. In the most general sense, they are considered qualified for any kind of scientific work in microbiology, that is dealing with conceptual issues, participating in and managing scientific research activities, and teaching.
Admission requirements
Admission procedure
Student must show very good knowledge of general microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry related to the theme of the PhD thesis. Student submits a brief project proposal of PhD thesis in which specifies the topic, designates possible problems and proposes the experimental procedure. Good knowledge of the English language is essential, which will allow the student to not only read scientific literature, but also to talk and write about their scientific research.
The entrance examination is organized as an oral discussion when the committee evaluates and assigns points for the applicant’s expertise and abilities for scientific work (0-100 points) and skills in the English language (0-90 points).
Student must show very good knowledge of general microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry related to the theme of the PhD thesis. Student submits a brief project proposal of PhD thesis in which specifies the topic, designates possible problems and proposes the experimental procedure. Good knowledge of the English language is essential, which will allow the student to not only read scientific literature, but also to talk and write about their scientific research.
The entrance examination is organized as an oral discussion when the committee evaluates and assigns points for the applicant’s expertise and abilities for scientific work (0-100 points) and skills in the English language (0-90 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
Minimum requirements for successful examination are 85 points for scientific part and 60 points for language part of the entrance examination.
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.
Study options
Single-subject studies
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Full-time studies in English
What will you learn? -
Combined studies in English
What will you learn?
Dissertation topics
Single-subject studies
Neutralizační protilátky a nanoprotilátky proti viru klíšťové encefalitidy
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D.
Klíšťová encefalitida představuje závažné, potenciálně smrtelné virové onemocnění člověka. V současné době neexistují zádné možnosti pro postexpoziční profylaxi nebo léčbu tohoto onemocnění. Předkládaná práce se zaměří na vývoj nových monoklonálních protilátek a nanoprotilátek, které by účinně neutralizovaly virus klíšťové encefalitidy. Kromě testování protilátek se budeme věnovat studiu mechanismu neutralizace viru a mechanismům, které jsou zapojené do procesu vzniku rezistence viru vůči neutralizaci protilátkami.
Supervisor
Anoxygenic photosynthesis in photobioreactor: hydrogen sulfide detoxification with assimilation of carbon dioxide
Supervisor: doc. Ivan Kushkevych, Ph.D.
Cílem této disertační práce je prozkoumat a optimalizovat procesy anoxygenní fotosyntézy v prostředí fotobioreaktoru za účelem detoxikace sirovodíku a asimilace oxidu uhličitého. Práce se zaměří na zelené sirné bakterie (GSB) jako modelové organismy, které používají sirovodík jako hlavní elektronový donor a oxidu uhličitého jako zdroj uhlíku, přičemž vytváří elementární síru a organické sloučeniny. Důraz bude kladen na bioenergetiku a optimalizaci podmínek kultivace v bioreaktorech, včetně světelných podmínek, teploty a složení média. Součástí bude rovněž hodnocení potenciálu těchto mikroorganismů pro environmentální aplikace, jako je bioremediace znečištěných vod nebo výroba bioenergie. Práce také zohlední možné průmyslové aplikace v rámci konceptu biorefinerií, které přispívají k udržitelnému využití biogenního oxidu uhličitého a odpadních vod. Výsledky mohou vést k významnému snížení emisí oxidu uhličitého a k rozvoji inovativních technologií pro udržitelnou produkci.
Supervisor
Genomic analysis of pathogenic strains of enterobacteria resistant to antimicrobials using new generation sequencing approach and bioinformatics
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Monika Dolejská, Ph.D.
Rostoucí incidence bakterií rezistentních k antimikrobiálním látkám a jejich celosvětové šíření představují jedny z předních hrozeb současné medicíny a způsobují závažné komplikace v terapii infekčních onemocnění. Nárůst rezistence je sledován také u patogenních kmenů enterobakterií, které vyvolávají různé infekce člověka i zvířat. Genomika a celogenomové sekvenování (WGS) výrazně posouvají současné poznání v mikrobiologii a staly se důležitými přístupy pro pochopení rysů a vlastností bakterií rezistentních k antibiotikům. Současné WGS technologie však také přinášejí nové výzvy v analýze sekvenačních dat z důvodu obrovské komplexnosti, plasticity a diverzity bakteriálních genomů. Cílem této dizertační práce je práce s daty ze sekvenování nové generace (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore), která zahrnuje především návrh a použití in silico metod pro bioinformatické zpracování WGS dat.
Increasing incidence of bacteria resistant to antimicrobial agents and their global spread is one of the most important threats to current medicine, causing serious difficulties in the therapy of infectious diseases. Growing resistance has been documented also in pathogenic strains of enterobacteria that cause various infections in humans and animals. Genomics and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have the capacity to greatly enhance our knowledge in microbiology and they have become an important approach in our understanding of traits and specific features of antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, current WGS technologies also pose new challenges for sequence analysis due to the enormous complexity, plasticity and diversity of bacterial genomes. The aim of the PhD study will be to work with data from NGS systems (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore), to design and apply in silico methods for bioinformatics processing of WGS data.
Increasing incidence of bacteria resistant to antimicrobial agents and their global spread is one of the most important threats to current medicine, causing serious difficulties in the therapy of infectious diseases. Growing resistance has been documented also in pathogenic strains of enterobacteria that cause various infections in humans and animals. Genomics and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have the capacity to greatly enhance our knowledge in microbiology and they have become an important approach in our understanding of traits and specific features of antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, current WGS technologies also pose new challenges for sequence analysis due to the enormous complexity, plasticity and diversity of bacterial genomes. The aim of the PhD study will be to work with data from NGS systems (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore), to design and apply in silico methods for bioinformatics processing of WGS data.
Supervisor
Molecular host-virus interactions during tick-borne encephalitis
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D.
Cílem projektu je studovat interakce mezi virem klíšťové encefalitidy a hostitelem na molekulární a buněčné úrovni. Zvláštní zřetel bude kladen na identifikace molekul zapojených v procesu internalizace viru hostitelskou buňkou, aktivace drah imunitní odpovědi na infekci a hledání genetických markerů, které determinují tropismus viru k různým typům buněk a tkání a závažnost průběhu infekce.
Supervisor
Plasmids in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance and their interactions with the bacterial host
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Monika Dolejská, Ph.D.
Celosvětové rozšíření významných mechanismů rezistence prostřednictvím úspěšných genetických elementů je rostoucím problémem současné medicíny, s obrovským dopadem na zdraví člověka, zvířat a prostředí. Pochopení přenosu a šíření genů rezistence k antibiotikům v bakteriálních populacích je nezbytným předpokladem pro úspěšný boj s rapidně narůstající rezistencí k antibiotikům. Projekt je zaměřen na různé aspekty plazmidů spojených s rezistencí ke kriticky významným antibiotickům izolovaných z různých bakterií a širokého prostředí. Za využití sekvenování nové generace (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) a bionformatické analýzy sekvenačních dat bude studována struktura, plasticita a evoluce plazmidů stejně jako jejich potenciál se šířit a udržovat v bakteriálních komunitách. Role přídatných mechanismů a faktorů odpovědných za jejich udržování, šíření a zvyšování fitness bakteriálních hostitelů budou zhodnoceny a uvedeny do kontextu rezistence k antibiotikům. Cílem projektu je přinést nové informace o vlastnostech a rysech rezistentních plazmidů stojících za jejich úspěchem.
The worldwide dissemination of emerging resistance mechanisms via successful genetic elements is growing concern in current medicine, with the huge impact on health of humans, animals and the environment. Understanding how antibiotic resistance genes are mobilized and spread in bacteria is a desirable pre-requisite to combat antibiotic resistance. The project will be focused on various aspects of plasmids associated with resistance to critically important antibiotics isolated from various bacteria and wide sources. New-generation sequencing (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies Structure) and bioinformatics analysis of sequencing data will be used to study the plasticity and evolution of the resistance plasmids as well as their potential to spread and persist in bacterial communities. The role of additional accessory mechanisms and factors in the plasmid maintenance, transfer and fitness of bacterial hosts will be evaluated along with the resistance to antibiotics. The aim is to bring new knowledge on traits and features of resistance plasmids that are behind their success.
The worldwide dissemination of emerging resistance mechanisms via successful genetic elements is growing concern in current medicine, with the huge impact on health of humans, animals and the environment. Understanding how antibiotic resistance genes are mobilized and spread in bacteria is a desirable pre-requisite to combat antibiotic resistance. The project will be focused on various aspects of plasmids associated with resistance to critically important antibiotics isolated from various bacteria and wide sources. New-generation sequencing (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies Structure) and bioinformatics analysis of sequencing data will be used to study the plasticity and evolution of the resistance plasmids as well as their potential to spread and persist in bacterial communities. The role of additional accessory mechanisms and factors in the plasmid maintenance, transfer and fitness of bacterial hosts will be evaluated along with the resistance to antibiotics. The aim is to bring new knowledge on traits and features of resistance plasmids that are behind their success.
Supervisor
Supervisors
- doc. RNDr. Monika Dolejská, Ph.D.
- prof. RNDr. Jiří Doškař, CSc.
- doc. Mgr. Pavel Dvořák, Ph.D.
- doc. MVDr. Renata Karpíšková, Ph.D.
- doc. Ivan Kushkevych, Ph.D.
- prof. RNDr. Roman Pantůček, Ph.D.
- doc. RNDr. Ivo Rudolf, Ph.D.
- prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D.
- doc. RNDr. Ivan Rychlík, Ph.D.
- prof. RNDr. Ivo Sedláček, CSc.
- doc. RNDr. Pavel Švec, Ph.D.
- prof. Ing. Tomáš Vítěz, Ph.D.
- doc. Mgr. Monika Vítězová, Ph.D.
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 |
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| Doctoral board and doctoral committees | ||
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Tuition fees
The studies are subject to tuition, fees are paid per academic year |
€3,000 Find out more |
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